Dragonflies are a family of Insects that I associate primarily with water: after all, they need water for their larval stage. So I was a little bit surprised to find this Emperor Dragonfly patrolling along the bush edge near the wood at Old Harry. This is a chalk headland and there is no standing water. The nearest standing water that I am aware of is the small pond in Studland village: which is over a mile away. I have no explanation as to why it was patrolling so far from the nearest potential breeding habitat. But given its coastal location, perhaps it was feeding whilst on a local movement. I saw a second large Dragonfly further along the hedgeline: which I assume might have been a second Emperor Dragonfly: as I haven't seen Hawkers in this part of Old Harry before.
Emperor Dragonfly: Male. The blue abdomen confirms this is a male
Emperor Dragonfly: Female. A photo of an egg-laying female from last year. Arne (8 June 14)