The Northants' Most Accessible Sites

Sites Reference: The following species lists for each site. Space here restricts this list to those sites that are the most accessible and give the observer good views of dragonfly activity. The list is compiled from the latest database of records.  A future update will list all Key County sites according to the recently published guidelines from the British Dragonfly Society.

Titchmarsh Local Nature Reserve, OS TL007813 - 18 species

Hairy Dragonfly, Large Red Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle, Black-tailed Skimmer, Scarce Chaser, Four-spot Chaser, Broad-bodied Chaser, Emperor Dragonfly, Red-eyed Damselfly, Emerald Damselfly, Brown Hawker, Migrant Hawker, Southern Hawker, Common Darter, Ruddy Darter.

Pitsford Nature Reserve, OS SP780708: 17 Species

Hairy Dragonfly, Large Red Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly, Four-spot Chaser, Broad-bodied Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer, Emerald Damselfly, Ruddy Darter, Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker, Emperor Dragonfly, Common Darter, Ruddy Darter, Migrant Hawker.

Summer Leys Local Nature Reserve, OS  SP886633 - 17 species:

Hairy Dragonfly, Large Red Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly,  Banded Demoiselle, Hairy Dragonfly, Four-Spot Chaser, Broad-bodied Chaser, Emerald Damselfly, Brown Hawker, Migrant Hawker, Southern Hawker, Common Darter, Ruddy Darter.

Fermyn Woods/Brigstock Country Park: SP955850 - 17 species:

Hairy Dragonfly, Large Red Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Black-tailed Skimmer, Four-spot Chaser, Broad-bodied Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer, Emperor Dragonfly, Emerald Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly, Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker, , Ruddy Darter, Common Darter, Migrant Hawker.

Stanwick Lakes SP969713 - 16 species:

Hairy Dragonfly, Large Red Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly,  Banded Demoiselle, Four-Spot Chaser, Broad-bodied Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer, Emperor Dragonfly, Brown Hawker, Emerald Damselfly, Common Darter, Ruddy Darter, Migrant Hawker.

Barnwell Country Park OS TL035875 - 15 species

Hairy Dragonfly, Large-Red Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Common-Blue Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly,  Four-Spotted Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer, Emperor Dragonfly, Banded Demoiselle, Brown Hawker, Migrant Hawker, Southern Hawker, Common Darter, Ruddy Darter.

River Ise (Burton Latimer), OS SP889748 - 12 species

Large Red Damselfly,  Red-eyed Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, White-legged Damselfly, Emperor Dragonfly, Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker, Migrant Hawker, Common Darter.

Guidelines for Recorders:

To see the maximum number of species at a given site, all observations and records should be made between 1030hrs and 1500hrs on sunny days, over or around water in the Northamptonshire area. Dragonflies are mainly active on sunny days when the temperature exceeds 20 degrees C with light winds at around midday. Records outside of these times, are of course valuable.

Please send the following data: 1) Species, 2) Approximate numbers, 3) Site name (or description), 4) OS grid reference in the form SP005851, 5) Dragonfly activity,

e.g. Adult, Copulating pair, oviposting, Emergent/teneral and exuvia (the outer skin casing left after emergence), 6) Your name and contact details.

All recorders will be credited.

Click here to download a modified version (Word 97 format) of the RA70 recording card. This can be saved to your hard disk and e-mailed back:

Northants RA70 Recording Card

Please e-mail cards and records to Mark Tyrrell