The Hawker in Danger of Extinction

It has taken Edward Hawker to discover our true nature and the danger of our position. We are dragonflies and are on the brink of extinction.

Personally, I had always regarded myself as a butterfly, never concentrating long enough to on any one subject to be an expert, and being an object of bewilderment to those around (“I wonder what he is up to this time? – another marathon, I suppose”) and then moving on to the next subject.

I am not sure about the distinctive elements in our genes. Hawker are adequately equipped for survival, can be randomly annoying and are fast enough to run away from danger. In the insect world, I could cope with being a spider. Additional possibilities here of causing some mischief, by scaring spinsters in their baths, before being swatted by the News of the World.

I would not want to be an ant. It’s a dog’s life being an ant (hmm), having to do as you are told, and carrying out a single prearranged task during your life. This would be too boring, unless you happen to be the one responsible for being the parent of 20 million offspring.

But I had never considered that I might be a dragonfly. Darting to and fro, albeit for only a brief time, and creating a colourful distraction to children playing by ponds. But no sooner have I discovered that I am a dragonfly, I find out that out the East Anglian branch is in danger of extinction. Global warming, the financial crisis and the internet must be to blame.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2010/mar/11/conservation-wildlife?picture=360209661

To paraphrase Edward, “Oh no, the Norfolk Hawker is in danger from rising sea levels and loss of Wetland – Louise, what are you going to do if this reaches Norwich? Let’s hope this problem doesn’t reach that far.”

(Do dragonflies have to go through CRB checks, before being allowed to fly near children?)