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The Dragonflies of New Hythe, Kent (Day Trip)
Tour Code: GBR322A day walking the New Hythe Gravel Pits in search of Kent’s dragonflies and damselflies, including the rare Lesser Emperor and Norfolk Hawker!
£60
Highlights
Summary
Join Kent dragonfly recorder, photographer and birder, Marc Heath, in the garden of England, Kent where we will spend our day at New Hythe Gravel Pits searching for and photographing the excellent variety of dragonflies, damselflies and birds that can be found in this area of the county.
We will start our day walking around the lakes where we should, weather permitting, see a variety of Odonata including Blue-tailed, Azure, Common Blue, Large Red and Red eyed Damselflies, along with Hairy Dragonfly, Four Spotted Chaser, Common Darter, Banded and Beautiful Demoiselle, Downy Emerald, Emperor, Norfolk Hawker (a few in recent years) and the nationally rare Lesser Emperor Dragonfly, which has appeared in good numbers in recent years (including 20 in 2023). After lunch, we will continue our journey around the lakes to find and photograph the other species to be found here. The terrain is generally flat and we anticipate walking around two to three miles during the course of the day.
Start time is 10am and we will aim to finish at around 4pm.
- Lesser Emperor and Norfolk Hawker comprise the rare species to be found here
- Excellent views of many damselflies
- A peaceful setting in West Kent
- Expertly led by Odonata enthusiast, Marc Heath
Day Trip Location
Dates & Prices
2026
Tour Leader: Marc Heath
Marc has been a naturalist for over 35 years with a special interest in birds and for the past ten years, dragonflies and damselflies. It was at nearby Chislet in June 2012 where he first had an encounter with the rare Norfolk Hawker which sparked an interest in Odonata. Since then, he has spent much time travelling parts of Kent and out of the county to study and photograph common, scarce, and rare dragonflies and damselflies. This has given him the chance to produce the website ‘A Photographic Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Kent’ (www.marcheathwildlifephotography.zenfolio.com). This showcases photos of the different species, their nymphs and exuviae to be found in the county. In January 2020, Marc became the county dragonfly recorder for Kent which has enabled him to complete fieldwork and surveys on behalf of the British Dragonfly Society. Marc has had a number of photos published in magazines including Dragonfly News, Atropos, the British Wildlife Magazine and Birdwatch. You can also find further published photos of Marc’s in books including ‘Europe’s Dragonflies’ and ‘Dragonflies and Damselflies of Britain and Western Europe’.
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
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