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Dragonflies & Damselflies Page 3

Image Taken on 26 Jun 2011 at 12:33    Image of day on 13 Aug 2011

A Brown Hawker male viewed from underneath the insect.


Ref: 20110813_da1_20110626_1233_013+1310_156_ft1 brown hawker dragonfly male in flight bottom view with hawthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 26 Jun 2011 at 12:39    Image of day on 13 Aug 2011

This detail from another image seemed to us to show how the pattern of veins in the wings forms sheets of corrugations when the wing is under stress as here when the insect turned back in flight.


Ref: 20110813_da1_20110626_1239_051_ft1 brown hawker dragonfly male in flight showing corrugations on aerodynamically twisted wing (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 25 Jul 2009 at 11:28    Image of day on 30 Aug 2009

A male Brown Hawker Dragonfly male in Flight shown over a twig of hawthorn from the hedge it frequently flies over. This wonderful beast weighed in at only 0.9 g (about 1/30th Ounce).


Ref: 20090830_da1_20090725_1128_082+20090726_1243_004 ft1 brown hawker dragonfly male in flight with hawthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 26 Jun 2011 at 12:47    Image of day on 13 Aug 2011

The first couple of warm days at last brought out the Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselfies) and this male Brown Hawker Dragonfly obliged with some in-flight images.
Just taking off from the twig (not a montage).


Ref: 20110813_da1_20110626_1247_088_ft1 brown hawker dragonfly male taking off from hawthorn twig 2 of 3 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 24 May 2007 at 16:36    Image of day on 10 Jun 2007

There are a number of damselfly species (smallest members of the Dragonfly family) around. Expert opinion suggests this is an Azure Damselfly Female of the green persuasion, rather than our identification in the filename with (Q) to indicate '?' - unsure.


Ref: 20070610_d10_20070524_1636_019 common blue damselfly female brown form (q) (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 27 Jun 2011 at 10:40    Image of day on 08 Aug 2011

In the corner of our plot often plagued by midges we saw this immature Common Blue damselfly (not a regular species here) which has caught a midge and is chewing it.


Ref: 20110808_db1_20110627_1040_047 common blue damselfly female imm eating midge (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 27 Jun 2011 at 10:40    Image of day on 08 Aug 2011

Another frame provides more detail at the 'business end'


Ref: 20110808_db1_20110627_1040_059 common blue damselfly female imm eating midge (head detail crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 21 Aug 2011 at 14:34    Image of day on 10 Oct 2011

An angled stick at the main pond attracted this mating pair of Common Darters. The male at the top clasps the female by the 'neck' - only the claspers of the same species will fit! They can fly about in tandem like this, and lay by the pair dipping the females tail into the water. Different dragonfly species lay in range of ways and places.


Ref: 20111010_df1_20110821_1434_086 pair of common darter dragonflies coupled on twig at dragon pond (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 28 Jul 2008 at 12:09    Image of day on 10 Aug 2008

We brought you a Male Common Darter Dragonfly last year on 21 Sep 2007 - here it is:-


To complete the cycle here are a pair coupled together (male above) coordinating their flight to repeatedly dip the females ovipositor (her tail tip) in the water to deposit eggs. In the original you can see that the water surface tension is still connecting her to the surface.


Ref: 20080810_dc1_20080728_1209_167 pair of common darter dragonflies laying in dragon pond(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 31 Jul 2011 at 12:44    Image of day on 16 Sep 2011

A common Darter Dragonfly using an angled perch hanging over the edge of a pond.


Ref: 20110916_df1_20110731_1244_230 common darter dragonfly (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 31 Jul 2011 at 12:45    Image of day on 16 Sep 2011

Such perches often encourage dragonflies to perch, fly off for a few seconds, and then return to exactly the same place. This makes it possible to catch the approach and landing. These images are irregularly timed (frames 1, 2 & 5 from a set of 6) that give the right impression.


Ref: 20110916_df1_20110731_1245_302+303+306 common darter dragonfly coming in to land on tip of stick 1+2+5 of 6 (irregularly timed montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 16 Aug 2008 at 13:06    Image of day on 31 Aug 2008

We brought you another Female Common Darter Dragonfly 11 days ago, but this new set shows the female in a more normal pose.


Ref: 20080831_da1_20080816_1306_023 common darter dragonfly female(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 16 Aug 2008 at 13:08    Image of day on 31 Aug 2008

This is a head-on view of the 'face'.


Ref: 20080831_da1_20080816_1308_050 common darter dragonfly female head detail (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 01 Sep 2011 at 12:24    Image of day on 18 Oct 2011

A bit of sunshine brings out a few dragonflies. This one is perched on the pond island on fallen sedge - the colours of the insect match that of the foliage rendering them very hard to see until they move or you see them land.


Ref: 20111018_df1_20110901_1224_082 common darter dragonfly female on fallen hop sedge (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 02 Sep 2010 at 15:10    Image of day on 27 Oct 2010

This is a common Darter dragonfly seen next day perched on a leaf while it warms up.


Ref: 20101027_df1_20100902_1510_393 common darter dragonfly female on leaf (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 26 Jul 2008 at 11:01    Image of day on 10 Aug 2008

This is the female Common Darter Dragonfly perched on a stick at the pond edge - a favourite way of getting to see them close up.


Ref: 20080810_dc1_20080726_1101_004 common darter dragonfly female perched on stick (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 25 Jul 2009 at 14:39    Image of day on 03 Sep 2009

We netted a couple of male darter dragonflies. We were surprised to find the second about 50% heavier than the first.


Ref: 20090903_da1_20090725_1439_590+20090726_1243_003 ft1 common darter dragonfly male (130mg) in flight with hawthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 25 Jul 2009 at 14:56    Image of day on 03 Sep 2009

The apparent expression on the 'face' and the leg waving as it flew by really cracks us up. We know its not real but still love it.


Ref: 20090903_da1_20090725_1456_671+20090726_1229_005 ft1 common darter dragonfly male (220mg) in flight with hawthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 27 Jul 2007 at 18:06    Image of day on 24 Aug 2007

The intricacy of the dragonfly head is amazing. Reflections from the multi-segment eye produces the gleaming patch.


Ref: 20070824_d01_20070727_1806_020 common darter dragonfly male head detail (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 17 Sep 2010 at 12:34    Image of day on 08 Nov 2010

This image of a male of the same species is taken as a single exposure using a strobe light - a very fast flash with the shutter held open. 80Hz means 80 flashes a second, so the image below last for about 1/10th second. These have to be photographed against an extremely black background (typically 20 flashes hit it) and are not photo montages but made 'in the camera' with the images appearing to be transparent.


Ref: 20101108_da1_20100917_1234_018_ft1 common darter dragonfly male in flight strobe @ 80hz (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


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