The Migrant Hawker dragonfly colonised Britain in the 1950’s, about the same time as the Collard Dove. When I was a young man, with youth on my side and a disposable income, I used to travel to see dragonflies and I when I wanted to see a Migrant Hawker, I had to go to Skipwith Common just south of York. How times have changed. They are now the most numerous of the hawker dragonflies at Saltholme, and now is the time to see them. They are unlike other hawkers in that they are less territorial, and so they occur in groups, either at favourite basking sites or hunting areas such as paths along hedgerows. They are also more approachable, but do try to remember, they can see you 20m away.
Mark Stokeld’s photo captures the simple beauty of a dragonflies wings. Unlike modern insects, the wings are attached to flight muscles in the thorax, and so can move independently. They are fast, and can outfly a car on a residential street. Not something a modern midge can manage.
If you visit Saltholme in the morning, look for Migrant Hawkers on the path between the pollinator garden and the walled garden. There are also numerous Common Darters around there, and if you’re lucky, the odd Ruddy Darter.
Ruddy Darter by Mark Stokeld
And you will tell it is a Ruddy Darter because it has a lovely little red face.