Recent Sightings Monday 14th August – Brown Hawker Dragonfly (from volunteer Phil)
Anyone reading my article on dragonflies from a few weeks ago will recall that I’ve long regarded taking good photos of dragonflies in flight as a holy grail. I did not reveal then that in exactly opposite way I’ve also regarded taking photos of perched brown hawker dragonflies as a holy grail.
The brown hawker is a large highly active dragonfly which can be seen in many parts of the reserve usually near water. It is easy to recognise simply because its name is very descriptive and it presents a very brown appearance, even on its wings. It is quite common, can be seen any time from June through to September with a peak flight period of July and August.
I have hitherto found this species extremely difficult to photograph because, unlike other species, it never seems to perch during the day. While the flight of dragonflies is easy to admire you can only admire their markings properly if they perch. The smaller types, chasers, skimmers and darters perch quite readily but the larger hawkers are less often seen perched and none more so than the brown hawker. In flight they give a clearly brown impression and if they fly close enough you might detect a hint of blue on the abdomen or yellow on the thorax.
A visit to the dipping pond between Winpenny and Little Hanger was rewarded with two brown hawkers sparring in powerful flight and yet to my amazement one perched on some low pondside vegetation. Camera at the ready I was able to take this photo.
Note the very narrow waist on the upper part of the abdomen which denotes a male
Then to make matters even better very shortly afterwards the other dragonfly descended to the pond and started ovipositing (laying eggs) on some floating vegetation, giving it away as a female.
For some time I’ve held a view that brown hawkers seemed to favour the low lying parts of the reserve, for example on the edge of the brooks near the various hides and at Black Pond. However, up the hill, while finishing lunch on a seat by the Visitor Centre pond my attention was caught by another brown hawker, completely debunking my theory. Then to my amazement it perched on a blackberry bush for another photo opportunity.
Once again the narrow waist shows this to be a male.
Its worth noting that apart from the ovipositing female the 2 other photos show the dragonflies perched in a vertical position and this seems to be common to all the types of hawker. Other types of dragonfly are more often seen perched horizontally and some will return to the same perching point as in this photo of a ruddy darter taken by the Visitor Centre Pond.
I’d started my walk with the express intention of trying to find brown hairstreak butterflies which have been seen in various parts of the reserve recently including the Zigzag Path, the old path between West Mead and Winpenny, Redstart Corner, and near the picnic area on the path to Nettley’s Hide. My search proved fruitless but instead another rather splendid brown insect took pride of place.