August Sightings and News

31.8.04
Sunshine at Newchurch Common (66E SJ607688) yielded large numbers of Migrant Hawker flying, including several females feeding and roosting in the trees. Also seen were plenty of Common Blue Damselfly and Common Darter with a few Brown Hawker. Meanwhile at Dairyhouse Meadow (67S SJ664757) there were both Common Darter and Migrant Hawker seen.

29.8.04
Dave Walters visited Little Budworth Common (56Y SJ584661) where he found two Black Darter, three Migrant Hawker, one Brown
Hawker, one Southern Hawker and lots of Common Darter.

19.8.04
There are certainly plenty of Brown Hawker about at the moment. I counted at least twelve at Newchurch Common this morning, and also several Migrant Hawker, a single Ruddy Darter and lots of Common Darter. Still a few Common Blue Damselfly and Blue-tailed Damselfly about too.

female Brown Hawker 19-8-04. Photo © David Kitching 2004

15-8-04
I went walking on the Middlewood Way between Adlington and Bollington this afternoon. It was in the cuttings and on sheltered banks that hawkers were to be found feeding. At Higher Doles (97J SJ927795) a male Migrant Hawker was feeding busily. Further down the line towards Bollington I saw a male Southern Hawker flying and then resting. After a few minutes a female appeared and flew right up to the male which then set off in pursuit up into the trees. I wonder whether she saw the male hanging from the vegetation or the meeting was just fortuitous.

male Southern Hawker 15-8-04. Photo © David Kitching 2004

11.8.04
Whilst at Rode Heath Rise (85D SJ805572)today I saw a single male Migrant Hawker feeding amongst the trees.

7-8-04
I went back to the pond near Oakenclough (96P SJ958696) this afternoon and soon found masses of Black Darter, Common Blue Damselfly and Emerald Damselfly flying. After a while also found an ovipositing female Common Hawker with a male on territory. A newly emerged male was also seen.

female Black Darter 6-8-04. Photo © David Kitching 2004

6-8-04
Sunshine at Newchurch Common meant lots of dragonflies on the wing. I was treated to the sight of Emperor Dragonfly, Migrant Hawker, Brown Hawker, Black Darter, Common Darter, Ruddy Darter, Emerald Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly and Red-eyed Damselfly.

male Ruddy Darter 6-8-04. Photo © David Kitching 2004

3-8-04
During a visit to Crewe Business Park (75C SJ718550) there were plenty of insects flying around the ponds. These included female Emperor Dragonfly, several Migrant Hawker, Brown Hawker and Common Darter. Damselflies seen were Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly and Azure Damselfly. A female Southern Hawker was seen feeding close to the road at Hall Green (85J SJ823562).

Richard Hargreaves was at Heatley Flash near Lymm (78E SJ702881) and recorded Emperor Dragonfly, Brown Hawker, Common Darter, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly and Red-eyed Damselfly.

2-8-04
At last I found Migrant Hawker flying at Newchurch Common today. There were also masses of Common Darter, several Brown Hawker and a very active male Emperor Dragonfly. Later on in the afternoon I was at a pond high up in the Peak fringe near Oakenclough (96P SJ958696). It was very windy and the only Odonata seen flying were lots of Emerald Damselfly and several Common Blue Damselfly. It appears that the local bird population have worked out how to benefit from emerging hawkers and there were lots of places at the margin each with four Common Hawker wings and an exuvia nearby. No doubt plenty also got away and I await their return to breed.

If you have made any Odonata observations in Cheshire and would like to share them with others or wish to take part in the recording scheme please email me.

April 2004 Sightings and News Received
May 2004 Sightings and News Received
June 2004 Sightings and News Received
July 2004 Sightings and News Received
September 2004 Sightings and News Received
October/November 2004 Sightings and News Received

Sightings and News for August 2004