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Dragonflies & Damselflies Page 25
Image Taken on 08 Aug 2022
at 12:17 Image of day on 22 Sep 2022
Continuing the celebration of Migrant Hawker Dragonflies.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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 29 Jul 2024
at 10:53 Image of day on 11 Sep 2024
And this is a male Migrant Hawker Dragonfly.
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Ref: 20240911_r70_20240729_1053_017 migrant hawker dragonfly male partly in shadow(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 18 Aug 2019
at 15:57 Image of day on 10 Oct 2019
As in most years, there are several Migrant Hawker Dragonflies feeding on Midges over
the meadow. This male perched long enough for a profile and full 'mug shot'.
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Ref: 20191010_df3_20190818_1557_055+064 migrant hawker dragonfly male perched 1+2 of 2 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 14 Sep 2022
at 12:50 Image of day on 23 Oct 2022
This perfect male Migrant Hawker Dragonfly teased us a bit before perching about 2 metres up
in a hedge where we could get his portrait.
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Ref: 20221023_df3_20220914_1250_051 migrant hawker dragonfly male perched in hedge (crop)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 23 Aug 2019
at 15:03 Image of day on 15 Oct 2019
A male Migrant Hawker Dragonfly perched in shade in the south hedge.
It's been too hot for most insects to be out in the sun during the early afternoon.
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Ref: 20191015_df3_20190823_1503_577 migrant hawker dragonfly male perched in tree over south hedge(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 09 Sep 2020
at 16:15 Image of day on 20 Oct 2020
The dominant Dragonfly here in this cold weather is the Migrant Hawker.
This one is warming itself in the sunshine hanging from an old Blackberry stem.
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Ref: 20201020_d73_20200909_1615_074 migrant hawker dragonfly male perched on blackberry stem(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 11 Aug 2024
at 12:23 Image of day on 27 Sep 2024
The Migrant Hawker Dragonflies are now out and about on any warm
day. This is a male hanging on some dead hedge wood.
Their common choice of dead foliage to rest on probably provides better
camouflage than perching on green leaves
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Ref: 20240927_d72_20240811_1223_245 migrant hawker dragonfly male perched on dead stem(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 13 Aug 2014
at 10:48 Image of day on 22 Oct 2014
This stretch of concrete is a frequent haunt of Migrant Hawker
Dragonflies, and the just cut back hedge provides some well lit
perching places in the morning. This is a male.
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Ref: 20141022_df2_20140813_1048_126 migrant hawker dragonfly male perched on freshly cut hawthorn(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 13 Aug 2014
at 10:49 Image of day on 22 Oct 2014
Another view of the same male Migrant Hawker Dragonfly on the same perch.
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Ref: 20141022_df2_20140813_1049_134 migrant hawker dragonfly male perched on freshly cut hawthorn(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Sep 2023
at 15:44 Image of day on 12 Nov 2023
This male Migrant Hawker warms on a twig in the fitful sunshine.
The beautiful vivid Blue/Cyan colour is the real appearance.
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Ref: 20231112_df3_20230926_1544_069 migrant hawker dragonfly male resting on twig(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 14 Sep 2012
at 11:10 Image of day on 28 Oct 2012
A side view of the same Migrant Hawker Dragonfly
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Ref: 20121028_df1_20120914_1110_082 migrant hawker dragonfly male side view (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 15 Aug 2016
at 10:22 Image of day on 07 Oct 2016
This Migrant Hawker Dragonfly was hanging from a broken grass seed head, and
unexpectedly took off as the camera took the first frame. Dragonflies have no
known sense of hearing - their world is almost entirely visual. Anyway, one
thinks of dragonflies as very light - even the biggest in the UK only just makes
it over 1 gram (see Weights of Insects)
But even so this grass head swung back to vertical as the Dragonfly let go of it.
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Ref: 20161007_df3_20160815_1022_001+002 migrant hawker dragonfly male taking off from hanging grass seed head 1+2 of 2 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 23 Jul 2019
at 09:20 Image of day on 10 Sep 2019
Our first Migrant Hawker this year seen in flight quite soon perched on this
stem where we could get a photo. The wings have not yet finished drying and
clearing so we assume that this individual has emerged from one of our ponds that morning.
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Ref: 20190910_df3_20190723_0920_062 migrant hawker dragonfly male with wings incompletely dried(r+mb id@768).jpg
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