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Southern Migrant Hawker (1 Viewer)

I know at least one person who was still looking forward to visiting Hadleigh Castle Country Park to view the SMH, along with other odonata, orthoptera and flora, and no doupt have lunch at a local pub or cafe (contributing a little to the local economy). With so many stunning digital images of these dragonflies showing them in their prime, and so many of us interested in viewing these fascinating animals, to come along and kill it seems so out of date. Shame on them, selfish g*ts.
 
Hi,

I find this apparent 'need' to collect voucher specimens outrageous.

I would also suggest that this rather grim episode is very counter productive. Firstly the occurence of such a rare species is likely to encourage people to take an interest in odonata - however now that the insect has been killed this is unlikely to happen; Secondly any finders of rare odonata would be less likely to report it - I for one would be very cautous in future!

Regards
Tristan
 
Marcus Lawson said:
Has anybody contacted the British Museum? If not I'll try later.
Click to expand...
I sent a link to this thread to the relevant person at the Natural History Museum, and asked about this yesterday. If I receive a reply, I will post the response if I can (personally I suspect that the specimen was taken for a private collection). BTW, since there have been a number of comments about the British Museum being interested in artifacts not wildlife, the Natural History Museum was previously known as the British Museum (Natural History), and was originally established as the natural history 'arm' of the British Museum.
 
RoyW said:
I sent a link to this thread to the relevant person at the Natural History Museum, and asked about this yesterday. If I receive a reply, I will post the response if I can (personally I suspect that the specimen was taken for a private collection). BTW, since there have been a number of comments about the British Museum being interested in artifacts not wildlife, the Natural History Museum was previously known as the British Museum (Natural History), and was originally established as the natural history 'arm' of the British Museum.
Click to expand...

Well done Roy!
 
Xenospiza said:
I know that at Cliffe a mating wheel was seen
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If you are referring to the original Cliffe sighting (or at least the first confirmed record), then that was a tandem pair, which appeared to be trying to oviposit rather than a mating wheel. Either way it seems that attempted breeding has taken place at at least these two sites.
 
Jack Haggis said:
Sadly I would suspect that SMH has no legal protection until breeding is proved.
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I think legal protection for dragonflies is pretty limited- a couple of spp. are specifically listed (Norfolk Hawker and Southern Damselfly).

So even if SMH are breeding, I don't think that would automatically mean they are protected: all the more reason to push for strict adherence to the updated BDS policy.

I guess there may be other offences committed if a speciemen is taken on a nature reserve without permisison, but that's another story.
 
Last edited:
RoyW said:
I sent a link to this thread to the relevant person at the Natural History Museum, and asked about this yesterday. If I receive a reply, I will post the response if I can (personally I suspect that the specimen was taken for a private collection). BTW, since there have been a number of comments about the British Museum being interested in artifacts not wildlife, the Natural History Museum was previously known as the British Museum (Natural History), and was originally established as the natural history 'arm' of the British Museum.
Click to expand...

Thanks Roy.
 
Hi,

I have just heard back from the Natural History Museum (Dept of Entomology) and they have no knowledge of a specimen of Aeshna affinis being collected on their behalf. They have offered to investigate this given further information. If anyone has any further info (particularly any witnesses) can they please PM me?

Regards
Tristan Reid
 
Xenospiza said:
I know that at Cliffe a mating wheel was seen, but does anyone know if this was the case at Hadleigh?
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Not only was a mating wheel observed and photographed at Hadleigh, but subsequently a (the same?) female was seen and photograhed ovipositing.

Full details and photos have been sent to the BDS.
 
Binocularface said:
Hi,

I have just heard back from the Natural History Museum (Dept of Entomology) and they have no knowledge of a specimen of Aeshna affinis being collected on their behalf. They have offered to investigate this given further information. If anyone has any further info (particularly any witnesses) can they please PM me?

Regards
Tristan Reid
Click to expand...

I believe there is a photo of the collector in question. Quite distinctive, somebody must know him.
 
jalethbridge said:
I believe there is a photo of the collector in question. Quite distinctive, somebody must know him.
Click to expand...

We have had significant colonisation of a couple of Bedfordshire woods by Purple Emperor in the last couple of years. I was heading in a few weeks ago hoping to get some photos when I passed a very old-looking guy (even to me, and I'm 60) coming the other way carrying what looked like a big wood-framed net. I gave him an 'old-fashioned' or 'quizzical' look, but didn't say anything.

I'd walked a hundred metres further on before I realised I was carrying a digital SLR with a 200mm lens. Doh!

Hopefully these people, like bird eggers, are an ageing and dwindling population which will soon die out, being ecologically replaced by the more competitive photo-collector o:)

BTW, I've no objection to limited collection of specimens for scientific purposes, though hopefully in many cases nowadays this can be done by trapping, taking a sample, and release.

Mind you, moth recorders who need to dissect genitalia for ID purposes do worry me - keeping away from them if they're holding a scalpel seems like a good idea ;)
 
I'd like to add my name to the list of people who are totally sickened by this unnecessary killing. I'm very much with Steph on the suggested treatment of the perpetrator.
 
It seems certain that the individual concerned was acting entirely for his own purposes, and without the prior knowlege of either the Natural History Museum or the BDS (a brief statement from the BDS about this incident has now been posted on their website: http://www.dragonflysoc.org.uk/home.html ).

It can only be hoped that any individual with similar intentions can be dissuaded from carrying out similar actions in the future - and hopefully this incident will not refelect badly on those who have genuine scientific reasons for the occasional collection of other invertebrates (including the Natural History Museum, which holds collections for bonafide research reasons - for example, how many ground breaking papers on bird identification do not include reference to museum specimens?).
 
RoyW said:
It seems certain that the individual concerned was acting entirely for his own purposes, and without the prior knowlege of either the Natural History Museum or the BDS (a brief statement from the BDS about this incident has now been posted on their website: http://www.dragonflysoc.org.uk/home.html ).
Click to expand...

Extract from BDS website
Southern Migrant Hawker collected
Southern Migrant Hawkers, including ovipositing pairs, have been found i Essex and Kent in recent weeks (see ‘Hot News’). There have been only four previous records of this species in Britain. It has come to our notice that one of up to a dozen present at Hadleigh Country Park, Essex, was collected on 3rd August. The BDS had no prior knowledge of the individual’s intent and does not condone this incident, which is contrary to the spirit of its Members’ Code of Practice on collecting dragonflies. The species is not afforded legal protection. The Society is investigating the matter and will take appropriate action as necessary.
 
As a lifelong Odonatist and the BDS County Recorder for Northumberland and Durham I'm rather surprised by the outpouring of grief over a specimen of this species being taken.

It wasn't that long ago that no bird could be added to the British List unless it had been shot here. I don't recall an uproar from the Bird fraternity then.

Another point, many comments in this thread appear to be from photographers, who I have often heard say "We just take pictures not specimens". Really?

I remember well attending a meeting in Co, Durham at a Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary site. The weather was cold wet and miserable. Did that put the photographers off? Not one bit, after two hours thay had trampled all the vegetation on the whole area of the site, as flat as a pancake. How many pupae and adult specimens did they unthinkingly crush to death underfoot trying to get their photograph? Even when I remonstrated with them all I got was unconcerned shrugs of their shoulders.

Consider your own actions before you criticise others. If this person was collecting for a museum, it takes a little time to preserve a Dragonfly so that the colours don't fade, it could be a week or two before any museum becomes a recipient.

There are not many Dragonfly Collections in most Natural History Museums simply because the main collections were formed in the Victorian and Edwardian period when Dragonflies invariably turned black when pinned and set. Today science and good and very expensive equipment have changed that. I see no reason why any museum lacking a Dragonfly Collection shouldn't be able to accumulate specimens to make a representative collection.

A vast amount of what we know about the natural world in due to these early collectors and recorders who had many obstacles in their way compared to the naturalist of today.

There are always two or more ways of looking at any perceived problem.

Harry
 
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