Monday 20th August
After trouble with trains, we arrived at Dalegarth at about 1:30 and shortly afterwards, as we were walking along the banks of the Esk, between St. Catharine's Church and Tim's Tarn, we saw 2 or 3 hawkers flying over the river. We were unable to focus on them, but we both thought we saw green, and so assumed they were Southern Hawkers. Arriving at the tarn, we soon saw a male Common Hawker patrolling (this sight was to be near-constant for most of the week, although sometimes there were two in residence, and at one point a clash revealed a third trying to get in on the act). Almost immediately Haiwa saw a male Common Darter, and again we would see one (or maybe two - and once I saw a female) most days. This made it the eleventh species of the year I had seen at Tim's Tarn this year (and the twelfth for Eskdale, counting the Southern Hawkers).

Pictures of Tim's Tarn:

• East end
• Looking west
• Looking south-west
• North side with Haiwa and bench
• Haiwa and water-lilies
• Looking south-east
• Mosses at west end
• Black Darter (male) close to north edge

The number of resident male Black Darters was somewhere between 30 and 50, by my estimate (the denisty was high - males were content to perch as close as 30 inches). The number of females appeared to be close to that too (harder to estimate - I saw several in the bracken surrounding the tarn, at considerable distances). I saw 4 tenerals that day, and 3 mating pairs.

I did think I saw a Migrant Hawker, but now I believe I was mistaken. My reasons for thinking it might be migrant is that there were two hawkers patrolling quite close, without a clash (but I don't think a Common Hawker is any more likely to leave a Migrant Hawker at peace than another Common Hawker, and I didn't notice a size difference either), and that it flew very close to me (the Steve Brookes field guide says they very rarely approach humans, but we had repeated evidence this week to the contrary). I now think there were no Migrant Hawkers in the valley.

I counted 2 Common Blue Damselfly males, and likewise 2 Azure Damselfly males. Only 1 Blue-tailed Damselfly (male).

Emerald Damselflies were reasonably abundant throughout the week, but did not approach Black Darter numbers. On this day I estimated 10 males and saw 2 females and a mating pair.

I saw one male Large Red Damselfly (spotted by a very young boy). This is definitely my latest sighting of one anywhere in any year.

Later in the afternoon, we spotted two more male Common Hawkers behind the Woolpack Inn (where we were staying - it was nice to always be seeing Spotted Flycatchers in the trees around it), as we climbed the moor in the hope of seeing Golden-ringed Dragonflies - alas - none all week. I feared it was a bit late.

That evening, as I was planning the walk for the next day, I was horrified to see that the name I had assigned to what I now know is called Tim's Tarn - Low Birker Tarn - was already taken, and indeed close by.

Tuesday 21st August

At breakfast, I enquired of the landlady if she knew the name of the tarn. She didn't, but said she would try and find out (she is very interested in local history). That evening she was able to inform me that it was called Tim's Tarn after Tim Warr who created it (it is evident when seen from above that the surrounding pines were probably planted - the shape is like a figure-eight, with a thick waist).

We then went to the tarn after breakfast - although early in the day for dragonflies, we saw quite a lot.
After that we proceeded to climb Green Crag, by way of Birker fell. But we didn't stick to the footpath - instead we diverted to see the top of Birker Force (which descends close to Tim's Tarn), then followed the course of the ghyll inland, before arriving at the real Low Birker Tarn. This was very pretty and peaceful, but it did not look likely to harbour dragonflies (no surface vegetation, and the whole plateau was virtually treeless). However, close by (in different locations), I found 1 female Common Blue Damselfly, 1 male Azure Damselfly and 1 female Black Darter. Although it was a long walk for us, it would be a very short distance for these to have flown (via Birker Force) from Tim's Tarn.

Wednesday 22nd August

This morning, as we ascended the path towards Low Birker Farm, we saw a dragonfly flying to-and-fro apparently feeding. My wife pronounced it a Migrant Hawker, on the basis that she glimpsed yellow on the dorsal surfaces, but I daresay it was probably a female Common Hawker.

We saw many Common Hawkers that day as we walked downstream - in Eskdale they certainly live up to their name.

We had lunch at Forge Bridge, and there I saw another hawker - this time I thought I saw green, and so noted it as Southern Hawker, although again I didn't get a positive identification.

Walking back, at Milkingstead farm we saw a hawker flying to-and-fro feeding. It passed very close indeed to another walker.
Convinced that this must be a Migrant Hawker, I made a determined swipe with the net and caught it. It proved to be a female Common Hawker, as the photo shows.

We stopped by again at Tim's Tarn (I'm inclined to nominate it as my favourite place anywhere). Amongst the many Black Darters I counted 5 tenerals and 1 mating pair. Two male Common Hawkers were resident. The number of Common Blue Damselfly males was up to 3. But the highlight was when I found a male Keeled Skimmer. I was very pleased with such a late sighting, but ...

Thursday 23rd August

This time we walked along the northern bank of the Esk, heading for St, Catharine's church, and we saw this female Common Hawker settle on a bush. Note that one wing has been bitten off (presumably) at the end.

We then changed our mind and headed back for a last look at Tim's Tarn. Again 2 male Common Hawkers were resident, and I may have seen a female too. As well as the many Black Darters and Emerald Damselflies, I saw a male Azure Damselfly and 3 teneral Black Darters.

We then turned back towards Boot again, but had only gone about 100 yards when we stopped to observe a patrolling male Common Hawker. He soon clashed with, and was driven away by, another male. This male proceeded to first settle on the dry-stone wall behind us, and then on Haiwa's left cheek. Then it settled on my left leg, and then on her right arm, and then on my left pocket (on top of the notebook in which I was recording all this - it must have been vain), and then on Haiwa's leg, then back to my pocket, then back to her leg again. Then once more on the wall.
Each time there was a considerable flight period between settling (say 1 minute).

After that, we took no more notice of the book!

We took the steam train to Irton Road and walked into Miterdale. Immediately was saw a male Southern Hawker patrolling a tiny garden pond (opposite St. Bega's School). Shortly afterwards we saw a male Common Darter.

We lunched at by the bridge where the woods at Porterthwaite ended. There we saw at least 1 male Common Hawker several times, and I saw a male Keeled Skimmer! Later than ever!

We caught the steam train again, and as we were heading towards Muncaster Mill, Haiwa observed what she thought was a male Black-tailed Skimmer (I saw one the next day at "the Middleton boating pond" in Heysham Buisness Park).