1950-1977: Waiting for Hammond
Interest in dragonflies seems to have faded somewhat from the early 1950s, not to he revived until
the late 1970s, with the publication of C. O. Hammond's magnificently illustrated The Dragonflies of
Great Britain and Ireland (Hammond. 1977). Essex was of national importance in virtue of the
presence of C. scitulum and as a stronghold for Lestes dryas. For this reason, south-east Essex, and
the Thames estuary continued to receive regular attention from Odonatists and others. Cynthia
Longfield recalls visiting the C. scitulum site every year until she left Britain in 1957 (though the
species itself was not seen after the floods of 1953). She also says that L. Parmenter and R. M. Payne
continued the search without success. Lestes dryas also continued to be the subject of some interest,
the Benfleet site being regularly visited, as well as new sites discovered (e.g. South Woodham
Ferrers. 1950 and Flatford Mill, also 1950 (B. Merritt. pers. comm.)). Hammond, in particular,
continued to visit Benfleet into the 1970s and his diaries record an impressive total of eleven
species. Lestes dryas was last seen there by him in 1971. In the wake of fears that Lestes dryas might
have become extinct in Britain, there were several visits to known and possible L. dryas sites in
coastal and estuarine Essex in the mid-1970s. At that time the decline of another local species. 5.
sanguineum was giving cause for concern.
Sporadic recording of the Epping Forest Odonata was also continued by a variety of naturalists,
including Hammond himself. B. T. Ward. J. Owen-Mountford and several others until the late
1970s when systematic work began again with the valuable studies of E. P. Ryan from 1979. In the
north-east of the county, the re-establishment of the Colchester Natural History Society, with its
associated local publications, provided a context for some work on dragonflies to be recorded. The
great Suffolk naturalist and photographer. S. Beaufoy is reported as having given a lecture on
dragonflies to the Society in February 1960. and the same Annual Report (for 1960) carried a record
by J. A. Richardson of a single male of the local Ruddy Sympetrum (S. sanguineum) at Rowhedge
sandpits, seen in October 1957. Richardson was also responsible for an article (J. A. Richardson.
Fig B.4 Dragonfly Recording in Essex. Coverage Prior to 1980.
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