In 1999, Middleton Industrial Estate became home to an astonishing range of species, including emperor dragonflies, black darters, and yellow-winged darters. The latter hadn’t been recorded in the area since 1995, and their return was a cause for celebration among local recorders.

Much of the action took place around damp, mossy hollows and abandoned land nicknamed the “bottomless pits.” Over just one summer, naturalists recorded more than 10 species of dragonflies and damselflies, including azure damselflies, ruddy darters, and blue-tailed damselflies.

As summer progressed, sightings increased. Migrant hawkers were seen patrolling the skies, and one of the earliest records in Lancashire was noted on 23rd August. Several species were observed laying eggs in damp moss and fen vegetation—clear signs they weren’t just passing through.

From casual walkers to dedicated volunteers, many got involved in documenting what was quickly becoming one of the richest dragonfly sites in the region.

Places like Middleton are often overlooked—shaped by industry, dismissed as barren, and written off as lifeless. But this 1999 archive reminds us just how quickly nature can reclaim space when given the chance. Within just a few years, what was once a polluted industrial estate had become a patchwork of wetlands and hollows supporting courtship displays, breeding behaviour, and one of the richest dragonfly counts in the region.

Today, that once-overlooked industrial land is part of Middleton Nature Reserve — a thriving mosaic of wetlands, reedbeds and woodlands that continues to support dragonflies and countless other species. It’s a powerful example of how nature can recover over time—and how the ongoing support of people who care about wildlife helps make that possible.