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Flora & Fauna (media)

Blue-eyed Hawker (Aeshna affinis) (Dragonflies) 24798
Sydlig Mosaikguldsmed (dk) Klarblå Mosaikslända (se)
	1010 (4 photos) 2022-07-29 Kalvebod Fælled, Amager, Denmark Imago. Male. At the ramp leading to the bike/pedestrian bridge crossing the highway, along Fasanskovvejen. I had strayed off track and was forced to follow the fence along the highway because of the water-filled channel running along Fasanskovvejen. Just below the ramp, out of the southern wind, this hawker suddenly took flight in front of me. Migrants and Blues are present now, but somehow it looked different. The colors were better for the Blue Emperor, but it looked too small and when in turned around and started patrolling low, I could see that it looked interesting with the blue eye. It wouldn't sit, but kept flying in front of me, and at one point it accelerated and flew up in the air, where another animal had arrived. They looked the same size, but I couldn't get a hold on them before they disappeared. But then the first one, assuming, came back and started patrolling again, and I got these photos to confirm this new species for me! The hawker pattern on the abdomen, together with an all-green thorax with narrow black lines on the side plus the strong blue eye is what make it this species. It's a species that's spreading north with the climate changes, why it is not a major rarity, but still, it's cool to find one. And even more so here, because from last year I had programmed my scouting brain for another habitat, pond with strong vegetation around it. This was at the edge of a 'sedge-field' that had dried out. But there is no actual pond or water body near here. I'm sure the animal was resting, when I flushed it, and it probably returned to sit somewhere, when I lost it. And with that, I'm speculating whether it will be there tomorrow or not. Last year the two animals I tried to twitch only stayed for one day, so I'm not expecting anything, but will give it a try tomorrow again. Did so, but it was not to be found. I included the first photo because it superficially reminds me of a Lesser Emperor with the dark thorax and clear blue S1-2.
	1011 (6 photos) 2022-07-31 Røsnæs, Sjælland, Denmark Imago. Male. The tip of the peninsula. Mature, and my second in two days of this rare species in Denmark. This one was patrolling on the shelter side of a small patch of sedges at the edge of the open-bordered lake south of the road just below Naturskolen. There were quite a few Blue Emperors in the air too, but they tended to stay over the water, while this animal stayed strictly on the land side of the sedges. The one I saw the other day, apparently also preferred to stay out of the wind, why this might be a pattern with the species. Knowing that I'm able to find two animals of this rare species in two days, at very distant localities, and according to naturbasen.dk no-one else has found any this year, I'm wondering if people overlook them, taking them for blue emperors as they fly around. The behavior is similar and apart from the the very blue eye of the present species, they do look superficially alike, including the custom of letting the rear end of the abdomen hang low in flight (which might be what confuses people). Notice the bluish suffusion on the side of the thorax, a feature of the old male. The animal was still there when I left.
	1081 (4 photos) 2022-08-11 Kalvebod Fælled, Amager, Denmark Imago. Male. Granathøj. One was reported earlier this day, and I thought I would go and see if I could get a picture. It was probably the same as the one I had on August 6th, where I didn't get any. First I saw one animal when I arrived, but it disappeared from me soon. That was along the pond next to the hill. Then I circled toward the narrow sw-bound channel and found one there that stayed put and kept patrolling the patch. At one point another dragonfly approached and they started fighting. Briefly, then the intruder flew away. There I got the feeling that they looked very similar, suspecting that two animals were present. And when I went back to the hill, I soon encountered another one patrolling there as well. The question was, if they were different or if the first animal had left the channel to cover this area too. From the photos it definitely looks like they are different animals. Though the pattern of the abdomens look very similar (difficult to judge 100% because of blurriness), the markings on the thorax are certainly different. This one lacks the black spot just outside the front-most black line on the thorax and the dark patch between the black line and the should line is different from what is seen on the other animal. Plus, this present animals shows a whitish paleness to the frons at the corner toward the eye. This is lacking on the other too. Also, it looks like the two are holding their tail consequently different when flying. This one holds it straight, whereas the other one has it hanging a bit, more like the habit of the Blue Emperor. Also, the ends of the appendages are white on this one, and black on the other. See the other one in 1082. With 4, or perhaps 5, animals this year (so far) I must admit to have had my share of the species. Thank you!
	1082 (4 photos) 2022-08-11 Kalvebod Fælled, Amager, Denmark Imago. Male. Granathøj. One was reported earlier this day, and I thought I would go and see if I could get a picture. It was probably the same as the one I had on August 6th, where I didn't get any. First I saw one animal when I arrived, but it disappeared from me soon. That was along the pond next to the hill. Then I circled toward the narrow sw-bound channel and found one there that stayed put and kept patrolling the patch. At one point another dragonfly approached and they started fighting. Briefly, then the intruder flew away. There I got the feeling that they looked very similar, suspecting that two animals were present. And when I went back to the hill, I soon encountered another one patrolling there as well. The question was, if they were different or if the first animal had left the channel to cover this area too. From the photos it definitely looks like they are different animals. Though the pattern of the abdomens look very similar (difficult to judge 100% because of blurriness), the markings on the thorax are certainly different. This one has a black spot just outside the front-most black line on the thorax and the dark patch between the black line and the should line is different from what is seen on the other animal. Plus, this present animal doesn't show a whitish paleness to the frons at the corner toward the eye. The other one does. Also, it looks like the two are holding their tail consequently different when flying. The other one holds it straight, whereas this one has it hanging a bit, more like the habit of the Blue Emperor. Also, the ends of the appendages are black on this one, and white on the other. See the other one in 1081.
	1087 (7 photos) 2022-08-13 Søvang, Amager, Denmark Imago. Male. Small pool by Aflandshagetårnet. Finally an animal that was easier to approach. I just stopped leisurely at this pond, not really expecting anything. But I might have felt that it looked suited for the species: Small and shallow and drying water surface with narrow fringes of sedges along the edge. Photo 1 I added to give you an idea about what it looks like when first flying by. I mean, both Blue Emperor, Blue Hawker and Migrant Hawker show superficially similar details, especially a bluish eye.
	1089 (3 photos) 2022-08-14 Kalvebod Fælled, Amager, Denmark Imago. Male. Nihøjvej x Granatvej. Yet another small waterhole bordered by sedges and drying up. Fourth spot on Amager where I've found the species this year. And just a single male here.
	1090 (2 photos) 2022-08-14 Kalvebod Fælled, Amager, Denmark Imago. Male. Granathøj. 2 males present today. Previous days some have seen 3 males and I spoke to Michael Frank Nielsen and Jan Enoksen who mentioned that someone also had seen a female. No reports of this on naturbasen though. I've compared my photos from today and the 11th, and it is certain that the two animals today are different from at least the animal in 1082 of that day. I don't have the right side of 1081, also of that day. Meaning that I've had 3 different males here and possibly a 4th. With the new animal of today, 1089, I've seen 6 different males on Amager so far, and perhaps 7.
	1091 (1 photos) 2022-08-14 Kalvebod Fælled, Amager, Denmark Imago. Male. Granathøj. 2 males present today. Previous days some have seen 3 males, and I spoke to Michael Frank Nielsen and Jan Enoksen on site, who mentioned that someone also had seen a female. No reports of this on naturbasen though. I've compared my photos from today and the 11th, and it is certain that the two animals today are different from at least the animal in 1082 of that day. I don't have the right side of 1081, also of that day. Meaning that I've had 3 different males here and possibly a 4th. With the new animal of today, 1089, I've seen 6 different males on Amager so far, and perhaps 7.