Dave Smallshire
@smallshire.bsky.social
Birdwatcher for 60 years, dragonflies and all other wildlife followed. Author, wildlife guide, photographer and lecturer.
2 pairs of Common Darters egglaying in the newly-restored Serpentine lake at Stover today!
November 28, 2025 at 4:30 PM
2 pairs of Common Darters egglaying in the newly-restored Serpentine lake at Stover today!
This is unfortunate the Sparrowhawk. It only flew a couple of feet, but out of view. It flew to our fence, but dropped the dove on the floor. I couldn't see the hawk, but when I went to look at the dove, the hawk flew from nearby past my face! Magpies found the dove and removed it in no time!
October 26, 2025 at 3:00 PM
This is unfortunate the Sparrowhawk. It only flew a couple of feet, but out of view. It flew to our fence, but dropped the dove on the floor. I couldn't see the hawk, but when I went to look at the dove, the hawk flew from nearby past my face! Magpies found the dove and removed it in no time!
After hearing loud thump on my study window, I discovered a young Sparrowhawk sitting on pondweed in the middle of my pond. What was even more surprising was that when it took off it pulled a Collared Dove out of the water beneath it!
October 26, 2025 at 2:16 PM
After hearing loud thump on my study window, I discovered a young Sparrowhawk sitting on pondweed in the middle of my pond. What was even more surprising was that when it took off it pulled a Collared Dove out of the water beneath it!
A triple birthday whammy in my S Devon garden this morning: Green Woodpecker, this Sparrowhawk (went off to chase a sparrow) and just now my first Hummingbird Hawk-moth of the year. Good things always come in threes!
August 19, 2025 at 9:39 AM
A triple birthday whammy in my S Devon garden this morning: Green Woodpecker, this Sparrowhawk (went off to chase a sparrow) and just now my first Hummingbird Hawk-moth of the year. Good things always come in threes!
Highlight of the year at my pond: Southern Hawker egglaying into rotten wood. Check out that ovipositor! Pondwatching is great!
July 30, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Highlight of the year at my pond: Southern Hawker egglaying into rotten wood. Check out that ovipositor! Pondwatching is great!
Another great reason to keep the dead elm at the bottom of my garden: first Green Woodpecker (juvenile) in the garden for over 20 years - and that was in the same tree!
July 21, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Another great reason to keep the dead elm at the bottom of my garden: first Green Woodpecker (juvenile) in the garden for over 20 years - and that was in the same tree!
Delighted to have my image of the type specimen of the newly-described Fossa Knifetail (Nesocordulia fossa) in a paper describing 6 new Nesocordulia from Madagascar in 2016. We saw at least 3 of these, including Fossa and Crabshear Knifetails found by K-D Dijkstra on the same day in Mantidia NP!
July 16, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Delighted to have my image of the type specimen of the newly-described Fossa Knifetail (Nesocordulia fossa) in a paper describing 6 new Nesocordulia from Madagascar in 2016. We saw at least 3 of these, including Fossa and Crabshear Knifetails found by K-D Dijkstra on the same day in Mantidia NP!
Today's sudden heatwave brought in the first 2 Common Darters of the year to my garden pond in south Devon, joining Azure and Blue-tailed Damselflies. Emperor came to egg-lay briefly and Southern Hawker back on territory at 18:20! #PondWatch @BDSdragonflies
July 9, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Today's sudden heatwave brought in the first 2 Common Darters of the year to my garden pond in south Devon, joining Azure and Blue-tailed Damselflies. Emperor came to egg-lay briefly and Southern Hawker back on territory at 18:20! #PondWatch @BDSdragonflies
Surprised to see a male Golden-ringed Dragonfly perched over my garden pond in south Devon this morning - only the second to do so in 35 years! Should be at running water, but they do wander widely. #PondWatch
@BDSdragonflies
@BDSdragonflies
July 4, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Surprised to see a male Golden-ringed Dragonfly perched over my garden pond in south Devon this morning - only the second to do so in 35 years! Should be at running water, but they do wander widely. #PondWatch
@BDSdragonflies
@BDSdragonflies
For 30 mins at 5 pm the first territorial Southern Hawker of the year appeared at my garden pond in south Devon, joining a meagre 2 Azure Damselflies. I've only had 1 Southern Hawker emerge so far, but my neighbour's tiny pond has had 6! #PondWatch @BDSdragonflies
July 1, 2025 at 6:26 PM
For 30 mins at 5 pm the first territorial Southern Hawker of the year appeared at my garden pond in south Devon, joining a meagre 2 Azure Damselflies. I've only had 1 Southern Hawker emerge so far, but my neighbour's tiny pond has had 6! #PondWatch @BDSdragonflies
Nice to see some rare UK insects in N Bohemia on last week's Naturetrek tour: Chequered Skipper and Wart-biter Bush-cricket. An American Mink peering out of a riverside woodpile was perhaps not so welcome!
June 24, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Nice to see some rare UK insects in N Bohemia on last week's Naturetrek tour: Chequered Skipper and Wart-biter Bush-cricket. An American Mink peering out of a riverside woodpile was perhaps not so welcome!
Emeralds in N Bohemia on last week's Naturetrek tour: Downy (surprisingly common), Brilliant and Yellow-spotted (hard to make out the orange-yellow spots on a mature male!), and by contrast a beautiful immature Small Bluetail.
June 24, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Emeralds in N Bohemia on last week's Naturetrek tour: Downy (surprisingly common), Brilliant and Yellow-spotted (hard to make out the orange-yellow spots on a mature male!), and by contrast a beautiful immature Small Bluetail.
Some more highlights from last week's Naturetrek tour to N Bohemia, Czechia: Lilypad, Yellow-spotted and Small Whitefaces, and a newly-emerged Green Snaketail.
June 24, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Some more highlights from last week's Naturetrek tour to N Bohemia, Czechia: Lilypad, Yellow-spotted and Small Whitefaces, and a newly-emerged Green Snaketail.
Personal highlight of last week's Naturetrek Dragonflies of North Bohemia (Czechia) tour: male Dark Whiteface (Leucorrhinia albifrons), which performed brilliantly on our final day. Images show adult male, emerging male and teneral male (x2). More to follow when images processed!
June 22, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Personal highlight of last week's Naturetrek Dragonflies of North Bohemia (Czechia) tour: male Dark Whiteface (Leucorrhinia albifrons), which performed brilliantly on our final day. Images show adult male, emerging male and teneral male (x2). More to follow when images processed!
Over 200 pairs of Azure Damselflies egglaying into pond weed at DWT's Chudleigh Knighton Heath today! And more on other ponds...
May 18, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Over 200 pairs of Azure Damselflies egglaying into pond weed at DWT's Chudleigh Knighton Heath today! And more on other ponds...
Downy Emerald was the star at DWT's Little Bradley Ponds today: emerging male here, with 5 other exuviae all in Gr Tussock Sedge. Also 5 territorial males and an egglaying female. 2 Hairy Dragonflies also.
May 18, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Downy Emerald was the star at DWT's Little Bradley Ponds today: emerging male here, with 5 other exuviae all in Gr Tussock Sedge. Also 5 territorial males and an egglaying female. 2 Hairy Dragonflies also.
Plenty of non-bird interest during a recent trip to Lesvos: Giant Peacock Moth, Ladybird Spider, Snake-eyed Lizard and Southern Comma.
May 11, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Plenty of non-bird interest during a recent trip to Lesvos: Giant Peacock Moth, Ladybird Spider, Snake-eyed Lizard and Southern Comma.
A miscellany of nice birds seen during a recent trip to Lesvos: Collared Flycatcher, Greater Short-toed Lark, Kruper's Nuthatch and Scops Owl.
May 11, 2025 at 12:11 PM
A miscellany of nice birds seen during a recent trip to Lesvos: Collared Flycatcher, Greater Short-toed Lark, Kruper's Nuthatch and Scops Owl.
Excellent birds at Kalloni Saltpans during a recent trip to Lesvos (post 2): Black-winged Stilts, Ruff, White-winged Tern and Red-throated Pipit.
May 11, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Excellent birds at Kalloni Saltpans during a recent trip to Lesvos (post 2): Black-winged Stilts, Ruff, White-winged Tern and Red-throated Pipit.
Excellent waders at Kalloni Saltpans during a recent trip to Lesvos (post 1): Spur-winged Lapwing, Temminck's Stint, Spotted Redshank and Curlew Sandpiper.
May 11, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Excellent waders at Kalloni Saltpans during a recent trip to Lesvos (post 1): Spur-winged Lapwing, Temminck's Stint, Spotted Redshank and Curlew Sandpiper.
During a recent trip to Lesvos, the Tsiknias River at Kalloni was a magnet for usually skulking water birds: Great Snipe (my first for about 50 years!), Spotted Crake, Squacco Heron, and more Little Bitterns than you could shake a stick at.
May 11, 2025 at 12:06 PM
During a recent trip to Lesvos, the Tsiknias River at Kalloni was a magnet for usually skulking water birds: Great Snipe (my first for about 50 years!), Spotted Crake, Squacco Heron, and more Little Bitterns than you could shake a stick at.
Buntings were prominent during a recent trip to Lesvos: Black-headed, Cinereous, Corn (with bush-crickets) and Cretzschmar's. And Cirl was around, just for good measure!
May 11, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Buntings were prominent during a recent trip to Lesvos: Black-headed, Cinereous, Corn (with bush-crickets) and Cretzschmar's. And Cirl was around, just for good measure!
Dragonflies were generally hard to find on a recent trip to Lesvos during cool N airflow, but here are some: Small Pincertail, Small Skimmer male and female, and Red-veined Darter mature female.
May 11, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Dragonflies were generally hard to find on a recent trip to Lesvos during cool N airflow, but here are some: Small Pincertail, Small Skimmer male and female, and Red-veined Darter mature female.
Big surprise on a recent trip to Lesvos was the abundance of Dark Spreadwings (Lestes macrostigma) at several brackish brackish Kalloni Bay sites. Well over 1000 at one, sheltering from strong N wind. Mature female and newly-emerged male also shown.
May 11, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Big surprise on a recent trip to Lesvos was the abundance of Dark Spreadwings (Lestes macrostigma) at several brackish brackish Kalloni Bay sites. Well over 1000 at one, sheltering from strong N wind. Mature female and newly-emerged male also shown.
This Great Northern Diver was one of 2 seen on the Stuart Line birdwatching cruise in the Exe Estuary today. Other highlights: Marsh Harrier, big flocks of Brent Geese, Avocet, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Black-t Godwit. Still pitifully few Mergansers. Also 2 Grey & 1 Harbour Seal.
December 13, 2024 at 5:37 PM
This Great Northern Diver was one of 2 seen on the Stuart Line birdwatching cruise in the Exe Estuary today. Other highlights: Marsh Harrier, big flocks of Brent Geese, Avocet, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Black-t Godwit. Still pitifully few Mergansers. Also 2 Grey & 1 Harbour Seal.