Southern Hawker

Southern Hawker, Aeshna cynaea.  Male.  Jubilee Country Park, 31 August 2012.

We saw this on a recent trip to Jubilee Country Park.  It's a good time of year for dragonflies.  They are mature, and are busy mating and laying eggs.  This one was flying around the park not far from one of the ponds, and when it landed on some foliage I was able to get up close.

The males of this species tend to have a regular territory that they patrol, so if you see one fly off, it's worth waiting around for it to come back. 

Those greens and blues look almost fluorescent, like a high-visibility jacket, so this one should be easy to spot.