Big Dragonflies

[ThePainter]

Hi,
A few years ago I had never seen an Emperor Dragonfly up here in Northumberland, last year I saw one up in the hills near a pond, and this year their all over the place !
Is this a trend others have also noticed or is it just me and my selective observations ?



Steven

[aeshna5]

Emperors have moved north, though your photo isn't an Emperor, but a Southern Hawker!

[nightshade]

There were any number of big dragonflys hawking over a block of sweetcorn
growing next to my works footpath you could hear the wings rattling as they
zoomed around at around 6ft up

[Fourwings]

There are quite a few species that continue to expand their range Northwards in the UK.
Emperor is just one of them, others include Black-Tailed Skimmer and Ruddy Darter.

Top traveller at the moment is the Small Red-Eyed Damselfly Erythromma viridulum, its range expansion has been nothing short of explosive, it was first found at three reserves on the Kent coast in 1999, this year it has made a titanic leap Northwards through the North Midlands and lincolnshire into Yorkshire so it wont be too long until it reaches Northumberland!

[aeshna5]

Nightshade, I'd hazard a guess that your big dragonflies were Migrant Hawkers as they are not strongly territorial like other hawkers + it's not uncommon to get small swarms of them.

[nightshade]

I tried a few pics. but they were way to quick,absolutely stunning the whirr and thrash
as they wheeled and dived in the sunshine

[ThePainter]

Hi,
Sorry if I IDed wrong, it was the size that threw me, about 4 inches long, is that right for a hawker ?
They seem territorial, I only ever see one or two in any one area.
I only caught this one because it seemed to be laying eggs near a small pond, otherwise they never stand still !

[glsammy]

That one is definitely a Southern Hawker. It looks like it's ovipositing, they usually choose some rotting wood, just above the water line.

[ThePainter]

Hi,
Thanks.
Yes it was circling the pond doing this on moss, wood and mud.