Damsel and dragonfly spotting: guided walk

This event is being run in conjunction with the British Dragonfly Society (BDS).

Whether you are new to identifying dragonflies or have been part of our annual survey, this guided tour of Rainton Meadows will teach you how to spot and identify up to 12 species of dragonflies. Durham Wildlife Trust volunteer and BDS County Recorder, Michael Coates, will be your guide and teacher.

Beginners will be given a quick lesson in identification, and guidance will be given each time a different species is spotted. More experienced spotters will be challenged to spot males, females, juveniles, and examples of various colourations. Michael will be on hand to advise and adjudicate. For those of you who have attended these events before, you will know that dragonflies might be resting on a post and you can get great close-up photos, or they might be in the middle of a lake, so bring your camera and binoculars.

Dragonflies are mainly active when it is dry and warm, which is why the events are running when the sun is at its highest; however, if the weather is not good, then Michael will still show you around the reserve, and you should dress accordingly.

Meet at the entrance of Rainton Meadows visitor centre DH4 6PU at 1.25pm. While Rainton Meadows has good accessibility on the pathways, it should be noted that some of the ponds you will be looking at are off the main paths.