2-3 Lesser emperors Anax parthenope reported at Knock lake near Balbriggan in north Co. Dublin. "This is an artificial lake around 7 ha in size with lots of vegetation growth around and within the water."

Grid Ref O191 609

Directions to site
For those who wanna travel to the lake, It is best reached from the main road(old N1) on the way into balrothery and balbriggan. There is a brown information sign and gate saying Gormanstown anglers on the left on the way into balrothery. This about 500m from the old balrothery church. there is parking for 2 cars here at the gate and it is about 300m to the lake along a gravel roadway.

Niall Keogh kindly forwarded on further details of getting to site
Map to Knock Lake found on bottom of this webpage :
http://www.birdweb.net/knocklake.html

Best approached from road leading to Bog of the Ring. Park at first view point marked on map and walk in from there.

So far the report hasn't been followed up with a detailed description. Photos have not been possible .There were Emperor Anax imperator present as well. The observer has two years experience of observing odonata and is not 100%, though his own words "I am more sure it was a Lesser Emperor. The Blue waist was very obvious".

To date this report is in isolation in Ireland, but it's worth bearing in mind that Lesser Emperor have been reported as far north as Lancashire and West Yorkshire in Britain. Perhaps because north Dublin/Meath area seemed to be poorly recorded in past, an earlier influx to area remained undetected?

I saw the blue flash in the middle of the body very well on numerous occasions as the males came within a few yards. Eventually Peter saw one at rest about 20 yards away and we had a look at it through his telescope. I also filmed it with a x22 Zoom on the camcorder;  

There are short ‘piers’ on this side of the lake and I stood out on one of them whereupon a hawker type dragonfly flew by with a bright blue base to the abdomen. Hardly believing what I saw I followed it with my bins as it flew up and down a stretch of the shore. It was regularly ‘buzzed’ by a male Brown Hawker. Staying here for close to 2 and a half hours I got excellent views of it and another male Lesser Emperor and a male and female in tandem.

After about an hour I was joined by Ian Rippey. At one point I had a male perched viewing it through a telescope noting all the salient features – ‘yellow band’ above the light blue base to the generally brown abdomen with a dark central line, brown thorax, apple green eyes and clear wings. In flight the abdomen sometimes took on a violet hue but with the beacon like blue base always standing out.

The final tally for the day was 3 Lesser Emperor,

The next day Sunday 17/7 I again worked the site. The 3 Lesser Emperors still showed well including a female ovipositing with male attached further out in the lake. A male Lesser Emperor was photographed by Brian Porter who were also present at the site. An excellent dragonfly weekend!