Summer 2009 - Scottish Natural Heritage

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1 16 The Nature of Scotland
Of damsels and dragons 2 One of the natural highlights of summer is watching a dragonfl y or damselfl y cruising over a pond like a mini helicopter. Now your help is needed with recording where they live Dragonfl ies and damselfl ies are some of our oldest insects whose ancestors were on the wing over 300 million years ago. They are beautiful aerial jewels with stunning colours, fascinating behaviour and incredible powers of fl ight. 1 The southern hawker dragonfly is on the move northwards. It often breeds in garden ponds but hunts well away from water. 2 If you come across a damselfly on or around large lochs then it's likely to be the common blue. However, having survived the extinction of the dinosaurs and several ice ages, the question now is: ‘Can dragonfl ies survive the increasing pressures that people are putting on them?’ These beautiful creatures are threatened by climate change and destruction of the areas where they live. That’s why the British Dragonfl y Society (BDS) have launched the Dragonfl ies in Focus project. This fi ve-year project, co-funded by SNH, centres on a nationwide survey to fi nd out exactly where our dragonfl ies are living and how well they’re coping with the threats they face. This will lead to a new atlas in 2013, which will give a snapshot of where Britain’s dragonfl ies are currently found. “Several of the scarce species are found in Scotland,” explained Stephen Prentice, Dragonfl ies in Focus offi cer with the BDS, “and it appears that many other species are expanding northwards. For example, the southern hawker never used to be seen in Scotland, but over the last 20 years it’s quickened its movement into Scotland, with one spotted recently as far north as Stornoway. “Dragonfl ies are increasingly heading to Britain from Europe,” he added. “Understanding where and how quickly our dragonfl ies are moving will help plan for the future, especially in terms of the way we try and conserve them. It will be important to make sure they’re provided with the best opportunities to react to change.” www.snh.org.uk 17
Page 1: Scottish Natural Heritage Summer 20
Page 4 and 5: Credits The Nature of Scotland The
Page 6 and 7: Wild calendar Long days and bright
Page 8 and 9: Brown-eyed twirl Warm summer days,
Page 10 and 11: Unearthing nature’s wonders What
Page 12 and 13: Just what the doctor ordered Scotla
Page 14 and 15: 2 Nature is good for you - that’s
Page 16 and 17: 4 Outdoor activity offers everyone
Page 20 and 21: Dragonfl ies are sensitive to tempe
Page 22 and 23: Dualchas coitcheann Common heritage
Page 24 and 25: City sights The most popular visito
Page 26 and 27: Inspiring children During the week,
Page 28 and 29: NEWS Searching beneath the surface
Page 30 and 31: NEWS Wildcat stronghold project A n
Page 32 and 33: Join the club! Ewen Cameron and Pet
Page 34 and 35: The featured naturalists include th
Page 36 and 37: Events diary 2009 July Saturday 4 O
Page 38 and 39: Island of the cowled women Loch Lom
Page 40 and 41: 2 Walk on for about 10 minutes and
Page 42 and 43: 6 From Port Bawn take the low path
Page 44 and 45: SNH Area News East Highland Corresp
Page 46 and 47: SNH Area News Strathclyde and Ayrsh
Page 48 and 49: 46 The Nature of Scotland
Page 50 and 51: You’ll come across national parks
Page 52 and 53: For instance, Loch Lomond & The Tro
Page 54 and 55: Learning from the past Scotland has
Page 56 and 57: Living with change Over the last hu
Page 58 and 59: National Trust for Scotland ranger
Page 60 and 61: Kids only! You will need: 4 pipe cl
Page 62 and 63: 1 “It was the bestest day in scho
Page 64 and 65: 3 Experience the wild The fi rst pr
Page 66: Join our mailing list The Nature of

Summer 2009 - Scottish Natural Heritage

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