UK Wildlife Blog

At one point he chased off a coupled pair, which I only glimpsed but the colour of the male was unmistakable. The behaviour of the male was quite interesting. He patrolled the water in a way and height more reministant of a male emperor than a migrant hawker, which I usually see patroling above head height and often away from water. As I have observed at Thursley with other species, the southern migrant hawker seems to fly when it is sunny and perch when the sun disappears behind the sun. I eventually worked this out after the sun disappeared a couple of times and was ready the next time it did, following the male to a hawthorn bush to left of the pond, where he perched above head height under a branch.


It was a bit shaded, plus it was cloudy, so I tried the flash.


Then the sun came out.

A few seconds later it took to the wing.

I then headed down the nearby path that crosses the railway. The ditch that ran parallel to it had only a few emerald damselflies (Lestes sp.), perhaps some of them scarce (L. dryas) and the walk along the sea wall provided very little and a stop at the pub was required for refreshment!

Shortly after leaving the pub a large (red admiral sized) butterfly with brown looking wings with what appeared to have a yellow line running along the rear of the wing(s) flew past at speed. I have no idea what it was, but one of the chaps I spoke to late said he also saw it.

We then crossed back over the railway and headed up the path from Benfleet station end. Along this path I heard very loud crickets, which matched the calls of great green bush crickets. Sadly I didn't see one, but I didn't really look to hard. Also along this path I saw a 'swarm' of 20 'normal' migrant hawkers at one point, and saw plenty more, along with brown hawkers and common and ruddy darters.

When I reached the pond/ditch where the southern migrants were seen in July I found a few chaps looking for them and were having no luck. They were unsuprisingly keen to be shown where I had seen them so we set of for the pond. Thankfully none of us had nets so it was pleasant walk for all concerned! (If you dont get this joke see here, post #44). Just before we reached the original pond one of them spotted a male perched on a reed by another pond.


The area of the pond with water was being patrolled by a male emperor dragonfly, which perched at one point.


When we reached the original pond, the male was no where to be seen. We explored the nearby hedgerow for a bit before being beckoned over by another chap standing next to the nearby ditch. He pointed out a patrolling male, saying there had been 2. We followed this male, which a couple of times fought with another male, which looked darker but I didn't get a good look at it and I was assured it was also southern migrant. This male eventually perched to, but with a bit of sunlight on it.


I did manage an ok in flight photo, but my manual focus skills need work so it isn't pin sharp.


At the next ditch I noticed an emerald damselfly so went in to have closer look to check what species it was, only to startle a coupled pair. I managed a few ok pics of them in the vegetated ditch.


They appeared to be laying in the mud rather than the water.


One of the chaps had his dragonfly book and he said that they like ponds that dry out, which would explain this. If the fact this new species is laying eggs isn't exciting enough, the scarce emeralds which are quite plentiful in parts of the South Essex has similar breeding habitat requirments, so the suitable habitat may be there too! Could a breeding population of the southern migrant hawker arise in Essex?
Well the question I think needs to be answered first is: are they breeding here already? There appears to be many of these southern migrant hawkers in a small area and Im no expert on such things but surely vagrants would be more widely spread out? But the one bit of evidence that makes me wonder is the specimen photographed by John Hague aka 'The Drunkbirder' (see here on his blog) which as he points out would a dragonfly with a deformed wing be able to migrate or does it suggest it is local in origin? Fingers crossed it the latter!

After seeing these rather wonderful insects Im hoping with have a repeat of the small red eyed damselfly scenario, which first appeared in 1999 and has now spread across South East of England, and is still spreading North and West!

Ive made a google map with the sighting locations on and the times observed here


Dragonfly info was obtained from the excellent British Dragonfly Society website: http://www.dragonflysoc.org.uk/species.html


UPDATE: The species was also found in Hockley Woods on 24/8/10. there is a photo by SteveRJ on Flickr here

AND there was also some present in a ditch at Vange Wick at the end of the July. The is a post about it on the RSPB South Essex Marshes Blog here