Norfolk Hawker - A Patch First!

Yesterday was forecasted to be the last day of sun, so I was keen to finally get out and do some proper dragonflying!  I can't tell you how good it felt to immerse myself in the world of Odonata for several hours.

With only two ponds left to check at Lower Bruckland Ponds, despite seeing plenty I hadn't come across anything unusual.  But I was then stopped in my tracks by a beautiful copper-coloured Hawker landing on a close reed fringe, it stayed put just long enough for me to get my bins on it... NORFOLK HAWKER!  Those green-eyes offering a striking contrast to the gorgeous copper body colour (far from being brown!).

Unfortunately within seconds of seeing it, it took flight and gained height.  Over the next half an hour I had four more brief flight views of it over the same pond, but no more perched views and no chance of any photographs, the patrolling Scarce and Four-spotted Chasers would soon see it off.  Always a shame not to get a pic of a rarity but such a thrill to find!  

This was its favoured pond, one of the smallest at Lower Brucklands but also the most vegetated around the edges

 

This species, formally restricted to East Anglia, suddenly appeared in Weymouth about four or five years ago with numbers growing here every year since.  In Devon, except for a lone insect on Exminster Marshes for a few days in 2018, they appeared at Slapton last year, with several seen including at least one egg-laying female, so it is no surprise they are again there this year.  Also this year they have been found on The Somerset Levels, with singles also at Abbotsbury and Portland.  Although they are clearly spreading well, and certainly a species on my 'hoped-for' list, I honestly thought we were still a few years off them appearing here, and was convinced Vagrant Emperor and/or Hairy Hawker would fall first!  

Am super pleased to say Tim White saw it again this afternoon and managed some photos too!  Let's hope more follow and they secure a foothold here.

Lower Bruckland was as ever teeming with Odonata, although to me Emperor numbers are way down with far fewer patrolling the banks.  Chasers/Skimmers included 60+ Scarce Chaser, 18 Black-tailed Skimmer and 14 Four-spotted Chaser. 20+ Common Darter were all fresh tenerals and a fine male Golden-ringed Dragonfly was patrolling the corner of one of the top ponds.  Amongst the small beasts 10+ Red-eyed Damselfly, these down in numbers from my last visit here.  Both species of Demoiselle were on show, and are now regular here...

Beautiful Demoiselle

Banded Demoiselle

Lovely male Scarce Chaser with mating scars

Common Darter teneral - Ruddy ruled out by white on legs

I then dropped down to the River Axe, where there were a further 18+ Scarce Chaser and large numbers of White-legged Damselflies...

Must have seen at least 100 of these

A check of a final site, a large pool near the River Coly, added three Broad-bodied Chaser.  

So all in all a bloody enjoyable three hours out in the sunshine!