Brown Hawker - boring name but not boring creature

Today I was going to stay at home and do houseworky type things but I woke early and decided to go out to RSPB Strumpshaw Fen. Haven't been for a while. The weather wasn't exactly best nature watching weather being more akin to a gloomy sauna but it didn't seem to affect the wildlife.

Here are a set of photos taken today. The river views are typical Broadland - the black sailed vessel is a Wherry called 'Albion'.

However, this great creature wasn't taken at Strumpshaw but in the garden of my friend Janet. What an amazing thing it is. This is a male apparently because of the blue spots.

Edit: It measured about 15cm across (6")