Helm Crag ridge and Far Easedale, Grasmere, Cumbria

It was a beautiful day for a walk in the Lake District. We climbed Helm Crag from Grasmere, then followed the ridge over Gibson Knott and past Calf Crag, before descending into Far Easedale and back to Grasmere.
In the hot sunshine there were quite a few dragonflies flying, with a single probable Golden-ringed Dragonfly, several Common Hawkers and a couple of Four-spotted Chasers on moorland pools on the ridge walk at a height of about 400m.
Star of the day though was this wonderful Keeled Skimmer in Far Easedale. This was the first time I have ever seen this species, and it's worth comparing the photograph below with the Black-tailed Skimmer photgraphed at Martin Mere yesterday. Keeled Skimmer is quite a scarce dragonfly nationally and this was my second new dragonfly of the year following Club-tail on the Dee in June. Golden-ringed would also be a new species for me if I can just convince myself 100% that it was indeed this species!
Best bird of the day was a wonderful Peregrine on Gibson Knott.


Keeled Skimmer