BBC Springwatch cameras have been at Wicken Fen this week filming the dazzling Dragonflies of Wicken Fen for the forthcoming series of Springwatch.

Springwatch presenter and Wicken Fen Patron, Chris Packham, spent a day on the fen with world renowned dragonfly expert Ruary Mackenzie-Dodds capturing on film all aspects of the dragonfly's amazing life cycle.

The camera's filmed Chris Packham pond dipping for dragonfly larva, whilst a slow motion camera, shooting at over 2000 frames a second captured dramatic images of dragon and damselflies in flight, mating and even fighting.

Wicken Fen is one of the best locations in the United Kingdom to spot Dragonflies with 21 species such as the Emperor Dragonfly, Hairy Dragonfly, Emerald Damselfly and Red Eyed Damselfly breeding on the fen. On a warm summers day thousands of these beautiful highly coloured insects can be seen performing their aerobatic flying displays along the waterways and ditches.

Most of the dragonflies life cycle is spent underwater, first as an egg and then as a larva. The larval stage can last two years or more, whilst flying adults mostly only survive a couple of weeks.

Wicken Fen is home to the only Dragonfly Centre in the United Kingdom. The centre staffed by knowledgeable enthusiasts is open at weekends throughout the summer. An ideal way to discover and learn about dragonfly's is on a Dragonfly Safaris held throughout the summer.

The 2010 series of Springwatch starts on Monday 31 May at 8pm on BBC2.

Chris Packham with dragonfly expert Ruary Mackenzie-Dodds and cameraman

Ends

Notes to Editors

1. Dragonfly Safaris are being held on Sat / Sun 12 & 13 June, 3,4, 24, 25 July and Sat- Mon 28 - 30 Aug at 11am & 2.30pm

2. 21 Species of Dragonfly have been recorded breeding at Wicken Fen:-
Emperor Dragonfly
Hairy Dragonfly
Migrant Hawker
Brown Hawker
Southern Hawker
Common Hawker
Common Darter
Ruddy Darter
Black-Tailed Skimmer
Four Spotted Chaser
Scarce Chaser (a scarce species which colonised Wicken Fen in 2005)
Broad-Bodied Chaser
Banded Demoiselle
Large Red Damselfly
Emerald Damselfly
Blue Tailed Damselfly
Red-eyed Damselfly
Small Red-eyed Damselfly (colonised Wicken Fen in 2006)
Common Blue Damselfly
Variable Blue Damselfly (a scarce species nationally but abundant at Wicken Fen)
Azure Damselfly

3. Wicken Fen was purchased by the National Trust in 1899, the first Nature Reserve owned by the Trust. It is widely recorded as the most species rich nature reserve in the country with over 8100 recorded species.

4. The National Trust is Europe's biggest conservation charity and looks after special places across England, Wales and Northern Ireland for ever, for everyone. People and places are at the heart of everything it does. 3.5 million members, 50,000 volunteers, 500,000 school children, and millions of visitors, donors and supporters help the Trust look after its 300 historic houses and gardens, 700 miles of coastline and 250,000 hectares of open countryside. www.nationaltrust.org.uk .

5. The Dragonfly Centre project is supported by the Fens Adventurers Rural Development Programme, an RDPE initiative funded by Defra, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural area and Local Authorities. The funding is managed locally by Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridgeshire ACRE and regionally by EEDA. See http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rudev/index_en.htm