When looking for Dragonflies/Damselflies, it is best to go on a hot, sunny day.
A cool overcast day can be very disappointing.
An exceptionally good reserve for viewing and experiencing dragonflies and damselflies with a range of different species over the season.
Westhay tends to have good activity very early on in the season. If April is hot, Hairy Hawkers could be flying around by mid-April. I think 17th April is the earliest I've seen them here. This site generally competes well for the first dragonfly UK sighting of the season.
The number of Variable Damselflies here in early May is exceptional, with swarms of them.
May is without doubt the best month to visit, which has the peak of species and very high numbers.
July / August / September are quieter, but it has a good variety of summer species.
Some years, September can be exceptional for the Common Darter.
May / Early June
DRAGONFLIES: Hairy Hawker, Broad Bodied Chasers, Scarce Chasers, Four Spot Chaser, Black Tailed Skimmers
DAMSELFLIES: Large Red Damselfly, Variable Damselfly (Exceptional Early/Mid May), Azure Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Red Eyed Damselfly, Blue Tailed Damselfly
Later June / July
DRAGONFLIES: Emperor, Brown Hawker, Southern Hawker, Ruddy Darter
DAMSELFLIES: Small Red Eyed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly
August / September
DRAGONFLIES: Common Darter, Migrant Hawker, Southern Hawker
NB The list above just names the key species during these dates and is not a complete list.
Route
Park in the main car park and walk up to the first hide on the left, keeping an eye on the left-hand bank as you go up.
All around this first hide is normally very good viewing of all species.
Then continue across the reserve to the area in front of the Mire entrance. This area is a good feeding area which the hawkers especially like.
The Mire itself can be worth a walk around too, as a number of the dragonflies like feeding here.
Additionally, walking across the reserve and up to the North Hide can be good too.
Flat / Mixture of hard core tracks and grass tracks / Mainly Uneven.