Up until about 5 years ago there had only been a handful of records of Banded Demoiselle in St Helens, but in 2006 the species exploded and they are now thriving on the Sankey Brook. The only thing which appears to be holding them back is the lack of suitable habitat in St Helens, because they require clean, medium flowing and well vegetated rivers in which to breed, and apart from Sankey Brook, that kind of habitat is hard to find in St Helens.
The best places to view them are the wooden bridge which crosses the brook at Havannah Flashes and the metal bridge near Mucky Mountains at Earlestown. Pick a sunny day to go though.
Male Banded Demoiselle (left) and female (right).
Getting a photo of them in flight is very difficult, because they have a peculiar, flitting type of flight, very unusual amongst dragonflies and damselflies, almost butterfly like, and they move their wings so fast. However, the photo above just about captures it, though not really in focus.
Sankey Brook, Earlestown (left) and near Havannah Flashes, Parr (right)
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