At Irthlingborough, a few remaining Small Red-eyed Damselflies sat on the algae, along with Brown Hawkers ovipositing into the muddy banks, Common Darters and Emerald Damselflies. I found a drowned Brown Hawker, which I fished out with my monopod but it was dead on arrival, only to then see another alive which I also rescued. I guessed they had a tussell and ended up in the water.
I took my daughter and a friend to the VFestival in Shropshire and took the opportunity to visit Whixall Moss, in Staffs only about 45minutes further north, looking for Common Hawker and Black Darters. I have not seen Common Hawker before, but a male Black Darter did appear in Northants in 2009. There were many Darters along the ferns on the trials and at the ponds I saw plenty of both species, including mating and ovipositing along with lots of Emerald Damselflies, a Brown Hawker, Common Darter and a single Common Blue Damselfly. The male Common Hawkers didn't let me get any inflight shots, so I concentrated on the ovipositing females. The male Black Darters were on the mature side and didn't show the beautiful colouration that I was hoping for, being mostly all black, however it is the females that really shone with their fantastic golden yellow and black colours. One unfortunate female had been grasped by a rare Raft Spider. The site is hard to find, but I may go again in June next year to see the White-faced Darters.
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| Ovipositing Brown Hawker, Irthlingborough |
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| Drowned Brown Hawker |
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| Surviving Brown Hawker |
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| Migrant Hawker, Ditchford |
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| Mating Black Darters |
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| Ovipositing Common Hawker |
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| Black Darter eaten by Raft Spider |
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| Female Black Darter |
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| Male Black Darter |
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| Female Black Darter |
