Banded Demoiselle & More Dragonflies

Some more Dragonfly photos from a trip out to look for Banded Demoiselle a nice sunny day again we are getting spoilt this year but it will perhaps help species to make up for last year and even give the chance for some to expand North such as Broad Bodied Chaser, and recently Four Spot Chaser also Speckled Wood which are now very common. I enjoy looking for Dragonflies  a very pleasant way to spend these sunny days  next to seawatching that is . Which is where I'm off now  must be a Sooty and a Minkie out there tonight 

 Banded Demoiselle  male on territory 

 Banded Demoiselle another with those black beady eyes

 Signal Crayfish one unwelcome expansion species

 Banded Demoiselle 

 Banded Demoiselle tried to get some flight shots video would have been much better

 This is a Damselfly larvae

and this is one that has emerged

Common Blue Damselfly on a goose feather not hard to guess from what species

 Numerous Leaches seen not sure what they feed on this about the width of your hand

 Male Emperor showed well in flight but always landed  facing me

 Four Spot  Chaser several seen

Starting to show some wear from battling with other Males

Female Emperor egg laying there was also another just out of shot as I could not them both in first time I've had two together 

 Another Leach this one even larger , I wonder if you still use a Cigarette to get them off  I had better carry a couple of Woodbines !!!!

A Day of Emperors

Last week on Thursday it was sunny for a change so it was off to look for Dragonflies , it took me about twenty minutes to find the first Emperor of the year , but the problem with these on a sunny day is they just fly and fly it patrolled in front of me but try as I could ,it was impossible to get a fix on it, occasionally it flew up and caught an insect but they are so fast I couldn't see what happened to it . A cloud covered the Sun and it settled on the rush stem but a bit to far away . Wandered looking for other photo  subjects a Spider with a Large Red Damselfly caught my eye , having taken this I turned and there just a couple of yards away a coupled pair of Emperors what luck and they where accessible so I rattled a few shots off , this is when a tripod would be handy as the camera and lens was getting heavy , but how do you set up a tripod without chasing away your subject .

 Later I caught up with it again as it chased another Male , brilliant afternoon just getting absorbed in the action. 

Emperor Anax imperator

 They always land facing the direction of the Sun so when it returns they are warmed up immediately

  A difficult shot trying to get it in flight ,but now it's against the light

 This Spider must have  finished with this Large Red Damselfly because it isolated it then cut the thread letting it fall to the water. Turning from this to see this ........

 Doesn't look the most comfortable mating pose and look how hairy the body is  

 As they where already landed I don't know how long they where coupled , but the Female finally struggled and freed herself and they both flew off would have been a wonderful moment for video !

 I tried to get some close-ups of the Males head but vegetation  across the view blurred the shots slightly , you can't always see this in the viewfinder

 Another Spider catches a Large Red and comes down to secure it

 The Male settled a few more times , this below could have been a nice shot but again leaves obscure it slightly

Another flight shot I have taken better but today was just glad of the chance to catch up with some Dragonflies

Kibblesworth

Another visit to Kibblesworth Pools a few days ago with more Common Darters around now very pale ones some in tandem, a pair of Emperors also coupled resting in the long grass till they went over to the trees and disappeared, still Four Spot Chaser , but Butterfly wise I did not see any Purple Hairstreak  

 Four-spot Chaser

 Emperors couple in tandem

 The same pair from the side

 and another closer showing how the male grasps onto the female

 I always like to at least try and get a flight shot

 This -Four Spot Chaser  settled near the ground as the sun went in

it sat there for some time allowing me to get closer , tried to get a shot from the front but it was off

Kibblesworth

A visit to Kibblesworth Pools for Dragonflies found 2-3 Emperor Dragonflies, a Black-tailed Skimmer, and Common Hawker reported but I did not see it and some teneral Common Darter many of which lifted from the pool and headed over to the trees for cover ,numerous Grayling around the weather again changeable . Looking at my notes for last year Dragonflies where more abundant and out much earlier than this year , so what is the governing  factor the very good April and part of May seems to have had no affect on early emergence here in the North, yet in the South many species had emerged  earlier.  

Common Darter with cellophane wings 

 When in flight with legs help up  the stiff hairs  form a sort of basket which helps to catch small insects

 Just what can they see with those huge compound eyes.

 Grayling absorb heat by facing side on to the sun sometimes tilting over to get the most  from the sun

July drags on ..............................

14th spent some time at cresswell pond just in the hide 60-70 Dunlin, 2 Little Ringed Plover this with the yellow ring and No 5 on which has been mentioned by others not sure if there is any info on it yet , Whimbrel over and settled on the spit, also a Common Sandpiper .15th 2 Emperor 1 Male and this Female laying only shots I could get as they both disappeared.
17th Little Egret heading for the west end at Hollywell, 2 Dragonflies in front of the hide at first I thought both Four Spot Chasers but this female ovipositing by dipping in the water I think is a Black Tailed Skimmer. Adult Med Gull at the east end , preening on the shore .

This just fledging Herring Gull was in the street when I got home 2 pairs nesting nearby

Dragons & Gulls......13-7-10

Started the day off with a shot of this juvenile Wood Pigeon one of two hanging around the garden so they have bred nearby.

A rather bright but changeable day but I thought it worth going out for Dragonflies , East Cramlington had Four Spot Chaser and Emperor this landed only very briefly before eventually flying off high and into the trees , also a couple of Common darter, with Willow Warblers feeding young.

Big Waters , Comma Butterfly, 2 Four Spot Chasers 1 Emperor , 6 Common Tern a pair of Great Crested Grebes , the second brood has been washed out , spent an hour or so at the hide , 2 Juvenile Great Spotted , but no Common Sandpipers along the shore.

Banks pond 2 Four Spot Chasers, Emerald Damselflies single Emperor and brief views of 2 Ruddy Darter.

St Marys called here on the way back , tide was high a good number of gulls feeding at the start of the prom, and among them an Adult little Gull ,had a short seawatch which produced about 60 Manx ,went through the ggulls again and the Little Gull had been joined by an Adult med gull, took me ages to get the two birds together ,( which is a first for me ) pity the light was not better its always dull in this corner as the sun sets.




Emperor as it settled very briefly .
Comma on Bramble also 3 Tortoiseshell
Great Crested Grebe feeding just on the weed edge in the east corner
Juvenile Lapwing just below the hide

One of 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers at the feeders this one land on the tree for a second or two ,as mostly they are the nuts
Emerald a very smart Damselfly
Four Spot Chaser as it settled
Adult Med Gull St mary's
Med , Little & Black Headed Gulls all stained with green algae
Two nice Gulls and together.