Return to moorhen home page

Return to section index

Image-of-the-Day by Subject

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 20 May 2024 at 15:56    Image of day on 16 Jun 2024

This female Common Blue Damselfly momentarily touches down on this dead blackberry stem, but immediately takes off again. Read this montage bottom upwards.


Ref: 20240616_df3_20240520_1556_062-064 common blue damselfly female lands momentarily on blackberry stem 1-3 of 3 (approx montage @7fps)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 17 Jun 2017 at 08:35    Image of day on 12 Aug 2017

The female Common Blue damselfly comes in both a single 'Blue' form and in two 'Drab' forms that gradually change with maturity. This is the drab form of the mature female Common Blue damselfly.


Ref: 20170812_df3_20170617_0835_078 common blue damselfly female mature drab form on hop sedge leaf(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 08 Aug 2019 at 10:55    Image of day on 29 Sep 2019

This Common Blue Damselfly is sucking the juices from some sort of Midge that she has just caught. In the insert you can see the legs of the prey below the damselfly's eyes.


Ref: 20190929_df3_20190808_1055_009 common blue damselfly female perched to eat prey insect (crop + detail insert)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 09 Jun 2025 at 09:49    Image of day on 27 Jul 2025

This male Common Blue Damselfly basks in the morning sun. These Damselflies are the typical size for Damselflies at about 30mm long.


Ref: 20250727_r70_20250609_0949_004 common blue damselfly male(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 01 Jul 2022 at 15:50    Image of day on 20 Aug 2022

A male Common Blue Damselfly delicately perches on a dead grass stem. In recent years Azure Damselflies dominated the Damselfly population, but this year it is about 50-50 Common and Azure.


Ref: 20220820_df3_20220701_1550_053 common blue damselfly male(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 31 Jul 2017 at 10:58    Image of day on 15 Sep 2017

On warm parts of days we get to see several Common Blue Damselflies in among the taller plants in the meadow. This is a mature male.


Ref: 20170915_df3_20170731_1058_009 common blue damselfly male(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 24 May 2020 at 10:03    Image of day on 23 Jun 2020

A male common blue Damselfly warming himself in the sunshine.


Ref: 20200623_df3_20200524_1003_022 common blue damselfly male (1st of 2020)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 05 Jul 2019 at 14:11    Image of day on 25 Aug 2019

A male Common Blue Damselfly sunning himself on a grass stem. The 'Blue' is that of a mature male. Really almost Cyan.


Ref: 20190825_df3_20190705_1411_034 common blue damselfly male horizontal perched on sloping grass stem(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 06 Jul 2013 at 15:05    Image of day on 23 Aug 2013

This 3 cm long male Common Blue Damselfly is photographed soon after emergence from a nearby pond. It will change colour as it matures.


Ref: 20130823_df1_20130706_1505_129 common blue damselfly male imm (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 07 Jul 2022 at 18:14    Image of day on 20 Aug 2022

Damselflies go through several appearances after emergence from 'teneral' (newly emerged) to 'over-mature', each species following it's pattern and timescale. This one is a male Common Blue Damselfly but yet to develop the blue colour along the middle abdominal segments.


Ref: 20220820_d72_20220707_1814_066 common blue damselfly male immature not yet developed blue colouring(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 23 Jul 2019 at 16:08    Image of day on 11 Sep 2019

This immature male Common Blue Damselfly has chosen to perch on the shaded side of a blackberry cluster. A heat-wave has produced an air temperature of about 36c and the insect does not need to warm itself in the blazing sun.


Ref: 20190911_d72_20190723_1608_009 common blue damselfly male immature perched on blackberry fruit staying in shade(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 23 Jul 2019 at 16:09    Image of day on 11 Sep 2019

This immature male Common Blue Damselfly has chosen to perch on the shaded side of a blackberry stem. A heat-wave has produced an air temperature of about 36c and the insect does not need to warm itself in the blazing sun.


Ref: 20190911_d72_20190723_1609_015 common blue damselfly male immature perched on blackberry stem staying in shade(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 28 Jun 2012 at 17:35    Image of day on 07 Aug 2012

Dragonfly species change dramatically during their lives - you really need a whole book on the subject to work out what is what. Despite the colour this is a young male Common Blue damselfly. You don't need a book to enjoy them though!


Ref: 20120807_df1_20120628_1735_051 common blue damselfly male juvenile (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 03 Jun 2018 at 12:52    Image of day on 17 Jul 2018

A male Common Blue Damselfly warming in the sun will soon be off looking for a girl! Unlike the females, the males have just this one form.


Ref: 20180717_df3_20180603_1252_003 common blue damselfly male mature(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 17 Jun 2017 at 08:33    Image of day on 12 Aug 2017

The Common Blue Damselflies have arrived. This is a male.


Ref: 20170812_df3_20170617_0833_073 common blue damselfly male mature on thistle leaf(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 28 Jun 2020 at 16:27    Image of day on 03 Aug 2020

A male Common Blue Damselfly starting to change from a drab slightly blue colour of the juvenile into the vivid blue of the mature adult.


Ref: 20200803_d73_20200628_1627_122 common blue damselfly male maturing(r+mb id@768).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 04 Aug 2020 at 09:50    Image of day on 10 Sep 2020

A middle sized Dragonfly, the Common Darter


Ref: 20200910_df3_20200804_0950_066 common darter dragonfly(r+mb id@768).jpg

Comments and requests for image use

To make a comment, ask for information or to request a full resolution image, send us an email including the reference or the date for the image you are interested in.

All initial contacts should be made using the icon below:-