Black Darters

Can't believe it's September already I'm still sorting through the images I took last month when I had my first Black Darter of the year a common enough species at the right habitat  but they can also be found just about anywhere. The only large dragonfly of note was a male Emperor but it just constantly patrolled the pond edge taking energy from the very warm sunshine . Lots and lots of Common Darters in the teneral stage of having just emerged and taken there first flight their wings always look as though they are made of cellophane, some very nice male Ruddy Darters around also they are a much deeper red with all black legs and a pinched in waist look, try as I could there was no sign of female Black Darter nor could I find any Female Ruddy Darters they would probably be around but I couldn't find any to photograph, 40-50 Common Darter flying in tandem the male clasping on to the female as she dipped into the pool to disperse her eggs and sometimes dipping in the long grass. What more could you ask of a year than sunny days looking for Dragonflies ,trying to just get that bit closer .

 Common Darters as the name suggests probably the most likely Darter you will come across

 Ruddy Darters have that nice deep red colouration

 Black Darter only a couple of males encountered so far

More Bonxie action

Monday decided to go back up and look for the Pectoral Sandpiper reported at Lynemouth  but apparently a Peregrine had put everything up  and nothing returned save a lone Ruff. At Cresswell  started at the North end first 3 Stonechats and 2 Wheatears by the car park, headed up to the hide the Bonxie still present on the spit , two tight flocks of Coot kept close to the reeds and as expected when the Bonxie did eventually take flight there was sheer panic it made several attempts to drop on to birds settling eventually on the water and drifting /swimming around it seemed to try and get nearer to birds . I was trying to follow it via the scope and camera at one stage it lay prone on the water swimming towards its target keeping very low till it lifted and tried to drop onto something . Again it dropped on the water then at one point attacked the Coot right in front of the hide disappearing for a few seconds but still no kill , eventually settling back on the water for a prolonged bathe before settling back on the spit .....panic over.

I decided to check the path up towards Warkworth lane , it was warm and sheltered in parts several Speckled wood and lots of Common Darters on the wing , there are a few small ponds either side of the track but no waders around, chanced on a Hawker which settled briefly , ended up at the lane nothing out the ordinary so headed back a Black Darter crossed the path and watching it till it settled I was able to get a couple of shots till it started to lash down so into the trees till it stopped then headed back to see if the darter was still perched and got some more shots rain drops included.

On to Druridge bay to look for a Whinchat which was located with 2 Stonechats , 17 Bar Tailed and 3 Black tailed on a small pond by the old coal road , Gannets looked as though they where very close inshore on the high tide so I went over again mostly juveniles dropping very close inshore. Last stop Lynemouth flash again  there was some waders around but the looking into the light it was impossible to check them out  3 Yellow Wagtails along the edge ended the day .

 Bonxie swimming prone just before an attack

 You always hope the bird is going to come close , but when they do it always catches you out ,here it has just lifted from behind the reeds

 100 Pinkfeet in the fields near Cresswell

 Black Darter after the rain

 Black Darter very settled but in an awkward location

 numerous Speckled Woods today noted at most locations

 Female Migrant hawker lands briefly

 Gannets feeding close inshore

 Sparrowhawk mobbed by Corvids

 Whinchat

Despite there being 3 Yellow Wagtails could only manage one snap

After several unsuccessful attacks the Bonxie settles for a prolonged bathe before heading back to the spit .
Apparantly this bird dropped into Holywell Pond Tuesdsay where it killed a Coot but strangely did not eat it ,heading off south after awhile.

Black Darter

Black Darter as the name implies are  black in  mature males , females can resemble the other darters but they do have a black triangle on the Thorax, this small pond at Cramlington had a few males but no females when I was there typical darters dashing off after another male or small prey but often returning to the same perch , which these did but they where not allowing any close ups and once you spook them it takes awhile for them to relax again best to walk off and  come back for another look.

 Black Darter male the body shape is like the Ruddy Darter

 Common Darter

 Marsh Woundwort ? the only plant right in thick Gorse, Woundwort leaves have a very strong small when rubbed ,which is foul  !

Plenty of Common Darters sitting out on the Gorse the males where all landing in the grass.

White Faced Darter etc:

Just a few more images from the visit to photograph White Faced Darter at the end of July, I may have used an image more than once but it's been confusing sorting them out  so this is the last 

This is the ideal perch for a White Faced Darter prominent ,giving good visibility  and easily absorbing the suns rays  which seems so essential to their lives . I can only assume these positions are  held by the more mature males.

Despite their name other features of this species is very attractive,the red on the Thorax and sections of the upper Abdomen the dark spots on the wings  and the erratic flight all add to the appeal.

Black darter ,despite all the shots I don't seem to have captured a female/Imm male  of the White Faced Darter  they could have been dispersed in the Heather .

A pair of WFD coupled in the tall grass was as near as I could get

I was keen to get a close up of the face , it seems to add some personality to them, but they nearly always either faced away or to the side

This is probably the best I got of the facial expression , there was no chance of getting close with my compact camera.

This is the same perch as the first photo which was very popular , if I could do it again I would set the tripod and camera at this and just wait , but it would be hard with so much else going on.

These are Emerald Damselflies  unable to get them both in focus I had to focus from the Male to the Female, an attractive species seen at many ponds .

These Water Boatman  where constantly on the move swimming (or rowing) upside down ,investigating anything that touched the surface tension of the water , a Common Blue Damselfly made this mistake and was grabbed from below , I put the camera up to get a shot but it just flipped over and dived down ,fascinating to watch.
This Water Boatman turns over to dive

Again the coupled WFD from the previous photos having moved ,still face on but just to far away to get them both in focus.

Black  Darters coupled 

Four Spot Chaser

And another Four Spot Chaser

White Faced Darter & other Dragonflies

The end of  July visit to look for White Faced Darter in the good company of   blogger John from "Sedgedunum Warbler "  . The walk to the site was warm and I was full of expectation a pair of Guinea Fowl  on the track was an odd sight. A Hawker patrolled a sunny area but would not settle , Black Darters  sitting on Heather gave the first photographs , and it took only minutes to find the first W-F -D, not in the best position for photos but I took a few just in case , better opportunities came later , actually I took so many I could not download the card  till  I made room on the hard-drive . The sun went behind the clouds at times and most species went with it ,but as soon as the sun returned so did the Dragonflies ,  great day out  with a new species of Dragonfly to add to my photos. We  where both exhausted  on arrival back at the car the good weather had been kind to us but also took its toll !!!

Here are a few images from the day more to follow after processing .

 Numerous webs of these Spiders dotted through the Heather

 Black darter female

 No Idea what this is just caught my eye on the Moss

 Black Darter female

 Black Darter male

 Good numbers of Emerald Damselfly around ,they are so thin and wispy its hard to get a focus on them.

 Common Blue Damselfly using a feather to rest on (anyone tell what its from )

 White -Faced Darter

 Black darters coupled with the female ovipositing  along the pool edges

 A few Four Spot Chaser which actually chased off the Common Hawkers

 White -Faced Darter on cotton grass coming to the end of their flight period this one showing some wing damage

 Common Hawker constantly on the wing but came so close at times  as it searched for females. The Yellow Costa can be seen on the above .