DWT Trustee Michael Coates, is always on the look out for beautiful damsels and on July 7th you can help him out! In this instance you will be searching for arguably the prettiest damselfly, the “Banded Demoiselle” or the aptly named “Beautiful Demoiselle”. Rarely seen by the casual observer, these very dainty damselflies like to be by fast moving water, and in the Durham area we are lucky to have a few locations where they can typically be seen.
Starting at the visitor centre, there will be a short talk about Demoiselles, plus an update on what damsel and dragonflies have been seen so far in 2019 (plus where the best locations are). Attendees will then car share for 5 minutes and head to the Scout Centre on the nearby A690. From there a 20 minute walk, involving some steep terrain, will get you to the edge of the River Wear. Then the damsel hunt will begin. The midday event is timed to increase the chances of the sun warming them up and making them more active. So hopefully they will be on the wing.
This is one of a series of events aimed at encouraging people to report sightings of dragon and damselflies in the DWT region. Sightings should be reported on this online form. https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/OwB3P0
To book your place, click on the green ‘register’ button above.
Photo: Vivien Kent
