The Hawker Dragonfly rarely settles and can be difficult to approach but this female Hawker Dragonfly posed for us on 22^nd September 2015 in Cloonmore Kilteevan.

Information

The Common Hawker, (Aeshna Juncea) is one of the larger species of hawker dragonflies.

It is native to Palearctic (from Ireland to Japan) and northern North America. The flight period is from June to early October.

Length: 74mm (2.9 in) long with a brown body

Hawkers are the largest and fastest flying dragonflies; they catch their insect-prey mid-air and can hover or fly backwards.

The male has a black abdomen with paired blue and yellow spots on each abdominal segment, and narrow stripes along the dorsal surface of the thorax.

In the female, the abdomen is brown with yellow or sometimes green or blue spots.

The wings of both sexes display a yellow costa (the major vein running along the leading edge of the wings.

 Habitat

In moorland habitats with acidic pools, bogs. Sometimes seen hunting woodland at dusk.Males and females often fly high into the tree canopies to hunt.

Status & Distribution

Common.  Ireland, Western England, Wales, Scotland .

Thank you to David Fallon Roscommon for helping us with identification. 

 Congratulation to

Carmel Leihan  Lanesboro who won €360 on September 5th .

Mattie Murphy Kilteevan  who won €362 on September 19th.

Shane Geraghty Ballymurray  who won €382 on September 12th . 

Ben Feely Roscommon who won €360 on September 26th.

On 11 September 2015, Bishop of Elphin, Kevin Doran met staff and pupils of Kilteevan National School. The visit was enjoyed by all involved.

                                                                                                                                      Photo Lena Coyle

Here are some images of the wonderful events that took place in Kilteevan during Heritage Week this year.

We received a magnificent replica of the Doogarymore Wheel crafted by Malachy Mooney followed by information  on the Bronze Age context of the wheel by Jim Ganley finishing up with a great oiche ceoil agus damhsa.

The talk by Albert Siggins on Wayside Crosses in Co Roscommon informed us of the most up to date information on Tonlegee Wayside Cross. The cross which is currently being restored by Kilteevan Cmmunity Development Group with the  much apprecited suppport of The Heritage Council. 

Our recently launched DVD Memories of the Pioneeer Hall was presented to Roscommon Co Library Oral History Project  

With the support of the ICOS Golden Jubilee Trust Fund, we extended Kilteevan Heritage Trail with the unveiling of The Clooncraff Milkstand intrepretative Panel. Visitors to Clooncraff enjoyed local hospitality at the milkstand before returning to the Community Centre for an interesting talk by Seamus O Donohoe on our Dairy Co-operative Heritage. Clooncraff is our 8th information Panel placed in the community by kilteevan Community Development Group.

Thanks to Roisín and Lena Coyle for the images.