Emperor (Anax imperator)

Emperor at the Dragonfly pool on July 23, 2011 (photo MF)

 

Present in small numbers on most water bodies, breeding

2009: 12/6: one male on Fishing pool; 14/6: 2 males on Fishing pool, 2 males on north end of No.1; one male on Compound pool; 1/7: 6 males + one ovipositing female on Fishing pool; 10/7: 2 males; 23/7: 2 males; 1/8: 1m + 2f; 5/8: 3 males + one ovipositing female at Fishing pool.

2010: 3/6: 1 female; 12/6: 1 male; 20/6: 10+, including 2 ovipositing; 26/6: 5 males; 27/6: 9 seen; 3/7: 7m + f; 10/7: one in flight at Quicksand pool, also one settled very briefly at Fishing pool; 11/7: 1 male; 20/7: female ovipositing at Quicksand pool; 24/7: 2 seen; 8+15+16/8: 1 seen; 21/8: one ovipositing; 12/8: one male; 15/8: one male; 30/8: one male. Perhaps the low numbers in July and August could be down to Hobby predation?

2011: 3/7: 8 (7m + 1f) in No.2/QS/Fishing pool area; 23/7: 7 males, including one very active at the Dragonfly pool (photo above); 25/7: 7 males; 1/8: 9m+1 f.

2012: 18/7: Dipping pool (1 male); 8/7: Meadow Pool (1 male); 12/7: Fishing pool (4); Meadow pool (1); 15/7: Meadow pool (1 male); 22/7: various parts of site (7 males); 5/8: Fishing/Quicksand pool area (6 males); 10/8: Fishing pool/Allen’s pool area (5 males); 14/8: Various parts of site (2 males, I ovipositing female).

2013: 25/6: Fishing pool (1m); 26/6: Q-s pool (1m); 29/6: Fishing pool (2m + 1 ovipos female); 4/7: Fishing pool (2); 5/7: Q-s pool area (2m); 6/7: Dragonfly pool area (1m); Dipping pool (2m); Fishing pool (3m); Allen’s pool (2m); 7/7: Dragonfly pool (1); over Meadow pool (2m); Allen’s pool (1f); 8/7: Fishing pool (3m); Q-s pool (3m); 9/7: Fishing pool (2m); 14/7: Dragonfly pool and N approach (1m); 16/7: Fishing pool (1); No.2 pool (2); Q-s pool (3); 18/7: Fishing pool (2m + 1 ovipositing fem); Dipping pool (1m); Dragonfly pool (1m); 19/7: Over the reserve, 24 in total: i.e. Dragonfly pool (1); S end of Meadow pool (1m + 1f); circumference of No.1 pool (3); No.2 pool (6m + 3f); Fishing pool (3); Q-s pool south (3); Q-s pool north (1); Allen’s pool (1); long pool near the fence on Boilton marsh (1); 25/7: Fishing pool (3); 27/7: Dragonfly pool (1); 28/7: Fishing pool area (1); 2/8: Dragonfly pool (1); 3/9: M6-Fishing pool area (2). [A good year].

 

2014: 12/6: Fishing pool (1); 14/6: Fishing pool (2m); 17/6: Visitor Centre Boardwalk (2m + 2f,  one ovipositing); 19/6: Ribbleton pool (1); 25/6: Fishing pool (1m); 30/6: Q-s pool (3m); 6/7: Fishing pool(1), Hairstreak stile (1); 10/7: Hairstreak stile (1f); 22/7: Fishing pool (1m + 1 ovipositing female), Q-s pool (1); 25/7: Q-s pool, Fishing Pool and Boilton Marsh (15); Meadow Pool (1); Dumper crossing to Boilton Wood (1); 27/7: Dragonfly pool (2); 5/8: Fishing pool (1m); 9/8: Dipping pool (1).