If you go down to Coombe Hill today...

You're in for a real treat as it is teeming with dragonflies!


Nature Reserves Manager, Jackie Birch reported seeing lots of Southern Hawker dragonflies buzzing around the waters at Coombe Hill Nature Reserve only days after spotting a Ruddy Darter nearby at The Mythe, in Tewkesbury.

The Southern Hawker is common in Southern and central England and breeds in the vegetation surrounding ponds.

They are not afraid of getting up close and personal with you and will often fly close to investigate people walking by.

The bright red Ruddy Darter is more scarce and often confused with the Common Darter but is distinguishable by its black legs.

It prefers weedy ponds and ditches and is a nationally noteable species. The sighting has now been confirmed by County Dragonfly Recorder, Ingrid Twissell.

Dragonflies aren’t just pretty to look at – they’re a great indicator of the state of our environment, reflecting the water quality in our ponds and rivers and the abundance of smaller insects. 

However, in the past 40 years Britain has lost three of its 42 species, and a third of the remainder are threatened with extinction due to the loss of wetland habitat.

It's great to see that they are making Coombe Hill Nature Reserve their home, so why not get down there and enjoy these fascinating creatures.

Find out more about dragonflies at the British Dragonfly Society.