During an event at Radipole yesterday we had a hawker type dragonfly reported to us from the North Hide. There aren’t many hawker species that can be seen this time of year except for the Hairy Dragonfly which has yet to be confirmed as a Radipole species. There was one individual seen last year by myself but couldn’t get a picture to confirm it for the records. This spring however, another large dragonfly species could be on the cards, Vagrant Emperor. This species is currently spreading through Europe and is very rare in the UK. Its breeding range is sub-Saharan Africa but have tendencies to migrate vast distances. In fact it’s the only dragonfly species to be recorded in Iceland.
Yesterday there was sightings of this insect in Kent at RSPB Dungeness and one possible at nearby Portland. There have also been a few records elsewhere in the south west over the last week. It seems quite likely that yesterday’s dragonfly could well have been a Vagrant Emperor. So If you're walking around Radipole or Lodmoor over the next week or two keep your eyes open for any large Dragonflies and make sure you let one of us in the visitor centre know!