Common Hawker (Aeshna juncea)
I was out this morning trying to photograph Emperor Dragonflies on the same moorland pool near Holmfirth where I saw them last week. There were also a few Common Hawkers flitting about, regularly scrapping with the Emperors, though it was usually the larger Emperors that returned to the beat after an altercation. I could usually tell when a Common Hawker came near as they were a lot noisier, clattering about among the vegetation. I found Common Hawkers a lot more difficult to photograph in flight as they did not habitually hover like the Emperors. I did manage a few flight shots though, including this one, which was taken with 420mm at 1/5000 f5.6 which has just about frozen the wings.
The name "Common" is rather misleading as there are several species of large dragonfly that are commoner than this. Common Hawkers inhabit moors and heaths but are pretty scarce away from these specialised habitats. I live in the Pennines near to the moors, yet I see Southern, Brown and Migrant Hawkers more frequently than I do Common Hawkers. It is sometimes known as the Moorland Hawker, which seems like a much better name. It occurs in suitable habitat throughout the Northern Hemisphere including North America, where it is known as the Sedge Darner.
Common Hawker (Aeshna juncea)
I was out this morning trying to photograph Emperor Dragonflies on the same moorland pool near Holmfirth where I saw them last week. There were also a few Common Hawkers flitting about, regularly scrapping with the Emperors, though it was usually the larger Emperors that returned to the beat after an altercation. I could usually tell when a Common Hawker came near as they were a lot noisier, clattering about among the vegetation. I found Common Hawkers a lot more difficult to photograph in flight as they did not habitually hover like the Emperors. I did manage a few flight shots though, including this one, which was taken with 420mm at 1/5000 f5.6 which has just about frozen the wings.
The name "Common" is rather misleading as there are several species of large dragonfly that are commoner than this. Common Hawkers inhabit moors and heaths but are pretty scarce away from these specialised habitats. I live in the Pennines near to the moors, yet I see Southern, Brown and Migrant Hawkers more frequently than I do Common Hawkers. It is sometimes known as the Moorland Hawker, which seems like a much better name. It occurs in suitable habitat throughout the Northern Hemisphere including North America, where it is known as the Sedge Darner.