Black Darter.

Flying relatively late in the season I always look forward to finding our smallest resident Sympetrum, the Black Darter (Sympetrum danae) also known as the Black Meadowhawk to my North American friends.

During a very recent stroll along the boardwalk at Thursley Common I initially saw several males erratically flying and then disappearing into the vegetation. Eventually I spotted this immature female hiding amoungst the grasses but she was being buffeted by the stiff breeze so capturing a well focused image was a challenge.

The territorial males briefly use the same perch in-between their forays so with a bit of patience I eventually grabbed a few images.

The blackest species of this genus and the only one in which mature males do not become reddish but display an extreme colour change from their distinctive contrasting yellow-with-black to wholly black. 

These last three shots were taken last August and serve to illustrate this colour change.

Migrant Hawker.

Black Darter.

A week after my first encounter with Black Darters on Thursley Common I returned to stake out a likely location next to the boardwalk.

It didn't take long before I was rewarded with a fairly close encounter as a male (see below) joined me for a brief rest on the boardwalk.

Several other males were also using the boards to rest and soak up the sunshine.

As the temperature rose a little there was plenty of activity over the oily acidic water but I found it impossible to capture either a singleton or a conjoined pair in flight. Locating a female (see below) took a little time as they tend to hide out of sight amongst the vegetation until disturbed by a territorial male.

As the males age the abdomen darkens and the yellow markings all but disappear.

The Emperor.

The Emperor (Anax imperator) our largest dragonfly. I located this male just hanging around during a recent wander at Thursley Common.

More Damsels and a Skimmer.

White-legged Damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes).  

This immature female (form lactae) was one of two individuals recorded on my woodland butterfly transect over the weekend. This individual was fairly close to Flag Pond hiding in the grasses but the other was over 300 metres away perched on a bramble leaf. Apparently it is not unusual to find an immature up to 5 km away from water!

The next two images can only be classed as record shots.

Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans). 

The females occur in five different colour forms. This individual with violet sides to the thorax would appear to be an immature female (form violacea) which will mature to have either male-type but pale-blue colouration (form typica) or olive green thorax plus a brown S8 (form infuscans).

A male Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas).

Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum). 

This was the most prominent dragonfly on the wing during my wander around the ponds in Bushy Park with the males (image above) taking a very brief rest in-between patrolling their territories, chasing away other males, whilst looking for a female to mate with.
I eventually located the distinctively coloured teneral / immature, possibly female (image below) hiding deep within the grasses some way away from the water.

Linking to:
Nature Notes.

Demoiselle, Damsel and a Dragon.

A wander around Horton Country Park yesterday produced my first opportunity this season to grab images of three Odonata species.

First up was a single male Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) lurking quite deep amongst the grasses in one of the meadows.

 

The next species was a pair of Azure Damselflies (Coenagrion puella) mating deep down in the waterside vegetation at the pond.

The other species also located at the pond was a male Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa). I spent some while with this obliging dragonfly so there will be more images posted on my main blog very soon.  FAB.

Linking to:
Saturday's Critters
Through My Lens
image-in-ing

Orthetrum coerulescens.

ISO 400: f/10: 1/200 @ 200mm

Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens). Images of both a male (above) and female (below) taken during a visit to Thursley Common last month. [Both shot handheld with 70-300mm lens plus 1.4x converter and cropped.]

ISO 200: f/10: 1/320 @ 280mm

You can view more images of this species on my main blog, Wildlife Watching with FAB.

Linking to:
Macro Monday 2
Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) @ image-in-ing

Hanging on tightly.

Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) hanging on in windy conditions. Captured during a recent visit to Thursley Common. [ISO 800; f/10; 1/400 @ 420mm].

Linking to: 

Monday Macro 2

Wordless (on Tuesday) at image-in-ing

Black Darter.

A male Black Darter (Sympetrum danae) photographed at Thursley Common earlier this week using the 70-300 lens plus 1.4x converter. [ISO 800: f8: 1/250 @ 420mm]. There will be more images of this and other Odonata from this visit on my main blog very soon. FAB.

Chasers.

A couple of shots of a Four Spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) taking a well earned rest above the acidic bog on Thursley Common.

During a recent butterfly transect walk I spotted (below) this Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa) perched above the 'clay-coloured' waters of Flag Pond on Ashtead Common.

Linking to:
Saturday's Critters

Macro Monday 2
 

Beating Wings.

A Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) in hover mode. There will be more images of this species on my main blog very soon.  FAB.

The Obelisk Position.

A male Black Darter (Sympetrum danae) regulating its temperature by pointing its abdomen towards the sun in 'the obelisk position'. I will feature my session with this delightful little dragon on my main blog in the near future.  FAB.

Shot 'handheld' with 450D plus 70-300mm lens. [ISO 200; 1/320; f7.1 @ 200mm]

Linking to Camera Critters and Saturday's Critters.

Black and Yellow Dragonfly.

A chance encounter during a stroll through a area of damp woodland adjoining a Surrey heathland habitat was one of our largest dragonflies, the Golden-ringed (Cordulegaster boltinii). After making several territorial passes just inches above the water in a clear, deep sided stream overhanging with vegetation this male, with its club shaped abdomen,  perched at the same level as my feet for my first photo opportunity with this species.  FAB.

Sympetrum danae.

This is a female Black Darter (Sympetrum danae). Image taken at Thursley Common and you can see more images on my main blog.  FAB.

Chasers.

Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa)

Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata)

Linking to Camera Critters.

Banded Demoiselle.

Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens)

Some more pics of this dainty and delightful species can be viewed on my main blog.   FAB.

Resting Chaser.

After the long journey home from a very wet and windy Cumbria I am resting just like this female Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa) that conveniently placed herself in front of the lens during a short walk around a local woodland glade today without the need for any waterproof clothing!   FAB.

[ 1/200; f/10; ISO 400 @ 300mm and cropped]

Banded Demoiselle.

Another sign of Spring is the emergence of the Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens). The metallic sheen of the blue-green body and the formation of its distinctive blue-black wing band glistened as  this male soaked up the filtered sunshine. Taken during a visit to Stodmarsh, Kent today.  FAB.

Common Darter.

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) sunning itself on a wooden bridge.   FAB.
Shot using 70 - 300 lens @ 300mm; f10: 1/250.

Common Darter.

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) taken with 70-300mm lens, F/10; 1/400 and cropped. FAB