Whenever dragonflies are spotted ovipositing in odd places it always seems to be a Southern Hawker. Jan Shields photographed this female ovipositing in dry moss at the base of an old dry birdbath just a couple of metres away from a perfectly suitable pond. The insect also tried landing on Jan’s head!
In my own garden I was observing another Southern Hawker attempting to egg lay in cracks between patio slabs…again a metre or so away from a very suitable pond.
Thankfully Jan has also seen Migrant Hawker (below right) in her garden behaving sensibly! This male is showing the textbook ‘reduced’ antehumeral stripes on top of the thorax and just visible is the diagnostic golf tee shape at the top of the abdomen.
