In search of the Black Darter

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, 18 August 2024
In search of the Black Darter
Black Darter, male © Simon Linington

Simon Linington

Dragonflies in Sussex appear to be doing quite well. Over the past two decades, several species have been added to the county fauna and there has been an increase in the number of local populations of many resident dragonflies. These improved fortunes can almost certainly be attributed to climatic effects and have arisen despite water pollution and the choking of waterways - the latter seems particularly bad this season. Against this backdrop, one Sussex species that is causing concern is the Black Darter. It is found mainly across heathland and moorland in the north and west of the UK with outlying populations elsewhere such as in Sussex. Not surprisingly, with a gradual northward shift of many species across Europe as annual temperatures increase, outlying southern populations of Black Darter, such as in Sussex, would appear to be vulnerable. In Sussex, the species has traditionally occurred around acidic ponds on heathland such as on Ashdown Forest and the Western Greensands. Hotter, drier summers have caused many such ponds to dry out in recent years and this could be a serious threat to the species in Sussex.

There were six records in Sussex during 2021, just one (at Sussex Wildlife Trust's Old Lodge nature reserve on Ashdown Forest) in 2022 and none last year. Consequently, there was some fear that they might have been lost. Alan Martin and I (who, with Bob Foreman, have just written a book on Sussex damselflies and dragonflies) wondered whether the decline was real or due to lack of either site visits or submission of records by observers. Alternatively, had larvae delayed emergence and were waiting for suitable conditions? Recent surveys of Old Lodge failed to find the species. We both live in East Sussex, so although a bit of a trek, we thought a trip to previously occupied West Sussex sites seemed in order. 

When Burton Mill Pond failed to come up with the goods in the heat of Monday morning so we decided to venture further west to Iping Common. Selecting the most likely pond on the site map, we started to search. Alan thought he saw a dark-coloured darter head off in front of him. As he searched, I scanned with binoculars, and there joy of joys, was a male Black Darter perched on top of a rush and excitedly, I directed Alan towards it. The significant noise of camera shutters followed before other males were located – five in all plus a female. 

So, Black Darter continues to fight on in Sussex and on a Sussex Wildlife Trust reserve as well. Although many observers record a few commoner species each year across Sussex, there aren’t that many real dragonfly enthusiasts out looking, so we were surprised when checking the Sussex Dragonfly Group website in the evening to be greeted by nice photos of Black Darters taken at Iping on the day before! Hopefully, observers will be out looking at other old sites in the coming month or so.

There is something about the thrill of finding something that you thought had been lost and subsequently treasuring it. Hopefully, discovering that Black Darter is still in Sussex will encourage us to do all we can to hang onto it despite the inevitable pressures it faces.

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Comments

  • Stuart Wakeham:

    Passionate & informative article, thank you. My partner & I are keen nature observers & we have been learning to identify dragon/damselflies as we ramble. That thrill you describe, even on seeing our first sighting of the year, is a great feeling

    25 Aug 2024 11:55:00

  • Bob Davis:

    One morning this week we found a dead dragonfly on our living room floor. It looks very much like the illustration M of a black darter on page 143 of British Dragonflies / Smallshire and Swash.
    Location BN271EY; about mile west of Whelpley Level. I’m afraid the corpse was disposed of. Bob

    28 Aug 2024 11:03:00

  • Jan Burdon:

    August 28th.
    I live in the small village of East Hoathly today a strange noise took place in my kitchen.
    Very loud and coming from behind one of my orchards on the kitchen window.
    Totally amazed I found a very large dragonfly. Using a very large glass jug I manage to catch it safely and photograph it as I had never seen anything like it before.
    It transpires it is an Emerald Chaser/Hawker. Not sure which. Bright green with brown markers along it’s abdomen. I carefully released back into my garden. Photographs available.
    An exciting find and so happy to have the opportunity of seeing it at such close quarters.

    29 Aug 2024 11:37:00

  • Carol Head:

    Thank you. I can’t get out so much now (at 82!) so value these interesting contributions.

    30 Aug 2024 10:33:00

  • Pam Kelly:

    In the context of insects overall I suppose a dragonfly wouldn’t be the most likely first victim of plastic “ so-called grass”, as I see them resting a bit higher up, but I think I remember hearing about a dragonfly meeting instant death on a plastic “lawn” due to the intense heat of the plastic. But whatever the insect it’s a good reminder of the harms inventors may never have anticipated.

    Lovely article.

    31 Aug 2024 14:02:00

  • Alan Walker:

    Dragonflies are magnificent.
    I wish they would make use of my pond which I tried to make accommodating for them.

    01 Sep 2024 18:21:00

  • Phil Thornton:

    An interesting article. I am a volunteer at RSPB Pulborough Brooks where we have a string of small ponds on a patch of sandy heathland. These ponds have frequently dried out in warm summers apart from one at the top which is spring fed and retains water all the time. A further one at the bottom where the heathland gives way to woodland has been drying out too quickly until our warden team managed to fix a sluice which controls the outflow from this pond.

    Prior to Covid we would always see black darters and small red damselflies on the heathland, not in huge numbers but never difficult to find. Since 2021 when we started doing monthly odonata surveys neither of these species has been recorded and we assumed they had been lost – very much in line with your article.

    However more recently one of our warden team has rediscovered both species in a patch of heathland which is rarely visited, as it is little more than a very wet bog whish is difficult to access and few if any of the volunteers knew about. The description of this patch of ground reminded me of a similar but larger patch near Burton Mill Pond which I think SWT calls the “Black Hole” and is basically a very wet bog between heathland and woodland I’m guessing that visit to Burton Mill Pond mentioned in the article refers to this.

    Anyway this latest discovery at Pulborough Brooks gives us some hope that our other more accessible heathland ponds there could be recolonised from our own “black hole” nearby.

    04 Sep 2024 07:49:00

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