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Today (Saturday 20th October) Sue & I took another trip to the pond on a reasonably pleasant afternoon. Naturally the forecast promised more than reality, but at least there was no wind!

As we got out of the car we were greeted by several Common Darters flying across the large puddle opposite. Most were in tandem and ovipositing in the shallows. I presume this puddle was favourable as an egg-laying site as it would’ve warmed up quicker than any deeper or larger bodies of water.

All this odonata activity along with a couple of Red Admirals flying by looked to be a good omen – at least it wouldn’t be a wasted day.

There was more ‘puddle’ activity further on. Although this puddle is shown as a small pond on maps, surprising considering most years it is usually dry.

At the main pond all hopes of a hawker were dashed, and only a few Common Darters showed themselves. Quite a few in cop, regardless of their age.

At the western ‘puddle’ I fished out a rather damp female Common Darter and allowed her to warm on my hand before popping her in a gorse bush to dry off.

After an hour Paul Winters arrived with news that Migrants were still in attendance at Badminston. albeit in low numbers. I thought I saw one Black Darter rise and fall on the island, although I couldn’t locate it with bins to be sure. Definitely no Emeralds, or indeed any other damsels.

The sun failed to burn through the weak cloud, a remnant of the morning mist, and by 3.00pm even the Common Darters had given up.

As if by reward on our way out a Southern Hawker appeared from nowhere to do a few circuits of the (whole) pond. Maybe hungry or looking for a female  he was a welcome sight to end the day.

Unfortunately he didn’t stay around for a more pleasing shot, but at least he gave comfort to our late season addiction.

 

The pond deserved a further visit so Sue & I popped over on Sunday afternoon for a couple of hours. Our visit was delayed by the closure of the approach road, blocked by an ambulance and police car – presumably an accident involving a cyclist considering how many were on the roads.

On arrival at the pond we were approached by a couple of hikers who had gotten themselves lost. They were using a 30 year old guide book but didn’t have an OS map to back it up with! After putting them on he right track we introduced ourselves to another enthusiast, Simon Layton, who was here hoping for a glimpse of the recent Common Hawkers.

For the first time in a month neither male nor female showed, but to have them around for so long was a blessing. Instead we had a fair selection of Common Darters, including a mating pair.

No damsels were seen today, but there were a few Black Darters holding on in the surrounding gorse and over on the island.

After a few minutes we had our first sighting of a Southern Hawker, quite possibly the same individual as last week judging by the markings.

He patrolled the small section by the single gorse bush for a while, seemingly happy for some company, and then shot off across the island to grab some lunch returning to the bush to feed.

He even gave me a little variation in his pose.

He stayed put after feeding, the temperature cooling substantially when the clouds obscured the sun, rising only when another male appeared for a brief battle, returning to patrol his patch for a short while before perching again.

The arrival of a bunch of loud dog walkers drove him off, one of many disturbances by joe public – making us realise why we usually choose a Saturday when they’re usually out shopping. We even had a National Trust walking party come through!

I found the Southern perched in the relative peace of another gorse bush undaunted by my presence and grabbed another few photo opportunities until yet another party of dog walkers drove him off for good.

By 3.00pm the encroaching cloud had lowered the temperature sufficiently to cease all further activity and we called it a day, albeit a rather satisfying mid-October day.

My season last year finished abruptly before October could grab a hold, a realisation that all decent pond activity had ceased and Odo’s were becoming lucky discoveries or hard sought individuals pretty much decided things. This year I made a mental note to quit when it was time to quit but not too soon just in case.

Lousy weather and other unforseen circumstances prevented me from going out again until Saturday, Sue & I taking advantage of a sunny day to visit the pond a week on, as good a barometer as any to give a glimpse of things.

We must’ve had a lot of rain during the week as the ground was saturated. Satellite pools were replenished to provide the Common Darters with other ovipositing options, but our main focus was the main pond where we bumped into Phil Lord, a nice surprise being the first time we’ve crossed paths this season.

Phil was busy watching a hawker battle offshore towards the island, presumably a couple of Southerns but too far away to confirm for sure.

More Common Darters, single and in tandem, danced across the water and the occasional Black Darter popped up from the sanctuary of the island.  A few Emerald Damsels frugally decorated the island margins with the odd one venturing further.

It must’ve been half-an-hour since we’d seen a hawker, a wait rewarded with the first appearance of the male Common, taking his usual path up & down the back channel. His visit was brief; enough for a couple of circuits before encountering the Southern, both flying off in battle with only the Southern returning to his patch.

The Southern’s patch was a small circuit around the small gorse bush on the eastern edge, and the lack of photo opportunities so far drew me over for some in-flight practice.

We were soon joined by Paul Winters, fresh from a visit to Badminston where he found another late Red-veined Darter. The Odo’s were in danger of being outnumbered by enthusiasts, but they held their own with almost continual patrolling by a couple of Southerns and sporadic appearances of the four other species present today.

Another highlight came with a visit by the female Common Hawker. She chose to oviposit at the base of the gorse bush, a place she’d used before. I’m presuming, like the male, this is the same resident individual who’s been present for a month now?

The male is certainly showing signs of wear & tear through many battles with the Southerns, enough to hear him arrive before you saw him.

Reluctant to leave the pond in case I missed a visit, I felt the large area of gorse deserved a look. No sooner had I started I saw a male Southern Hawker rise up and settle not to far away. While I was busy stalking this fellow a Black Darter stole my attention.

Having given him his photo opportunity I continued around the bush in search of the Southern and found him stark against some brown gorse. A very fresh-looking individual.

You can be as skillful as your level of experience will allow when approaching your subject and I knew I was doing everything right until my foot kicked the base of the bush and put pay to getting a better angle!

So it was back to the bush to play with the patrolling Southerns – there were at least 2 individuals choosing the same territory to patrol and choosing the bush as a perch to feed. This one caught, perched and ate his prey 4 times in 15 minutes.

By now the Common Darters had ceased flying and just when you thought that was it for the day in would come the male Common Hawker, seemingly from nowhere, to do that quick circuit of his before picking a fight with a Southern.

The female Common Hawker also returned, frustratingly keeping her distance and covering a wide area looking for a peaceful spot, but the combination of other hawkers getting in the way and quite possibly our presence meant she was always one step ahead, finally dropping into the marshy shallows just out of sight on the edge of the island.

The male also appeared and after another clash dropped down into the same hollow as the female, but neither made contact. The excitement of knowing they were both perched low barely 3 metres away kept us occupied, hoping for a better glimpse.

We did get another glimpse of the female as she rose and flew west towards the trees while we had to walk back north to the cars. Still just enough time for another Southern in-flighter though…

Witnessing this pair of Common Hawkers this past month and hearing or reading differing and mostly vague reports of longevity has got me thinking. I’m sure the technology must exist to tag individuals with tracking microchips? They do it with birds, why not insects?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know how long an individual or indeed a particular species live? How large an area does one individual cover? Does a male or female have a favourite body of water or do they have several?

To have a record of their travels from emergence is certainly an area which I’d be very interested in getting involved with.

 

Recently I’ve noticed a little despair brought on by the recent storms, probably a nod to ‘here we go again’ after what has been a dreadful summer weather-wise. Would it put an end to the season – or at least to worthy days spent in the field? It certainly prevented me from venturing out most days last week, but I remained positive knowing that the sun would shine again before the onset of frost.

And so it was on a fine Thursday I headed down to the pond. The heavy rainfall has refilled the pond levels nicely, although the downside is the wet backside which can only come with sitting on saturated ground.

The cast list today was more or less decided within half-an-hour. At least 4 Southern Hawkers, 3 or 4 Migrant Hawkers and a brief appearance from a Common Hawker – all males and at one point all in attendance at the same time, which made for some pretty spectacular 3-way dogfights.

The most approachable Southern frustratingly chose a path at odds with the sun.

I persevered and managed to catch him on the turn around

The Common Hawker wasn’t playing ball today, choosing a path that was at once swift and unpredictable. Just when I thought I had him in my sights, in would come the Southern to whisk him off into battle.

Black and Common Darters were still present in reasonable numbers, with the latter represented by several pairs in tandem as well as singles. I did wonder about the damsels, but needn’t have worried as I saw both Common Blue and Emerald still in attendance.

I returned to the pond with Sue on a pleasant Saturday, although not quite as pleasant as the forecast would have you believe! At least our arrival at just after 11.30am was just in time to catch the Southern Hawkers warming up.

In the meantime Common Darters were flying solo and in tandem while Black Darters were warming up on the island. Among the thicket and gradually rising over the pond were another couple of Southerns and a couple of Migrants. At 12.00pm sharp the male Common Hawker appeared for the first time., weaving a path in and out of the island grasses possibly searching for signs of the female?

At 1.20pm we saw the female Common Hawker arrive at the southern channel, only to be grabbed by the male. My excitement at a possible paired opportunity was thwarted by the Southern breaking them apart before they had a chance to complete the wheel.

I never thought I’d ever be annoyed by a Southern Hawker!

After dropping out of sight among the island grasses, she waited until the coast was clear before rising and flying off northwards. She reappeared at 2.00pm for an ovipositing opportunity.

Today was the first time Sue had seen the female, and for the second and last time today we had a chance to observe her before that pesky Southern came in and drove her away again.

There were still reasonable numbers of Black Darters rising up from the island at the hawker’s passing, and later on a few Emeralds showed themselves, the only damsels we saw today.

By 2.30pm the sun proved more elusive, and we waited for another break in the cloud before the day cooled and all life, except the dominant Southern Hawker, diminished.

 

I get a little bit jittery this time of year, knowing it won’t be too long before the temperatures drop enough overnight to produce a frost. Already certain parts of Oxfordshire have dropped enough for a ground frost.

However I’m feeling optomistic enough to see out the month and hopefully continue on through October. After the summer we’ve all had, I feel we deserve it!

So continuing with my late summer jaunts of favourite haunts, I took an early afternoon trip to Badminston for some more time with the Migrant Hawkers. Ignoring the main path I choose the back way to cross the gate. The walk up Hawker Alley didn’t produce any – just a few Common Darters and Common Blue Damselflies to start the day.

My main area for today was the southern basin, perfectly sheltered from the stiff breeze and bathed in sunny moments which created the perfect micro-climate for more Common Blue Damsels, Ruddy Darters, a lone Male Emperor and a fine population of Migrant Hawkers.

After watching for a few moments I crossed over the small causeway to the bank and caught sight of an immature Red-veined Darter, the wings still glistening in their softness. He proved a little hard to pin down, but I did manage a record shot.

Back over the causeway I stood near the reeds hoping for a Migrant opportunity, watching as several pairs flew past in cop and hoping a pairing would land close.

Finding that RVD raised my curiosity enough to scour the rest of the site, and sure enough, over in the scrub to the north, I found a beautiful female. She led me on a chase, but I was determined and gradually I managed to approach close enough for a reasonable shot.

I hadn’t expected any to still be around a month after their first emergence and ironically I received an e-mail the following day from Paul Brock who had found a couple the previous Thursday (13th September).

Back at the basin I spotted the male again and gave chase across the causeway, but he flew out across the water. No matter, just to my left was another Migrant pair perched and a male about 20cm above.

I returned to Badminston on Tuesday just in case and sure enough found a pristine young male Red-veined Darter in the ditch.

He proved to be the only one I saw that day despite a full search of the site. Ruddy and Common Darters were present in small numbers across the plateau, annoyingly preferring to perch on the substrate.

On the large shallow pool to the south a male Emperor was holding court, prompting me to wonder whether this would be my last sighting of this magnificent beast this season?

Over in the basin activity was somewhat subdued compared to yesterday, but I did manage another Migrant opportunity.

They split shortly afterwards. The sight through the viewfinder was of the female detached at the abdomen, a perfect opportunity for an unusual shot – which I missed entirely!

I returned across the plateau and found a small pool I’d previously missed, but like all the shallow pools here have now reduced to nothing more than puddles and were therefore devoid of any activity. Even a solo trip of the difficult north section produced nothing to get excited about.

On Wednesday I returned my favourite watering hole, meeting Paul Brock just after noon at a location he was familiar with, but had never visited the pond itself. The worry that nothing would show was soon soon forgotten with the appearance of the male Common Hawker. I’m presuming it’s the same individual from a week ago; certainly the flight pattern, behaviour and preferred area was identical.

His appearance was once again sporadic, often disturbed by clashes with the resident Southern Hawker, but sure enough he would reappear along the back channel, possibly sensing the past presence of an ovipositing female.

Luckily we and he didn’t have too long to wait, for there she was – back at her favourite inlet.

Much like the male, her visits were infrequent – but she did pass by close enough to get an acceptable in-flighter – certainly better than the one I’d managed last week.

I returned to the pond on Saturday afternoon; the quick jaunt which usually takes half-an-hour took an hour and a half. At least it was worth it!

The activity on my arrival was better than it had been for a long time, with plenty of Common and Black Darters, Common Blue and Emerald Damselflies all over the water and making the most of the sun. Also present were a couple of Migrant Hawkers, at least 3 Southern Hawkers and a Common Hawker – all males.

This provided more entertainment that is usual for late September and I placed myself at my old favourite perch, slightly at odds with the harvest sun but perfect for fly-bys and watching the frequent dog-fights between the triumvate of Hawkers; the Common well matched to the Southern who would finish his battles by harrasing the Common Darters before returning to his patrol.

On two occasions the Common would take over the Southern’s patrol, allowing some fine close glimpses. I presume this is our resident, who has chosen the pond for the past fortnight, by the worn rattle he produced in-flight, although his territory had expanded to include most of the south side. This was fine for me.

The Migrants pretty much kept themselves to themselves, each choosing a small section of the pond away from the agressive Southerns. Two of them kept close to the island, investigating the reeds and weaving in & out in their typical fashion. This one chose a small territory in the south-east corner.

So a fabulous time despite the chill, and an activity level worthy of a fine summer’s day.

The continuing high pressure promised a good weekend so Sue & I took a trip to our favourite pond late afternoon in the hope of seeing a Southern Hawker or two (we did) and maybe, just maybe a Common Hawker (there was).

On arrival at the water’s edge, we saw our first Southern Hawker, ideally placed and behaved for some in-flight shots.

At the puddle by the bridge another Southern Hawker was protecting his untypically small territory, while in the corner an Emperor reigned supreme, occasionally straying into Southern Hawker territory where evenly-matched battles ensued.

Common Blue and Emerald Damselflies were present over the water and pretty much everywhere, and the reeds showed Small Red. Common Darters were outnumbered by Black Darters, bouncing from the reeds, flying over water and even dispersed among the ferns & gorse with some resting Emeralds.

Sue had found a male Broad-bodied Chaser at the far end which appeared later to give us all a glimpse, and Paul W spotted a male Common Hawker in the (now dry) basin to the north.

Sunday started fine and gradually worsened with heavy winds and a huge band of grey cloud coming in from the west. Nevertheless we still continued on to Pennington where it proved to be another Migrant frenzy.

Several males were found perched on foliage, at least one pair in cop, although they could’ve been separate couplings, and a female ovipositing into the dry reeds a metre from the water’s edge.

Our rounds also produced Blue-tailed Damselfly, Beautiful and Banded Demoiselles hiding in the scrub while a brief moment of sunshine revealed several tandem pairs of Small Red-eyed across the water.

More male Migrants were patrolling the far end of the pond and one female was ovipositing among the reeds.

A walk along the river through the two rides produced several dozen Common Darters and at least a dozen more Migrants.

We were a little disappointed not to find any Southerns, and although we could’ve searched harder we thought it best to leave before the rains came.

Doom & gloom from the forecasters meant this week was going to be touch & go, but a bright Tuesday morning beckoned and I made my way to my favourite pond to grab the last of the sunshine. A stiff breeze kept temperatures down and nothing was flying over the pond until a belt of sun rose the levels enough to wake the Common Darters, arriving as single males and several in tandem pairs.

Black Darters frolicked around the reed edges and Emerald Damsels woke from their perches to join the few Common Blues and lone male Blue-tailed. The Small Reds were seemingly staying put on the island out of view.

I was starting to become a little bored and contemplated moving on, but the arrival of a male Southern Hawker changed my mind. This one wasn’t as playful and decided the whole pond was his territory, circling the island checking out every nook & cranny, presumably in search of a female.

And then I saw her! Not a Southern or a Migrant, but a female Common Hawker seeking out a place to lay her eggs. She flew low along the reeds and disappeared out of sight for a while until returning to oviposit in one of the island inlets.

That settled it – I wasn’t going anywhere. I sat down along the narrow channel with the (somewhat obscured) sun behind me and awaited her return, and had the male Southern pass by and engage with what was quite obviously the female about 5 metres away.

Sure enough, it was her – this time choosing the corner to oviposit. I tried and failed to get close. Very nervous, as soon as she was aware of my presence she was off like a rocket over the heath! Southern and Migrant females are usually unperturbed by your presence and I’ve had both attempt to oviposit onto my boots on several occasions. Brown Hawkers too. But this little lady was very shy.

She appeared again further down the channel and at first unseen rose at my approach, hovered briefly then moved swiftly on. In all she appeared sporadically over the course of an hour and in those brief moments allowed me a glimpse of her behaviour, so subtly different from her cousins.

On Thursday I decided to check out the small pool on Duck Hole Bog for the first time this year. This small insignificant pool has previously provided a few surprises, but there were only Common Darters and Emerald Damselflies in attendance during my hour stay. One of the former decided I was as good a vantage perch as any throughout my stay.

I moved on to Christchurch Common where I failed to see one hawker. At least there were a few aging Emerald Damselflies among the heather and several Common and Black Darters.

Recently I’ve approaches Troublefield with mild trepidation, often driving past without stopping. However during September it usually bears fruit being a favourite hunting and roosting ground for swarms of Migrant Hawkers. There were a few flying out of reach, but the stars today were the Southerns. This individual was perched awkwardly just inside the gate.

Further down towards the end of the second meadow is an open section of this murky channel where two more males were patrolling either side of an ovipositing female.

By Friday my internet went down for the second time this month and after a morning of frustrating and fraught conversations with androids I had to get out.

The pond was the only place close enough to offer me a place of peace and sanity and  After the usual circling of the pond and gorse thicket, I sat with the sun behind me looking over the narrow channel to the island. Despite the stiff breeze a few sunny spells were enough to kick-start some activity with Common Darters appearing in one’s and two’s to patrol or oviposit.

On the island Black Darters bounced here and there in the reeds while at the margins Emerald and Small Red Damsels were making short tentative forays.

The appearance of a male Southern – quite possibly the same individual from earlier in the week judging by his patrol.His unusual meandering path around the reed margins and slightly nervous nature made in-flights a challenge. Usually they choose the outside pond edges as their preferred patrol and are a lot more inquisitive.

My thought was disturbed by him rising up fast to clash with another hawker, taking the battle high and wide until he reappeared. This had me curious. Who was this challenger? Sure enough a few minutes later while the Southern was busying himself a few metres away, a male Common Hawker came cruising down the channel.

This is the first time I’ve seen one actively patrol this pond so was a joy to see. It’s almost as if the Welsh trip had opened the doors on this most elusive hawker. Sightings are sporadic in the New Forest, and to have both a female and a male in the same week at my favourite watering hole is a real pleasure.

Having both Common and Southern patrolling the same pond allowed me compare and recognise on sight and to note the subtle differences in their flying patterns. The Southern is predictable with almost set boundaries, while the Common is more investigative, rising up and down the reeds while keeping within the height of the surrounding flora and occasionally trespassing on Southern territory where another dogfight would ensue.

Sue & I returned to the pond for a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon in better conditions. The Southern was still in attendance and offered better photography opportunities than he had all week.

So was the male Common, giving Sue a chance to observe this fine specimen on our favourite pond.

The Small Reds were certainly more active today with several pairings, and Emeralds were busy across the water. Black Darters were braving the outer margins of their island sanctuary, seemingly in higher numbers than the Commons.

Today however we had another visitor. The female Common Hawker (at least I assume it was the same one) was back briefly to oviposit before the Southern drove her away.

So Tuesday I had a female Common Hawker, Friday a male, and Saturday we had both. Truly the pond which keeps on giving.

 

Compared to the the preceding week, the last week in August proved altogether disappointing. I did a few scouting trips around the nether reaches of Crockford Stream and popped into Blashford briefly. Neither provided much to write home about.

I didn’t venture out again until Monday 3rd September, where a late morning visit to Badminston proved a good choice with better numbers of Migrant Hawkers this time, although they proved hard to approach. The Ruddy Darters were pretty much the same, but this female provided a decent opportunity.

The large ‘lake’ towards the back of the site had male and female Emperors, Common & Ruddy Darters, Common Blue, Blue-tailed and Small Red-eyed Damsels while the corner had yet more Migrant Hawkers.

Back at the RVD breeding pool I had a female Migrant and female Emperor ovipositing.

A short distance away I found my only Red-veined Darters of the day.

I headed north to the pond and wished I stayed put at Badminston! A little disappointing as far as large species, with only one slightly battered male Emperor holding court. At least some Common Darters provided a spectacle while the surface of the water was alive with Emerald Damsels while among the reeds were several Black Darters.

Tuesday provided a relaxing moment following a male Southern Hawker around a small pond at Ramsdown. He chose the shadowy end as his main patrol, but occasionally would venture out into the light and close enough for an in-flight.

On several occasions another male would fly in and they’d take their fight high & wide before my male returned. One episode involved a third party – possibly another Southern although it was too far away for a positive ID.

Black and Common Darters, Emerald and Common Blue Damsels provided all other activity on this small but popular body of water.

I hadn’t visited Thursley for a while, so taking advantage of the sun and putting up with the wind, I arrived just after noon on Wednesday. A male Southern Hawker greeted me on the Moat pond but proved to be the only one I saw that afternoon. Neither did I see any Brown or Migrant Hawkers.

The boardwalks however were alive with Common and Black Darters, several in cop and several more in tandem across the water joining the Emerald Damsel activity.

The back ride provided more of the same, but still no hawkers until I arrived back at the platform pool…this time a Common Hawker! Ironic considering they’ve been my number one priority this year.

So here I stayed, watching as he flew back & forth, high & low and attempting to get some in-flights – but this one wasn’t as friendly as the Welsh ones! Must be a southern thing…

The problem I had was the platform faces the sun, and I needed the sun behind me. This was soon remedied with the discovery I could walk around the pool on a narrow previously trod path.

While on this side I noticed he briefly perched opposite me on a small bloom of heather, and also on a larger bush the other side of the platform.

On his disappearance I did another alternative circuit in search of other treasures, but was soon led back to the pool where he was patrolling again.

This time I positioned myself close to the bush and after spending time trying to get a decent in-flighter, he perched.

I attempted a few more in-flighters but didn’t get anywhere near the quality of those Welsh shots

Although I’m positive I’ve seen the odd one patrolling the rides here before, confirming at least a couple here today made the day. Surprisingly I saw no Emperors.

On Thursday I took a walk around Burbush and did see Emperors – one patrolling Brown Loaf pond and one at Whitten. The only other large species encountered were Migrant Hawkers at the former.

The feeder stream for Whitten Pond is dry again, which usually rules out rich pickings being the preferred place of Southern and occasional Brown Hawkers. Besides the sun being hazy and subtly obscured by an annoying belt of white cloud, the whole experience filled me with dismay when I foud as well as clearing a belt of woodland at Dur Hill, the forestry commision in their infinate wisdom had burnt a huge swathe of heather, wiping out a substantial colony of Silver-studded blues along with a healthy reptile population.

Onwards to Troublefield which is starting to live up to it’s name over the past two years. At least today there were a few Migrant Hawkers to make the visit worthwhile.

Friday was much better. Glorious sunshine and wonderful heat, hampered somewhat by a stiff breeze, drove me back to Badminston. Only one confirmed Red-veined Darter among the Commons and Ruddys, but Emperors were still strong here.

To get out of the wind I headed for the sheltered action corner for the best activity. More Emperors, a passing Southern Hawker and at least a dozen Migrants, including an ovipositing female.

I concentrated on the latter and found an ideal spot around the reeds for capturing some in-flights and perched opportunities.

The Migrants seem to prefer these vegetated margins and at least three males were weaving in & out of the reeds, often seeking out the lower reaches and rarely flying above 3 metres.

Unlike most hawkers several males shared this small area seemingly in harmony as territorial battles were few and generally passive.

Today was definitely Migrant day

Afterwards I called in at Crockford briefly where I saw three Golden-ringed, a few Beautiful Demoiselles and even fewer Southern Damsels.

On Monday 20th I chanced my arm at Badminston in the hope of seeing a few more Red-veined Darters, A lot cooler than the previous Sunday with a stiffer breeze meant sightings were few & far between. No tenerals were to be found over the small pool this time, but there were a couple which looked promising around the margins. Unfortunately I couldn’t get near enough to confirm they were RVD’s, but the colouring looked right.

I continued to the far corner of the eastern pool where the shore was alive with Ruddy Darters – the most I’ve seen in one place in the New Forest. Totally failed to get a shot though. A female Golden-ringed rose briefly with my passing, landing not too far away ina thicket of gorse.

Onwards to Crockford – a more correctly Beaulieu Heath – where I was anxious to explore the upper reaches around Two Bridges Bottom and Deep Moor. Crockford Stream is sourced from these two locations, although the main body of the stream flows from Deep Moor; an apt name should you venture too far.

Besides several Keeled Skimmers, a few Golden-ringed and Beautiful Demoiselles, there was a male Emperor patrolling the ford pond, ideal for practicing in-flights.

I spent about an hour with this individual who became increasingly brave and inquisitive, allowing for some wonderful opportunities.

Following downstream more Golden-ringed, Keeled Skimmers, Beautiful Demoiselles and Southern Damselflies, and at the main basin I’m pretty sure the male Golden-ringed was our resident from 2 weeks ago, looking a little worn.

Through the thicket more Keeled Skimmers, Common Darters, a Southern Hawker, a Migrant Hawker and a couple more Golden-ringed before I called it a day.

Wednesday promised bright sunshine, but delivered cloud and strong gusts, Continuing on my Crockford quest I investigated a small stream to the west, NE of Pilley. As soon as I got out the car there were two Golden-ringed battling at the ford, and another couple upstream with Keeled Skimmers, Beautiful Demoiselles, Southern Damselflies and Common Darters.

Continuing on I decided to visit Lower Crockford for the first time in two years, following the stream at Shipton Bottom up & downstream where it merges into Crockford Stream. This is a wonderfully quiet area with pretty much the same species as Upper Crockford, the feeder stream proving very productive. Where they meet is a beautiful open lawn area with yet more opportunities.

As I was here I couldn’t resist the main basin, and decided to attempt a Beautiful Demoiselle in flight.

Onwards to Badminston where I met Paul W and together we did a tour of the ditches & pools, finding 20+ Red-veined Darters and over 30 exuviae at the breeding pool.

Along the shore of the far pit were Emperors, Common and Ruddy Darters, Black-tailed Skimmers and in one sheltered bay a hive of Common Blue Damsel activity.

The Ruddy’s were proving difficult subjects but across the other side of the pits I managed a perched male.

I still needed a decent RVD female shot and was rewarded with a couple of opportunities to round off a fabulous afternoon.

Sunday morning I returned to Badminston, unsurprisingly bumping into Paul W again, and joined a little later by two other enthusiasts.

The change in wind direction had dispersed the majority of the tenerals into a small and reasonably sheltered sandy area with ample perches. This didn’t necessarily make them any easier to approach, but perseverance paid off.

While I was exploring this area a shout went up as a female Lesser Emperor was spotted over the far pit. I managed a couple of glimpses but she didn’t stay around for long. Time was also moving on and I had to meet Sue at Pennington, but not before I had a brief time with Paul Brock who I bumped into on my way out.

Unfortunately Pennington proved to be an anti-climax as the clouds drew in, the wind increased and even a brief shower put pay to any decent action. No worries though, as the morning had been worth it!

After what proved to be a cracking weekend in Wales, I took a break from dragonflies and concentrated on butterflies for a couple of days, returning to dragonflies on Friday.

I took a little trip to the pond, a journey which proved more troublesome due to the sheer weight of holiday traffic heading west. A head-full of traffic jams, noise and endless diversions vanished halfway down the hill as the pond came into view. There’s a little rise where the pond appears on the horizon and you get a glimpse of what is – or not – flying.

Unfortunately there wasn’t anything large patrolling this side, but in the action corner a male Emperor reigned supreme over Common Darters, Broad-bodied and Four-spotted Chasers. The Damsels – Emerald, Common Blue, Blue-tailed and Azure, minded their own business below.

At the other end were more of the same plus a Keeled Skimmer, with the Blue-tailed seeming to prefer the muddy seepage leading down from the heath. Among the gorse & ferns were several more Common Darters, Broad-bodied Chasers  and a male Migrant Hawker.

I positioned myself back at the (action) corner and watched the show as a female Emperor flew in to lay her eggs. At one point she was briefly whisked away by the male in a failed coupling before returning to her business.

Now & again the resident male from the other end would overstep his territory and a dogfight would ensue, a clash of wings as they rose high and separated back to their own patch.

The water levels are looking healthy without being saturated, and the two smaller ponds – barely more than large puddles – have remained. The larger of these pools had almost as much action as the main pond, with a resident male Emperor, an ovipositing female, more Common Darters and Broad-bodied Chasers plus a lively population of damsels.

Satisfied I’d seen all I was going to see, I left a little too early, and having time to spare decided to look in on a small pond near Telegraph Hill. This pond appears be dependant on rainfall , being on the summit of the surrounding heath.

In the past this  pond resembled nothing more than a large puddle lying next to a popular dog walk. Often used for a post-walkies bath or a venue for beer can boating in picnic season, I only ever visit on a weekday.

The water level was extremely high and appeared healthier with reeds and lillies providing a life force on what is a very odd shade of green- the type you normally find at disused quarries.

I at least hoped to find a Southern Hawker or two, as on previous occasions, but once again the ruling party was a male Emperor.

I watched as he appeared to enjoy the stiff breeze and, very much like a Kestrel, countering the wind perfectly while drifting sideways against the breeze, towards me, and then over the pond… returning in a pattern which was not entirely predictable.

On a few occasions he would rise overhead, allowing a glimpse of the underneath. Interesting to see his head turned towards me while the thorax & abdomen remain perpendicular.

On Sunday Doug & I were guides for the DWT photography group on their annual dragonfly day. As the meeting time was 10.00am, I took advantage of the weather and had an early start to sneak in a Red-veined Darter or two before the main event.

I hadn’t realised they’d rebuilt the footpath until later, and used the gate entrance, traipsing through shoulder-high weeds and becoming saturated by dew before reaching the pools.

A male Emperor was already holding court while teneral Darters were rising from the reeds.

The majority were carried by the breeze across the lunar landscape, but one male stayed put long enough to get some shots in.

Satisfied, I explored the gorse bordering hawker alley, watching as hoards of Common Darters battled for popularity with Common Blue Damsels. A brief glimpse of a male Southern Hawker, and several more male Emperors rose before me having been disturbed by my passing.

Onwards to Ramsdown, a journey which took an hour due to the intolerable selfishness of ignorant cyclists, a recent New Forest menace. There was apparently a race on, and this gave the cyclists the mistaken belief that they had right of way.

Riding tyre to tyre and up to four abreast, they left no room for other road users to overtake, causing long and unnecessary tailbacks. Should you find a spot to overtake, you were met with jeers and gestures.

They also had no respect for the animals, cursing if their progress was cut short by a wandering pony. It will take a fatal accident for the powers that be to realise the influx of ignorant city-dwelling cyclist on summer weekends is an unacceptable danger to the harmony of the New Forest.

Back at Ramsdown we waited for the dozen or so photographers to arrive and led them up the track to the first pond. By now activity was positively buzzing, with another Emperor, Black & Common Darters, Four-spotted Chaser, Azure, Common Blue, Emerald and Small Red Damselflies across the water.

On two occasions a Grass Snake took to the water and swam to the far bank.

Along the margins I spotted a male Broad-bodied Chaser and someone else photographed a female Black-tailed Skimmer, while the skies would occasional light up with a passing Brown Hawker. I usually take a back step on these outings, but couldn’t resist the chance of a Black Darter mating wheel.

After the party had filled their boots at the pond, we made our way up and around the small hill hoping to flush out a hawker or two, but the heather revealed nothing today, except a very welcome sighting of a Smooth Snake.

Down the steep hill to the other pond where Black Darters ruled the roost with no less than a dozen pairs in tandem, along with more Emeralds and a few Common Blue.

From the treeline came a Brown Hawker, circling the pond several times before once again disappearing from view. Shortly after a male Southern Hawker appeared for a quick survey, and then a Common Hawker flew in and circled the pond a few times before flying off into the distance.

I did manage one record shot before he disappeared

By now the heat had started to become a little uncomfortable and we all retreated to the car park for a lunch break before moving on to Troublefield. About half of the party remained and were rewarded with a couple of Golden-ringed, some Beautiful and Banded Demoiselles and a male and female Southern Hawker.

Our most surprising find was a male Emerald Damselfly, a first for this site. Obviously a refugee from Ramsdown. Let’s hope a female or two made the journey too!

No Migrants today, though still a fine day and a satisfying outing with a full daily count of 14 species.

Sat at home waiting for that belt high pressure to arrive, I wondered how I was going to make the most of it.

There are still a couple of sites in the New Forest which need a seasonal visit, and when the sun did finally appear on Thursday I was spoilt for choice.

The decision was made when Stephen (red_fan) couldn’t make the planned Friday jaunt at Crockford, but could manage Thursday. As the next sunny spell was all about relaxing and enjoying a few hours at a pleasant location, a day at Crockford proved perfect.

I arrived quite early at 10.00am. Surprisingly still overcast with sea mist, which didn’t clear until around noon. Time for a wander, and potentially the first sighting was a male Golden-ringed on his first morning patrol of his patch.

In the clearing across the stream a few Common Darters awoke at my passing. Through the thicket with the two shallow ponds and up the skope brought my first Hawker – a Migrant unhappy at the disturbance, flying high and far in search of a lie in.

At the stream another two male Golden-ringed appeared and claimed their territories among the few Common Darters, Keeled Skimmers, Beautiful Demoiselles, Southern and Small Red Damselflies.

Walking back through the thicket I bumped into another enthusiast whom I’d met at Blashford last year, swapped notes and scanned my brain looking for his name.

Back across the stream to the small, wooded ponds where a male Southern Hawker was frantically flying back & forth, mostly high and occasionally low but showing no signs of rest.

Back at the stream I had a glimpse of something quite remarkable – a Hawker flying fast & low upstream along a narrow channel, appearing once more heading downstream before taking flight across the moor.

Brown striped abdomen was all I could distinguish, and it wasn’t a Brown Hawker…

The Southerns and Small Reds were still congregating around their chosen Bog Myrtle bushes, and for once this season the few Beautifuls were giving a good display.

Suddenly the relative quiet was disturbed by the unmistakable sound of a female Golden-ringed ovipositing in the shade of a Bog Myrtle bush, while further along the resident male held his territory.

A male Keeled Skimmer appeared within the small pool, disturbing the resident Golden-ringed, and a female Broad-bodied Chaser looked for somewhere safe to hide as I made my way back through the thicket.

Meeting Stephen, we followed another male for a while before returning through the trees to notice a female – possibly the same one – ovipositing in the narrow bank of the shade.

Back at the basin Stephen filled his boots with an obliging subject while I attempted to catch the fellow in-flight.

A most agreeable chap who, despite the odd territorial dispute, allowed us the chance to photograph him on several perches, although his favourite was a young Bog Myrtle.

For me though the golden moment came when he perched on the heather hanging over the stream.

We had some brief visitations from a couple of male Emperors and a male Southern to add variety, and a few more Common Darters before we headed towards Pennington.

Our main goal were Small Red-eyed Damselflies, and these proved plentiful along with their larger cousins, Blue-tailed and a scattering of Azure.

Over on the river were Banded Demoiselles and Common Darters. The latter were also parading around the main pool, along with a few male Emperors holding territory, and one female ovipositing at various points along the full length, occasionally disturbed by one of the males.

On Friday I returned to Crockford and did a quick scout of the area before the arrival of my guests. Golden-ringed were already in attendance, yesterday’s preferred model still holding court over his territory., and the resident Keeled Skimmer was perched in his bush.

Chris & Mike arrived around 11.30 and immediately got to work grabbing their shots. At one point our male tried desperately to get a grip in the leg of Chris’s tripod, and watching this Mike had the idea to present the leg clamp as a possible perch, and our quarry obliged.

Another very pleasant afternoon with a total of nine species, short a Broad-bodied Chaser from the previous day.

Thanks to Dave’s (NewEra51) recent post and photos, South Wales looked to be the ideal location for finding and photographing the Common Hawker; a quarry I’d longed for. My only previous encounter with this elusive beast was a few years ago at Whitten Pond.

A dragonfly trip had been originally planned for Sunday, but was rescheduled to Saturday due to the weather. In our eagerness we had already booked a room to give us a full day refreshed instead of stressed by a 200 mile journey.

Swansea is the last major conurbation for miles. Head west and you’ll be in Ireland before you encounter anywhere as big. Head north and Bangor is probably the closest culturally. East brings you further upstream, as it were, where everything has gone before.

Yet south is a small pocket of heaven, where roads wind narrowly down to the sea or lead you onto a rich Montaigne plateau with foreboding bogs and tranquil ponds. The big daddy of these ponds is Broad Pool, and geographically was our destination for this weekend in search of the elusive, In my and several others opinion, Common Hawker.

However arriving early on Saturday afternoon gave us a chance to scout the area prior to Sunday. Heading almost exactly west from Swansea the urban sprawl gave way to open moorland of Cefn Bryn, known as the backbone of the Gower. The summit provides a panoramic view belying it’s modest 600ft summit.

About a mile south-west of Cillibion in a small hollow lies Broad Pool – a reasonably large acidic pond surrounded by heath,  bog and a scattering of smaller pools each offering a fine selection of dragonflies.

We parked roadside among the scattering of cars and immediately headed for the far bank of Broad Pool, stopping on the way to practice with a patrolling Emperor.

Damselflies were reasonably well presented with Common Blue, Blue-tailed, Emerald and even a Large Red or two. Among the grasses and heather were Black and Common Darters, and around by the trees we disturbed a couple of Common Hawkers who flew off at speed across the moor.

The old Brown Hawker trick!

Heading north into the dip we encountered the party and introduced ourselves, pick brains and swapped notes before heading back to Broad Pool and returning to the road along the other shore.

A few Black-tailed Skimmers and Four-spotted Chasers patrolled the margins along with more Emperors, but I was after larger prey.

A quick break at the cars before walking the short distance to the 5 small pools where Common Hawkers had been spotted earlier. These each contained more of the same species, and at the second largest pool we spotted our prize.

Time stood still as we frantically followed his flight path, reeling off shot after shot afraid of missing a golden opportunity. Now & again a male Emperor would fly in and cause trouble, appearing to chase off our prize, but it wasn’t long before he returned to his patch.

Now this encounter had thrown all my previous expectations into doubt. I expected to have to deal with a hawker with similar behaviour as the Brown – a fast flyer prone to disappearing into the distance an any moment.

This certainly wasn’t the case. Our subject was happy to stay around, flying a low and predictable pattern around the pond margins in much the same way as a Downy Emerald, and even more surprisingly being as inquisitive as his cousin, the Southern.

After another battle with the Emperor where the latter was coming off worse, our subject hopped the short distance to one of the smaller ponds – a perfectly round boggy hollow barely 10 feet in circumference with little distracting background and access from all points.

At first the small size gave the impression that there wouldn’t be much activity, especially for the larger species, but proved perfectly adequate to accommodate one.

This was the pond I’ve been looking for for years, and couldn’t get more perfect from a photographers point of view. Absolutely the best pond I’ve yet encountered for in-flight photography.

Once again we filled our boots, and when our subject flew off without returning, we went back to the cars to say our goodbyes until tomorrow. A cry from the ponds lead me back for a few more opportunities before wrapping up the day.

You couldn’t wish for a more agreeable subject, and I was elated to grab this chance on what was basically a late afternoon scout! Having bagged some more than acceptable shots, I could relax for the rest of the weekend.

The following day we met up with John and Tony just after 11.00am under cloudy skies and busied ourselves with searching the undergrowth along the treeline.

The previous day I’d commented that this treeline would be an ideal roosting spot for the Common Hawker, and sure enough in a small thicket of gorse further along I disturbed 3 males, all flying off over the trees.

We made our way around Broad Pool – with a quick detour to the ‘kidney pond’ and returned to the south bank just as the sun decided to break through. Five minutes of unbroken sunshine had the desired effect and out of nowhere 3 Emperors appeared, clashed almost immediately in a 3-way dogfight, then dispersed to their own territories.

Over on the small pools another Common Hawker was patrolling, and, in much the same as yesterday, would frequently battle with the Emperor, driving the latter back to the other end.

Once again when he flew to the small pool the best photo opportunities presented themselves, especially when he hovered so close it was difficult to get a lock on.

It did result in my favourite shot of the weekend though!

When he left I wandered over to the kidney pond and found an obliging Emperor

There were also a Four-spotted Chaser and Black-tailed Skimmer adding interest. Walking back around Broad Pool I disturbed a female Common Hawker who had perched low down in the grasses of the boggy area. Nice that it would’ve been to get a photo, the opportunity didn’t present itself. I didn’t mind though.

Besides finding my prize this weekend gave me that chance to spend a few hours practicing my in-flight shots, for me the most fun you can spend in the company of dragonflies.