Dragons at Last 17-6-10

What a fab day Thursday was weather wise anyway, eventually caught up with some dragonflies as opposed to damselflies ,in the form of two Four spot chasers & Two Emperors it took ages to get some photosLarge red damselflies in tandem
Four Spot chaser
Four Spot Chaser
First Meadow Brown of the year I think ?
This Emperor flew back and forwards in font of me just teasing me, when it suddenly stopped ,swung around to drop onto a Butterfly which it took into the vegetation to eat, it dropped what was left (wings) and took off, I looked for the bits but with no luck.

I think I have deleted some better shots of this ,while in the field, something I don't normally do but every spare card I had was full because some idiot had not cleared them, will have to try and rescue them .
Emperor at rest with an Azure which tried to land on its wing,just shows how big they are as Azures seem large when thats all you have to look at. Still have not got my Dragonfly Blog online yet, will probably start with some shots of these Dragons.
Nice show of Common Spotted Orchid

A bit more green birding 20-7-09

Monday 20-7-09 thought I would check the falling tide at St Mary's Island but cycle there via the fields to check out a few ponds only one Emperor flying and that was brief, and then a couple of Common Blue, I waited an hour, even when the sun came out and the temperature had risen sharply, nothing , not even Damselflies in the grass, they must be deep in cover or I wonder if stuff has had a real hammering from the wind & rain on Friday ( I was up the Coquet Valley looking at trees ,till it was decided to call it off, camera never even came out the car never mind the bag ) so I headed down to the coast its a very long way around doing it like this , plenty of people pouring onto the rocks as the tide receded, numbers of Golden Plover increasing, 3 sp Knot, about 30 Sandwich, a few Common & a couple of Arctic , Sanderling in the north bay but very flighty, so I just got a couple of shots.

Golden Plover coming in from the Island as the crowds descend

Following comments on http://dustybins.blogspot.com/ about Starlings on seaweed, these guys caught my eye not just a couple but loads where lying on the tarmac I assume absorbing the heat, now have I seen this before and took no notice or not seen it before just cant think ,should take more notes.

taking in the sun !!!!!

Rooting around on the beach, they do actually bring in other birds , a Rook was just a few feet away, but in the light

Update 1-07-09

Having computer problems so behind in my posts, here are a few photos from the past few days , checked Bothal Pond , Longhirst (Greenshank) and Linton the other day a walk along the Coquet and called in at Newbiggin in the hope of a Juvenile Med gull there was five birds on the rocks 2 Adults and 3 2nd years, more Latticed heath and a paler version of Lead Belle, 4 Painted Ladies, and a Speckled Wood at Warkworth, East Chevington only 4 Little Gulls and a few Terns , with Marsh Harrier over.
Banded Demoiselle Female

Male

Lacewing

Large Skipper

Grass Vetchling

Probably an ornamental grass garden escape about 6 feet wide and high

These sort of catkins hang off the grass about 6+ inches long

Monkey Flower

Banded Demoiselle

Looking more blue in this shot

Speckled Wood probably getting minerals from the mud

More Dragonflies 30-06-09

This is 2" long , wing cases on the top & the jaw that shoots out is just below the eyes,with the exit hole just before the wings

Another run around the ponds looking for Dragonflies found 6 Emperors, 3 Four Spot Chasers, and only one Common Darter , 8 Painted ladies,3 Red Admirals, numerous Ringlets and Meadow Browns, I found a few Exuviae, the case left behind when Dragonflies emerge from their larval stage ,one which I think is from an Emperor was too far out, but having stepped in "something " earlier I decided to wade in and get it new trainers or not Ringlet more and more every day

Ruddy Darter

Female Emperor egg laying , I have seen this many times the eggs are not visible in these shots , they look like small yellow flat discs. Here being mobbed they kept grabbing at the wings from behind

Coming in from behind to grab the wing

I found this case, fairly sure its from a flown Emperor

This is another from a Damselfly possibly, difficult to get a size as they are always out of reach

Four Spot Chaser

Another Four Spot Chaser