*Common or Moorland Hawker | Aeshna juncea (female) Gisburn Forest 31 August 2025 (Mike Watson)*

COMMON HAWKER | Aeshna juncea is a dragonfly of acid bogs in forest and moorland in East Lancashire. It occurs in the Ribble Valley on Longridge and Grindleton Fells and widely in the Forest of Bowland to the north, however, I usually only see male Common Hawkers, endlessly patrolling forest rides or moorland pools looking for females. At the weekend I took another break from searching for Willow Emerald Damselfly Chalcolestes viridis down in the valley and headed to Gisburn Forest in the hope of finding a perched Common Hawker. This is something of a rare event, as they hardly ever seem to land. I managed a few flight shots low over shallow breeding pools on a large bog in the forest, and sat down to watch the abundant Black Darters Sympetrum danae egg-laying in tandem, when a large brown and yellow hawker with gilt-edged golden wings flew in and landed right in front of me. WOW! Female Common Hawker! It proceeded to lay eggs in the surface vegetation of the pool for around half an hour, when another joined it. Females lay eggs immediately after mating, which lasts for around a hour and usually takes place in trees. What a terrific looking creature it is, my dragonfly highlight of the year so far. I do prefer the alternative name ‘Moorland’ Hawker though, Common doesn’t really do it justice and in most places it is far from common. A perched male photo still eludes me. It’s nice to have a project though.

*Common or Moorland Hawker | Aeshna juncea (male) Gisburn Forest 31 August 2025 (Mike Watson)*

There were several other species flying today. It is getting a little late for some of them but there were still the following on the wing: Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum, Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella, Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa, Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum and Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea.

MOORLAND HAWKER