Dragonflies

Dragonflies

To date more than 20 Dragonfly and Damselfly species have been recorded, ranging from tiny damselflies and demoiselles to the larger hawkers and emperors. Large numbers of Banded Demoiselle may be seen fluttering along many sections of the River Thames, demonstrating the high water quality and excellent habitat.  

Many of the deeper lakes support vast swarms of several thousand Common Blue Damselflies, a species suited to deep water habitats.  The warm shallow waters of lake margins and recent mineral workings can support huge swarms of Black-Tailed Skimmer and Blue-Tailed Damselfly.  The rare, Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly has been recorded in some mineral workings in the Cotswold Lakes, utilising the warm, shallow pools in the earliest stages of vegetation.  

Key sites such as the diverse wetlands of Swillbrook Lakes support a superb dragonfly assemblage of 16 breeding species, a result of the variety of water depths and pool sizes seen here. The Cotswold Water Park Dragonfly Atlas Project 2008-2012 was launched in spring 2008 to survey, record and map the distribution of dragonflies and damselflies across the Cotswold Lakes.  Surveys have now concluded and the publication printed.