Dragonfly-Days
.....for South Wales Dragonfly enthusiasts
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www.dragonfly-days.co.uk © Bill jones 2008
Books.....furthering your knowledge
Most naturalists have an insatiable thirst for knowledge about their favourite subjects and often become avid collectors of fieldguides and handbooks on their chosen subjects, those who develop an interested in the Dragonflies and Damselflies need to be pointed in the right direction to choose the best possible fieldguide.
The following selection of fieldguides and books are I believe the very best available to both the beginner or the more advanced Odonatologists. I present a personal appraisal of each book based on my own use both in the field for identification and for general information.
The following selection of fieldguides and books are I believe the very best available to both the beginner or the more advanced Odonatologists. I present a personal appraisal of each book based on my own use both in the field for identification and for general information.
Dragonflies & Damselflies of Britain and Northern Europe
This was the first fieldguide I bought and even allowing for the latest titles is I believe the most underated book yet written, and as a fieldguide and general introduction to our winged friends is still highly readable.
Written by an acknowledged insect photographer/naturalist it has more than 140 pages packed with the sort of information that anyone would find of use, add to this over 100 colour photographs and countless illustrated keys and diagrams it is in real 'pocket fieldguide format' it is even plastic protected against the outdoor elements for field use.
Written by an acknowledged insect photographer/naturalist it has more than 140 pages packed with the sort of information that anyone would find of use, add to this over 100 colour photographs and countless illustrated keys and diagrams it is in real 'pocket fieldguide format' it is even plastic protected against the outdoor elements for field use.
Author: Bob Gibbons Hamlyn 1996 Paperback Edition (Out of print but often available on the used book market) This wonderful fieldguide should be reprinted with an up to date species status, but this does not mean that the information it contains is outdated it most certainly is not.
Seventy five British and North European species are described by size, habitat, life cycle, behaviour, similar species and status and distribution. Biology, ecology and conservation is covered in laymans language, it conveys information in a very readable non scientific way.
Get this book from a used book dealer it's a great portable fieldguide.The original paperback price was £9.99. It was also published as a hardback.
Britain's Dragonflies
Authors: Dave Smallshire & Andy Swash Wild Guides Hardback 2004
This is a photographic guide to 57 species of Dragonflies & Damselflies that have been recorded from Britain and Ireland. It has 55 colour plates that cleverly depicts (through digital imaging manipulation) each of the typical views you can expect to see of each species.
Each colour plate is supported by the species information account on the opposing page consisting of:- Adult Identification, Egg/Larvae, Behaviour, Breeding Habits, Population and Conservation. The flight season and a map of where to find in the region is also provided.
168 pages of up to date information in a very concise and easily used format makes this a book for all enthusiasts, the authors and publishers deserve plaudits for their efforts to produce a user friendly guide.
This is a photographic guide to 57 species of Dragonflies & Damselflies that have been recorded from Britain and Ireland. It has 55 colour plates that cleverly depicts (through digital imaging manipulation) each of the typical views you can expect to see of each species.
Each colour plate is supported by the species information account on the opposing page consisting of:- Adult Identification, Egg/Larvae, Behaviour, Breeding Habits, Population and Conservation. The flight season and a map of where to find in the region is also provided.
168 pages of up to date information in a very concise and easily used format makes this a book for all enthusiasts, the authors and publishers deserve plaudits for their efforts to produce a user friendly guide.
Highly recommended one of the best guides available RRP £15 Seen on net £10
I particularily like the identification summary key feature pages of the mature adults, both the males and females are shown alongside one another to compare - as are all the other species - nice touch.
Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Great Britain & Ireland
Author: Steve Brooks Artist/Illustrator: Richard Lewington
British Wildlife Publishing Revised Edition 2004 160 pages
The fieldguide that probably changed the way we look at Dragonflies - no book on British Dragonflies has done more to encourage a whole new generation of enthusiasts....hurrah to British Wildlife Publishing for commisioning two brilliant author/artists to create this superb book.
Its top quality illustrations are by Richard Lewington one of Europe's top natural history illustrators, and more than 245 detailed artworks compliment this guide, along with a further 50 colour photographs.
Steve Brooks works in the Department of Entomology at the Natural History Museum, London, he has had an interest in Odonata since a boy. He is an active member of the British Dragonfly Society.
British Wildlife Publishing Revised Edition 2004 160 pages
The fieldguide that probably changed the way we look at Dragonflies - no book on British Dragonflies has done more to encourage a whole new generation of enthusiasts....hurrah to British Wildlife Publishing for commisioning two brilliant author/artists to create this superb book.
Its top quality illustrations are by Richard Lewington one of Europe's top natural history illustrators, and more than 245 detailed artworks compliment this guide, along with a further 50 colour photographs.
Steve Brooks works in the Department of Entomology at the Natural History Museum, London, he has had an interest in Odonata since a boy. He is an active member of the British Dragonfly Society.
There is very little general information on our native Dragonflies that is not included in this superb fieldguide:-
Life History, status and distribution (with maps), habitats, larvae keys, adult keys, species flight season etc.
It's interesting to note that contributing 'experts' have written individual chapters about the species they know best, this adds a fresh perspective under the editorial co-ordination of Steve Brooks....fine idea.
Life History, status and distribution (with maps), habitats, larvae keys, adult keys, species flight season etc.
It's interesting to note that contributing 'experts' have written individual chapters about the species they know best, this adds a fresh perspective under the editorial co-ordination of Steve Brooks....fine idea.
Quite simply the very best field guide available....go and buy it....for £18.49 paperback
Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe
General Editor: Klass-Douwe B Dijkstra and contributions from many of Europes leading experts on dragonflies.
Illustrated: Richard Lewington top natural history artist.
British Wildlife Publishing: First Edition 2006.
This new identification guide to all the dragonflies and damselflies of Britain and Europe brings together some of the top experts to present a comprehensive introduction to studying and identifying
dragonflies with almost 1,000 colour artworks, line drawings and photographs of all 160 species recorded from the region.
This guide covers all of Europe, from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterrean Basin, including western Turkey, Cyprus, Morrocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and the Azores, Canaries and Madeira. The perfect holiday guide?
Illustrated: Richard Lewington top natural history artist.
British Wildlife Publishing: First Edition 2006.
This new identification guide to all the dragonflies and damselflies of Britain and Europe brings together some of the top experts to present a comprehensive introduction to studying and identifying
dragonflies with almost 1,000 colour artworks, line drawings and photographs of all 160 species recorded from the region.
This guide covers all of Europe, from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterrean Basin, including western Turkey, Cyprus, Morrocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and the Azores, Canaries and Madeira. The perfect holiday guide?
Includes identification keys and tables for adults of each species: field characters, species variation, behavior, range and status, habitat and flight season with up-to-date distribution maps for each species.
320 pages of full colour information...."The essential companion for the new generation of dragonfly watchers"
320 pages of full colour information...."The essential companion for the new generation of dragonfly watchers"
Superb new Fieldguide at £20.85 for the Paperback or £28.50 Hardback edition.
Dragonflies New Naturalist Series
Authors: P.S.Corbet,C.Longfield & N.W.Moore Collins 1960
The most famous series of natural history books in British publishing history. This is No 41 in the on going series that has a reputation as being for book collectors - much to the chagrin of genuine naturalists who would like to have them to use - the first editions are simply too expensive, in this books case there was only a first edition and they can cost up to £300!! There were 5000 printed so they are not rare.
The good news is that you could search out the paperback edition at a far more reasonable price from used book dealers. However a lot of the information is now outdated and the whole book uses only the species latin names that can prove vexing to the reader.
Still these three authors have written a true classic on their subject
and it should be on the Dragonfly lovers bookshelf.
The most famous series of natural history books in British publishing history. This is No 41 in the on going series that has a reputation as being for book collectors - much to the chagrin of genuine naturalists who would like to have them to use - the first editions are simply too expensive, in this books case there was only a first edition and they can cost up to £300!! There were 5000 printed so they are not rare.
The good news is that you could search out the paperback edition at a far more reasonable price from used book dealers. However a lot of the information is now outdated and the whole book uses only the species latin names that can prove vexing to the reader.
Still these three authors have written a true classic on their subject
and it should be on the Dragonfly lovers bookshelf.
260 pages strong on the biology, ecology and ethology (the science of animal behaviour) of our native odonata this book will appeal greatly to anyone interested in the historical background of our dragonflies, the status and distribution maps are most interesting, and much of the information within it's pages is still relevant today.
Truly a natural history 'classic', that collector's price tag usually puts it out of reach. The paperback edition reprint from 1985 can be sought from used book dealers.
Just a few others to think about....
Hammond C.O. 1983 (2nd Revised Edition by R.Merrick) The Dragonflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by Harley Books, Colchester 116 pages in large format.
McGeeney A. 1986 A complete guide to British dragonflies. Published by Jonathan Cape, London. 133 pages.
Miller P.L. 1995 Dragonflies. Naturalist's Handbook's 7. Richmond Publishing Company, Slough. 118 pages.
Powell D. 1999 A guide to the dragonflies of Great Britain. Arlequin Press, Chelmsford. 136 pages.
British Dragonfly Society....Dig a pond for Dragonflies - 27 page booklet.
McGeeney A. 1986 A complete guide to British dragonflies. Published by Jonathan Cape, London. 133 pages.
Miller P.L. 1995 Dragonflies. Naturalist's Handbook's 7. Richmond Publishing Company, Slough. 118 pages.
Powell D. 1999 A guide to the dragonflies of Great Britain. Arlequin Press, Chelmsford. 136 pages.
British Dragonfly Society....Dig a pond for Dragonflies - 27 page booklet.
Field Guide to the larvae and exuviae of British Dragonflies
Author: Steve Cham Publisher: British Dragonfly Society 2007
This new guideis in A5 format soft cover, it has 80 pages with many illustrated colour close-up photographs of the key distinguishing features. The quick colour guide allows the user to compare the larvae/exuviae to the books life size illustrations before using the species account and photographs.
The book also has sections on where and when to find larvae and exuviae and also the species emergence periods. Many naturalists will find this guide ideal for pocket or rucksack, in this sense it is a 'real fieldguide'.
It's available from the British Dragonfly Society for £7.50 plus £1.50 postage and packaging. It fills a gap on both the odonatologists and keen amateur dragonfly enthusiasts bookshelf. Highly recommended.
This new guideis in A5 format soft cover, it has 80 pages with many illustrated colour close-up photographs of the key distinguishing features. The quick colour guide allows the user to compare the larvae/exuviae to the books life size illustrations before using the species account and photographs.
The book also has sections on where and when to find larvae and exuviae and also the species emergence periods. Many naturalists will find this guide ideal for pocket or rucksack, in this sense it is a 'real fieldguide'.
It's available from the British Dragonfly Society for £7.50 plus £1.50 postage and packaging. It fills a gap on both the odonatologists and keen amateur dragonfly enthusiasts bookshelf. Highly recommended.
Dragonflies New Naturalist Series
Authors: Philip Corbet & Stephen Brooks Publisher: Collins 2008
This is the long awaited addition to the New Naturalists, the first book on Dragonflies in the series since the same named title was published in 1960 (see review above)...the long wait certainly does not disappoint.
Written by two of the most knowledgable and well respected of Britains Odonatologists, the information on our native British Dragonflies is well and truly brought up to date in this superbly illustrated book.
No short review such as this can do true justice to this beautifully written book, within it's 454 pages are most of the things anyone could wish to know about these fascinating insects, and it's a bonus to have so many of the excellent photographs taken by Robert Thompson, one of our very best insect photographers.
This is the long awaited addition to the New Naturalists, the first book on Dragonflies in the series since the same named title was published in 1960 (see review above)...the long wait certainly does not disappoint.
Written by two of the most knowledgable and well respected of Britains Odonatologists, the information on our native British Dragonflies is well and truly brought up to date in this superbly illustrated book.
No short review such as this can do true justice to this beautifully written book, within it's 454 pages are most of the things anyone could wish to know about these fascinating insects, and it's a bonus to have so many of the excellent photographs taken by Robert Thompson, one of our very best insect photographers.
Very sadly Philip Corbet who could only be described as the doyen of the Odonatologists world died just around the time that this book was published, I can not imagine a more fitting or indeed lasting tribute to him than this book. This and the earlier Dragonfly title in the series which Philip Corbet also co-authored span almost half a decade and both books have done hugely to foster interest in all things Odonata in the United Kingdom.
Simply Superb the hardback edition sells for £45 while the softback edition is £25, but you can purchase both for less from Amazon UK or other good online booksellers.