2023 was a good year for me for odonata. On 26 June, just five days after seeing my first Small red-eyed damselflies, I found my first ever Ruddy darter (Sympetrum sanguineum), though this was a female so did not look at all like her ‘ruddy’ name. My 30 June blog, Lifer: Ruddy darter, tells the story, and I already have a note in my 2024 schedule to look for more of these at the country park near this year’s find spot.