This dragonfly although common, has proved elusive for me. Firstly, there are not so many Brown Hawkers at Croome as some of the other dragonflies - just a hand full, compared to many dozens of other species. Secondly, you very rarely see them land - they are constantly flying around, usually in a circuit, patrolling a small area. Even though they are only usually seen in flight, they are readily identified by their brown colour, and more distinctively, their amber coloured wings.

Below, a female Brown Hawker is laying her eggs in the pond at the south end of Croome River.

Male and female have similar markings - the one below is probably a male, as it has blue markings on its side and it was aggressively defending its patch from other dragonflies. The southern end of the river is a good place to spot these, although I have seen them by the Island Pavilion, and even near the Rotunda.

Below - I finally found one perched and posing for a photo. As usual though, they like a cluttered and rather messy background, making them very difficult to spot! This is a female, the colours being predominantly yellow.