Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Dragonflies & Damselflies Page 1

Ref: 20100713_df1_20100604_1232_010 azure damselflies mating on flag iris frond (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Azure damselflies are mating and laying in all the warm ponds. Here a pair 'in wheel' on an Flag iris frond - the dominant marginal plant in the main pond.

Ref: 20110601_da1_20110501_1434_037+1459_103_ft1 azure damselfly female in flight with hop sedge (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

The first damselflies of the year have made their appearance

Ref: 20100702_da1_20100522_1618_046+1629_062_ft1 azure damselfly imm male in flight with pond frond (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg

The Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) suddenly appeared on Sat 22nd May so out came the insects in flight kit for some pics. This is an Azure Damselfly immature (weak coloured) male.

Ref: 20090623_d01_20090525_1613_175+1631_209 ft1 azure damselfly in flight with willow sapling (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Most blue damselflies here are the Azure species - a beautiful rich blue.

Ref: 20091017_da1_20090901_1314_014_ft1 azure damselfly male in flight (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Ref: 20091017_da1_20090901_1312_006+1327_024_ft1 azure damselfly male in flight with grass seed head (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg

What seems to be a new emergence Azure Damselfly was flying along the bank of the pond and 'came in' for a 10 minute photo shoot.

Ref: 20090706_db1_20090601_1441_140 azure damselfly pair in tandem on lily frond(r+mb id@576).jpg

A common site at almost any decent wildlife pond is pairs of Azure Azure Damselflies mating.
In August 2007 we pictured them in 'Wheel' position as the male transfers his sperm to the female (male to the left arching over the female):-

This year we picture them in 'Tandem'. The male is on the right and they can fly in this position.

Ref: 20070823_d01_20070728_1120_016 azure damselfly pair in wheel position(r+mb id@576).jpg

A pair of Damselflies mating on a lily frond. See image for 17 Aug 2007 for Dragonflies in similar position.

Ref: 20090706_db1_20090607_1546_002 azure damselfly pair laying eggs in duck pond(r+mb id@576).jpg

The final act - the female depositing eggs onto pond weeds.

Ref: 20060720_d60_20060713_1814_822 (with 816+818 insects composited) pair of banded agrion damselflies(r+mb id@576).jpg

We often seen the (blue) male Banded Agrion flitting about but we spotted the iridescent (green) female for the first time and were lucky to see them together. (We could not get them both in focus at the same time - so this is an 'honest composite' of the pair overlaid with separate individual images from the same sequence).

Ref: 20060721_d60_20060713_1819_841 banded agrion damselfy female(r+mb id@576).jpg

The female Banded Agrion perched high in the hedge.

Ref: 20060722_d60_20060713_1812_802 banded agrion damselfy male(r+mb id@576).jpg

The male Banded Agrion perched in the hedge.

Ref: 20100830_da1_20100719_1500_009_ft1 banded demoiselle damselfly female in flight viewed from underneath (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

This Female Banded Demoiselle (females do not have the wing bands) was our guest for a few pics. The first is a 'head and wing' view of the underneath of the insect flying nearly straight upwards. The twist of their wings in flight is very evident as are the green eyes.

Ref: 20100830_da1_20100719_1501_012+1552_107_ft1 banded demoiselle damselfly female in flight with hawthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

And how she might appear in flight if your eyes could capture an image at the approximately 0.03 mS flash duration.

Ref: 20100825_df1_20100714_1747_222 banded demoiselle damselfly female on blackthorn hedge (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

A female Banded Demoiselle damselfly decorating the blackthorn hedge at our North east boundary.

Ref: 20100805_df1_20100703_1152_024 banded demoiselle damselfly female on blackthorn hedge in sunlight (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

A few days later we got our first sight of the year of the ladies, this one photographed at rest in the sunshine, catching the light unusually well.

Ref: 20080809_da1_20080726_1702_055 banded demoiselle damselfly male (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

As promised in the image for 2 June 2008 we have tried to photograph the Male Banded Damoiselle. Well some effort brought the luck - here is the beauty.

Ref: 20100720_df1_20100612_1600_291 banded demoiselle damselfly male alighting on hop sedge (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

This banded Demoiselle male sometimes returned to the same spot providing an opportunity for a photo alighting on a the Hop Sedge.

Ref: 20100720_da1_20100605_1337_028_ft1 banded demoiselle damselfly male in flight (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

From a few days earlier, probably a different male from a different pond taking a flight through our 'flight tunnel' before being returned to where we caught him.

Ref: 20100805_da1_20100630_1417_001+1444_036_ft1 banded demoiselle damselfly male in flight with blackthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

We have been seeing male Banded demoiselles damselflies fluttering around the sunlit hedges for a few days. Here is one brought in for a little photo session.

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