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Birds, Insects & Bats in flight (outdoors) Page 46
Image Taken on 03 Aug 2022
at 16:29 Image of day on 16 Sep 2022
In the warm sunshine a few Migrant Hawker Dragonflies were hawking up and down
the concrete track. Roy can't resist photographing them in flight even if it
does mostly produce hundred of blurred or blank frames.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20220916_d72_20220803_1629_139-141 migrant hawker dragonfly in flight - right to left @8fps (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 01 Aug 2017
at 12:48 Image of day on 16 Sep 2017
The only Hawker or Darter Dragonflies we are seeing at the moment are a couple of
male Migrant Hawker Dragonflies hawking high over the meadow.
To get a decent sized view of the insect this half-a-second montage has closed the gaps
between the frames which at 7 fps should be spaced at about 3 body lengths.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20170916_df3_20170801_1248_144-147 migrant hawker dragonfly in flight 1-4 of 4 (close spaced montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 01 Aug 2017
at 16:24 Image of day on 16 Sep 2017
A male Migrant Hawker Dragonfly was making circles over the meadow giving a
chance to get this sequence (again at 7 fps) on a pre-focussed camera
(auto-focus is too slow).
Read this montage strictly right to left ignoring height. No wonder it is
so hard to follow them - this montage is less than 1 second of flight.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20170916_df3_20170801_1624_041-046 migrant hawker dragonfly in flight 1-6 of 6 (accurate montage @ 7fps right to left)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 09 Aug 2023
at 15:52 Image of day on 29 Sep 2023
The dominant Dragonfly here at the moment (and most years) is the Migrant Hawker.
There are sometimes 5 or more in flight over the meadow.
The style of annal appendage tells us that this is a female - missing from the filename.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20230929_df3_20230809_1552_085-089 migrant hawker dragonfly in flight @7fps (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 14 Sep 2022
at 14:30 Image of day on 23 Oct 2022
This flying Migrant hawker dragonfly montage is accurately spaced at 7 frames per second.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20221023_df3_20220914_1430_105-107 migrant hawker dragonfly in flight @7fps (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 08 Aug 2022
at 12:13 Image of day on 21 Sep 2022
Most years we get a good show of Migrant Hawker Dragonflies at the south end of
the access track, and in the evenings over the meadow. Here is a little sample,
starting with Migrant Hawkers near the gate.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20220921_d72_20220808_1213_034-037 migrant hawker dragonfly in flight @8fps (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 24 Sep 2021
at 12:46 Image of day on 06 Nov 2021
This Migrant Hawker Dragonfly was flying along the avenue of Lombardy
Poplar trees. Here shown at 8 frames per second accurately montaged.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20211106_d72_20210924_1246_148-150 migrant hawker dragonfly in flight along lombardy poplar row @8fps 1-3 of 3 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 16 Aug 2023
at 13:03 Image of day on 08 Oct 2023
At the time we couldn't see that the Dragonfly at the top left was busy
carrying a midge, undoubtedly sucking it dry for the nutritional fluid.
Here are 3 of the pics from the montage in more detail.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20231008_df3_20230816_1303_044-046 migrant hawker dragonfly in flight carrying prey in mouth 3-5 of 6 (accurate montage @7fps)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 10 Aug 2021
at 17:50 Image of day on 19 Sep 2021
Migrant Hawker Dragonflies seem to fly at lower temperatures than other Hawker
species we see here. This female has caught something held in her folded legs,
and is eating it 'on the wing' as they do. The insert is the insect on the right.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20210919_d73_20210810_1750_037-040 migrant hawker dragonfly in flight with prey in legs 1-4 of 4 (accurate montage @10fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 01 Sep 2022
at 12:51 Image of day on 08 Oct 2022
A closer look at a male Migrant Hawker Dragonfly hunting over a concrete
access track that acts as a suntrap.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20221008_d72_20220901_1251_126 migrant hawker dragonfly male in flight 1 of 2 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Jul 2014
at 15:53 Image of day on 02 Oct 2014
A 'lucky' couple of frames (where luck = 100s of frames trying!) of a migrant
male Migrant Hawker flying by above us. The spacing is arbitrary.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20141002_df2_20140726_1553_101+102 migrant hawker dragonfly male in flight 1+2 of 2 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 08 Aug 2022
at 12:17 Image of day on 22 Sep 2022
Continuing the celebration of Migrant Hawker Dragonflies.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20220922_d72_20220808_1217_171-174 migrant hawker dragonfly male in flight 1-4 of 4 (accurate montage @8fps)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 29 Aug 2019
at 12:48 Image of day on 15 Oct 2019
The most numerous Hawker Dragonfly this year is the Migrant Hawker.
Here is a male flying by accurately positioned at about 7 fps.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20191015_df3_20190829_1248_056-058 migrant hawker dragonfly male in flight @7fps 1-3 of 3 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 19 Aug 2018
at 15:03 Image of day on 11 Oct 2018
The predominant Dragonfly here is, as usual, the Migrant Hawker. One evening we
saw at least 4 at once hawking over the meadow. Here is one of the males flying
overhead.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20181011_df3_20180819_1503_035 migrant hawker dragonfly male in flight @7fps 2 of 3 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 15 Sep 2019
at 15:57 Image of day on 09 Nov 2019
A few Migrant Hawker Dragonflies hunt over the meadow during the warmer
parts of the day. Here is one in an accurate montage (so slowing down)
with a larger scale portrait from what would have been on the right.
 + 3 of 7 insert(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20191109_df3_20190915_1557_032-036 migrant hawker dragonfly male in flight @7fps 4-7 of 7 (accurate montage) + 3 of 7 insert(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 30 Aug 2022
at 15:47 Image of day on 08 Oct 2022
We have a good number of Migrant Hawker Dragonflies this year.
This montage just over half a second of flight catches the chaotic manoeuvring
of these insects. Top left downward, then vertically upwards.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20221008_df3_20220830_1547_047-051 migrant hawker dragonfly male in flight at 7fps 1-5 of 5 (approx montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 03 Aug 2022
at 17:49 Image of day on 16 Sep 2022
Out venerable garage provides a clear backdrop for this male Migrant Hawker Dragonfly flying
right to left and in two frame (fifth of a second) has turned completely round to fly the other way.
What manoeuvrability!
Of course the cameraman didn't react quickly enough to the reversal and camera panning left
lost the insect out of frame :-(
Want to try for a still image yourself: Even top-end autofocus is hopeless
unless the background is bland sky, and auto exposure usually goes badly wrong.
So you need a camera with lockable manual focus and ability
to set shutter speed, aperture and ISO rating in manual mode. Even low-end SLRs can do this
although the frame rate will be low..
Typical sunny day settings Shutter 1/1250 Aperture F9 ISO 640 Lens 50 - 100mm focussed about
5 metres away. Shutter button: high-speed continuous.
As you spot a dragonfly flying towards your focus distance, start taking frames until it
has passed your focus distance. If you can't follow the action in the viewfinder just
learn to point the camera 'blind' with lower enough zoom that it keeps the insect 'in-frame'.
Expect a huge failure rate and check that your 'aim' keeps insects mostly in-frame.
If you have any successes please send them along!
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20220916_d72_20220803_1749_356-362 migrant hawker dragonfly male in flight turns back in 200ms (accurate montage @8fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 19 Aug 2009
at 15:10 Image of day on 28 Sep 2009
This view solved a riddle hanging over from last year when we
caught a 'white faced' dragonfly which escaped from the net
before we could identify it.
The sex and stage of life vary the body & facial colour.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20090928_da1_20090819_1510_072 migrant hawker dragonfly male mature in flight (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 19 Aug 2009
at 15:14 Image of day on 28 Sep 2009
2 Days later a male also obliged with some photos in flight.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20090928_da1_20090819_1514_088+1301_039 migrant hawker dragonfly male mature in flight with flag iris fronds (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 03 Jul 2016
at 15:37 Image of day on 19 Aug 2016
Modern Motor Gliders mostly seem to sport pop-up motors behind the pilot,
but this one flew silently overhead with the front propeller idling in the wind and found
the same up-draft that the male Kestrel was using 10 minutes earlier.
A web search finds it was built in 1974 (that's 42 years ago!) of a German
manufactured type ASK16. We find mention of it in UK yearbooks back to 1986.
'Google' the string G-BCTI for images of the wildly out of date instrument panel
and controls burnished by years of use, plus a (has to be modern-ish) GPS box.
This sequence starts bottom middle and goes clockwise.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20160819_df3_20160703_1537_132-140 motor glider g-bcti climbing in thermal selected 04-12 of 13 (impression montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
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