Male. Taken at Otmoor, Oxon on September 5th 2023. (© David Hastings)
(1/640th sec at f11. Click image for larger version)
Male, side view. Taken at Radley Lakes, Oxon., on September 21st 2020. (© David Hastings)
(1/250th sec at f13. Click image for larger version)
Male in flight. Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on August 25th 2024. (© David Hastings)
(1/1000th sec at f11. Click image for larger version)
Female. Taken at Otmoor, Oxon., on August 28th 2014. (© David Hastings)
(1/200th sec at f11. Click image for larger version)
Female, side view. Taken at Hundred Acre Piece, Hants, on August 11th 2021. (© David Hastings)
(1/400th sec at f11. Click image for larger version)
Pair in cop. Taken at Radley Lakes, Oxon., on September 14th 2019. (© David Hastings)
(1/640th sec at f11. Click image for larger version)

Description

Wingspan: 74 - 84mm; Body length: 56 - 64mm

A small Hawker, not aggressive towards other individuals and occasionally seen in large feeding swarms. The costa is brown and there is a "golf-tee" shaped, yellow mark on the second segment. The male looks quite dark with blue, paired spots along the abdomen. The male's pale yellow ante-humerals are indistinct and short, and its eyes are blue. The female is brown with similar markings to the male but the spots are smaller and often yellow, occasionally blue. The ante-humerals are insignificant or absent and eyes are brownish.

This species is found mainly in England south of a line betwen the Humber and the Ribble. There are some outposts further north, and also in Wales and Ireland. It is also a regular migrant from the continent.

It breeds in a wide variety of still and slow-flowing waters with vegetation such as reeds. It avoids acidic water but tolerates brackish conditions.

Eggs are laid into aquatic vegetation, often above the waterline, and hatch the following spring. Larval development is rapid, and adults emerge a few months later. The main flight period is August to October, but individuals can persist well into November.

Males often fly low over the water in some numbers, hovering frequently and investigating marginal vegetation for females. Both sexes often perch or hawk in hedgerows or woodland rides well away from water.

A locally common species.

Earliest UK sighting: 10th July ; Latest UK sighting: 3rd November

Sightings