Britain is home to some 40 species of dragonfly, and public interest in their plight is high right now thanks to their primeval beauty, aerobatic grace and a growing realisation of their importance for water ecosystems. In The Dragonfly Diaries, Ruary Mackenzie Dodds shares his quirky fascination for these remarkable creatures over the 25 years he has been photographing and working with them.
Combining fascinating description of the lives of dragonflies, with a diary chronicling the ups and downs of establishing Britain's first public dragonfly sanctuary, The Dragonfly Diaries is a must for nature buffs and for anyone who wants to be inspired by the resolve and dedication of a man on a mission to save these criticaliy important insects.
Ruary Mackenzie Dodds is one of Europes leading experts on dragonflies. He is in great demand to share his expertise and enthusiasm with radio and TV audiences, and is a regular contributor to BBC programmes such as Countryfile, Springwatch and Nature Detectives. Ruary is also the author of Aberfeldy: The History of a Highland Community and a historical novel, Luc de Fontenac's War.
"A dragonfly landed on his shirt, and he saw the light. He has an unswerving desire to communicate his epiphany to the world.”
– TV presenter Chris Packham, who honoured Ruary with the ‘Order of the Geek’ Award on BBC’s Springwatch
"I like to think I know a little about dragonflies, but Ruary is the expert.”
– Bill Oddie