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Dragonflies & Damselflies Page 19
Image Taken on 16 May 2015
at 09:01 Image of day on 12 Jul 2015
The Hairy Dragonfly moved around in the hedge, and provide this more
conventional view of the top of the insect. The body length is about 7cm.
Dragonflies are big impressive insects but completely harmless to humans.
Ref: 20150712_df3_20150516_0901_260 hairy dragonfly female - 1st odonata of 2015 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 18 May 2009
at 14:07 Image of day on 07 Jun 2009
This is a Hairy Dragonfly' - one of the earliest dragonflies of
the season. This was brought to us for some technical
photographs, after which we took this portrait. You can see the
hairiness along the top and bottom of the body in the first image
Ref: 20090607_dc1_20090518_1407_160 ft1 hairy dragonfly female hanging in blackthorn (side view) (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 18 May 2009
at 15:06 Image of day on 07 Jun 2009
It was reluctant to fly indoors but we did manage this single
image of it in flight.
Ref: 20090607_dc1_20090518_1506_047+1527_001 ft1 hairy dragonfly female in flight with hawthorn (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 16 May 2015
at 09:00 Image of day on 12 Jul 2015
Our first Odanata of the season was this Hairy Dragonfly (the proper common name)
distinguishable by the 'fur' on the body clearly visible on this detail crop.
Ref: 20150712_df3_20150516_0900_254 hairy dragonfly female showing underside & hair detail - 1st odonata of 2015 (crop 2)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 18 May 2022
at 12:40 Image of day on 27 Jun 2022
This Hairy Dragonfly was initially disturbed while cutting overhanging brambles
and he flew away. Returning a couple of hours later with no real
expectation of finding the insect again, he had returned to its
favoured sun-warmed patch for this photo. Hairy Dragonflies are
one of the earliest to appear each year. Dragonflies rest with
their wings outstretched as you see here.
Ref: 20220627_d72_20220518_1240_078 hairy dragonfly male - 1st of 2022 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 23 May 2009
at 16:38 Image of day on 07 Jun 2009
About a week later we had the opportunity to photograph a male
and can't resist this close-up of the thorax where you can see the hairs
in detail
Ref: 20090607_db1_20090523_1638_154 ft1 hairy dragonfly male head and thorax detail side view (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image of day on 18 Sep 2007
The flying jewellery are delighting us with acrobat displays
of glorious colour. Here one hovered for a second or two
providing a chance for a set of images in flight. The wingbeats
are far faster than the camera can manage, so don't try to
interpret the wing positions.
Ref: 20070918_southern hawker dragonfly 20070826 (anim).gif
Image Taken on 26 Jul 2021
at 14:37 Image of day on 06 Sep 2021
A Hawker Dragonfly (we are not confident of the species) flies by us ...
Ref: 20210906_d73_20210726_1437_011-014 hawker dragonfly catching insect in flight @10fps 1-4 of 8 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Jul 2021
at 14:37 Image of day on 06 Sep 2021
... and suddenly swerves upward to catch an insect in the 'net' made with the legs
before flying back the other way.
An unbroken sequence at 10 frames per second - Dragonflies can manoeuvre incredibly
quickly.
Ref: 20210906_d73_20210726_1437_015-018 hawker dragonfly catching insect in flight @10fps 5-8 of 8 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 10 Sep 2023
at 10:05 Image of day on 02 Nov 2023
A Hawker Dragonfly does a hairpin turn in about half a second.
Ref: 20231102_df3_20230910_1005_066-070 hawker dragonfly looping round in flight @7fps 1-5 of 5 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Jul 2021
at 14:38 Image of day on 06 Sep 2021
... while this tighter crop shows more detail including the Dragonflies
legs extending into a 'catch-net' and then closing after failure, both
events lasting no more than 100mS (tenth of a second)
Ref: 20210906_d73_20210726_1438_026-298 hawker dragonfly misses catching passing insect @10fps 1-3 of 3 (accurate montage centre detail)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Jul 2021
at 14:38 Image of day on 06 Sep 2021
Here we see the Hawker Dragonfly missing a catch in this accurate montage
with both Dragonfly and insect moving downwards at 10 fps.
This first version arrows the intended prey ...
Ref: 20210906_d73_20210726_1438_026-298 hawker dragonfly misses catching passing insect @10fps 1-3 of 3 (accurate montage with arrows)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 18 Sep 2014
at 12:45 Image of day on 27 Nov 2014
We photographed this Hobby flying by, but it was only later when
the images were on our PC that we saw to our astonishment that
this hunting bird caught an insect in front of us.
Read the montage left to right in 3 descending rows:-
Image 1: The insect is about 3 bird lengths to the right of the bird.
Image 2: The gap is down to 1 body length and the talons are swinging forward.
Image 3: The catch!
Image 7: Transfer to the beak.
Image 12: All done and the talons start their way back to 'retracted'.
The whole sequence lasts just over 2 seconds.
Ref: 20141127_df2_20140918_1245_049-060 hobby catching dragonfly in flight 03-14 of 14 (montage @5fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 18 Sep 2014
at 12:45 Image of day on 27 Nov 2014
Here are images 3 and 7 in more detail.
Don't get confused by the numbering - the 12 image montage starts
at Frame 3 (Image 1) of the 14 image sequence we have on file.
Ref: 20141127_df2_20140918_1245_051+055 hobby catching dragonfly in flight 05+09 of 14 (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 04 Jun 2011
at 14:35 Image of day on 18 Jul 2011
Half an hour later this Hobby made a rather high flyover. At the time
we could not see the dragonfly clutched in it's talons.
The abdomen (tail) is sticking out below the tail and the
dragonfly's wing outline can be made out below that.
We were out looking for dragonflies & didn't spot one all day!
Ref: 20110718_df1_20110604_1435_057 hobby in flight with dragonfly in talons (id crop @576)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 27 Jun 2021
at 13:37 Image of day on 01 Aug 2021
The females Kestrel arrived on the meadow post with a Hawker Dragonfly in her
beak - a unique event in our records. The Dragonfly species is clearly
identifiable from the pic - a female Brown Hawker Dragonfly.
One could object to the Kestrel killing this beautiful creature, but the Dragonfly itself
feeds purely by hunting, and so on down the food chain.
Although Owls carry prey items in their beaks, we had assumed that Kestrels always
carried prey in their talons. Maybe the Kestrel found the Dragonfly sunbathing on the post
and snatched it with the beak. But is so light (less than 1 gram) and she could also easily fly with it.
We tabulated weights of some insects over a decade ago - see
Weights of Insects
Ref: 20210801_d01_20210627_1337_004_fb6 kestrel female landing on meadow post with brown hawker dragonfly female in beak 2 of 4 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 10 Jun 2012
at 12:33 Image of day on 18 Jul 2012
A pair of Large Red Damselflies taking a rest from laying. The
male is on the left clasping the female with the special claspers
on his tail tip that only lock onto the correct species female.
Ref: 20120718_df1_20120610_1233_222 pair of large red damselflies coupled on leaf (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 25 Jun 2013
at 14:59 Image of day on 08 Aug 2013
This is a pair of Large Red Damselflies, coupled for
mating, alternately warmed themselves in the sun and then
went off to lay some more eggs beneath the water
Ref: 20130808_df1_20130625_1459_274 large red damselflies egg laying (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 25 Jun 2013
at 14:59 Image of day on 08 Aug 2013
This is a pair of Large Red Damselflies, coupled for
mating, alternately warmed themselves in the sun and then
went off to lay some more eggs beneath the water
Ref: 20130808_df1_20130625_1459_279 large red damselflies egg laying (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 28 May 2012
at 13:15 Image of day on 28 Jun 2012
A pair of Large Red Damselflies 'in tandem' laying eggs in the duck-shaped pond.
The male is at the top.
Ref: 20120628_df1_20120528_1315_367 large red damselflies laying in duck pond (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
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