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Dragonflies & Damselflies Page 27
Image Taken on 29 Jun 2018
at 10:19 Image of day on 26 Aug 2018
A male Ruddy Darter Dragonfly perches on the ragged end of a hedge twig.
This one gradually changing colour to the mature form.
Ref: 20180826_df3_20180629_1019_024 ruddy darter dragonfly male(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 03 Jul 2018
at 14:44 Image of day on 26 Aug 2018
A brightly coloured mature male Ruddy Darter Dragonfly on the desiccated leaves of a
bramble stem cut because it was growing over a path.
Keeping the paths navigable is an endless task at this time of year.
Ref: 20180826_d72_20180703_1444_065 ruddy darter dragonfly male(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 04 Oct 2016
at 15:09 Image of day on 19 Nov 2016
After a week or two of absence this Ruddy Darter Dragonfly was out warming
itself in the sunshine despite a cold wind. As the summer fades dragonflies
make use of any sunshine in their search for a final mating.
Ref: 20161119_df3_20161004_1509_070 ruddy darter dragonfly male(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 21 Aug 2016
at 13:27 Image of day on 12 Oct 2016
If you have a pond and push an angled stick onto the top that overhangs the
water, Darter Dragonflies will often choose it for a look-out post. We used this
Willow stick and despite already spouting (as willows do) this male Ruddy Darter
likes the perch.
Ref: 20161012_df3_20160821_1327_028 ruddy darter dragonfly male(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 07 Aug 2013
at 12:36 Image of day on 26 Sep 2013
The first of the year's Ruddy Darter Dragonfly glowing in the fickle sunlight.
Ref: 20130926_df1_20130807_1236_101 ruddy darter dragonfly male (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 22 Jul 2008
at 16:31 Image of day on 04 Aug 2008
Darter dragonflies are smaller than Hawker Dragonflies.
They tend to perch on twig, dash out for a fly round, and then
return.
Ref: 20080804_da1_20080722_1631_062 ruddy darter dragonfly male (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 22 Jul 2008
at 16:36 Image of day on 04 Aug 2008
In this detailed shot you can see it is 'dusty' even over the eyes.
When he has warmed up he will probably 'preen' himself clean.
Ref: 20080804_da1_20080722_1636_101 ruddy darter dragonfly male (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 21 Sep 2008
at 12:50 Image of day on 11 Oct 2008
This is the only 'Ruddy Darter' dragonfly we have seen on our patch and was a rather
old and darkened individual on possibly his last day with the weather cooling down.
He sat quietly in the sunshine on a leaf as we took his portrait and later flew off
Ref: 20081011_dc1_20080921_1250_405 ruddy darter dragonfly male head detail (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 18 Aug 2012
at 13:58 Image of day on 29 Sep 2012
This Ruddy Darter is an intermediate sized dragonfly
that will perch on a stick hanging out over the water as seen in the
second image.
Ref: 20120929_da1_20120818_1358_032_ft1 ruddy darter dragonfly male in flight (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 25 Aug 2019
at 13:23 Image of day on 23 Oct 2019
We caught this male Ruddy Darter Dragonfly while perched on a piece of Iris leaf,
which accompanies it in the photo.
This is the BOTTOM view of the insect - the red top and sides of the abdomen is
not carried through underneath - something we noted many years ago when photographing
dragonflies in UV light on both sides.
Details of this project are on the web site.
Ref: 20191023_da1_20190825_1323_098+1601_144_ft1 ruddy darter dragonfly male in flight (bottom view) + flag iris leaf (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 29 Aug 2016
at 12:33 Image of day on 18 Oct 2016
A male Ruddy Darter Dragonfly perched on a desiccated blackberry stem.
We seem to have an unusually high number of this species this year.
Ref: 20161018_df3_20160829_1233_042 ruddy darter dragonfly male on blackberry stem(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 16 Aug 2016
at 14:12 Image of day on 01 Oct 2016
A Ruddy Darter Dragonfly glowing gorgeously in the sunshine as
he guards his territory
Ref: 20161001_df3_20160816_1412_123 ruddy darter dragonfly male on desiccated stem(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 01 Aug 2019
at 12:50 Image of day on 19 Sep 2019
A male Ruddy Darter Dragonfly perched on Hop Sedge.
The colour really is this red - paintings in ID books just don't do him
justice!
Ref: 20190919_df3_20190801_1250_017 ruddy darter dragonfly male on hop sedge(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 20 Aug 2012
at 15:28 Image of day on 29 Sep 2012
Ruddy Darter dragonflies tend to perch on the tips of sticks and vegetation
overhanging the water's edge, flying away and returning repeatedly.
Ref: 20120929_df1_20120820_1528_051 ruddy darter dragonfly male on iris frond(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 13 Jul 2018
at 13:58 Image of day on 04 Sep 2018
Darter Dragonflies do like to perch on items low over the water. Here a Ruddy
Darter Dragonfly hunts and patrols from a turned-over Iris leaf.
Ref: 20180904_d72_20180713_1358_007 ruddy darter dragonfly male on turned over iris leaf(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 07 Oct 2022
at 12:32 Image of day on 13 Nov 2022
A belated first sighting this year of a Ruddy Darter Dragonfly here, this male taking
advantage of the warm concrete track.
Ref: 20221113_df3_20221007_1232_074 ruddy darter dragonfly male on warm concrete track (1st of 2022)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Aug 2013
at 10:27 Image of day on 28 Oct 2013
The seed heads mean no more to this male Ruddy Darter dragonfly
than a convenient place to perch to warm in the sunshine.
Ref: 20131028_a77_20130826_1027_003 ruddy darter dragonfly male perched on ragwort seed head (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 29 Aug 2019
at 12:31 Image of day on 23 Oct 2019
A Few Ruddy Darters are stationed around the ponds.
This one was perched on a dead Blackberry stem ready to leap out
to catch any passing midge.
Ref: 20191023_df3_20190829_1231_006 ruddy darter dragonfly male perched on tip of dead blackberry stem(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 10 Jul 2010
at 15:59 Image of day on 21 Aug 2010
A 'Ruddy Darter' dragonfly caught over the sedge at Duck pond who we
'invited' in for a few minutes for some photos in flight.
Ref: 20100821_da1_20100710_1559_175+1635_192_ft1 ruddy darter dragonfly mature male in flight with hop sedge (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 25 Jul 2019
at 15:04 Image of day on 10 Sep 2019
A male Ruddy Darter is perched on an Iris leaf.
First sighting of this insects 2019.
Ref: 20190910_d73_20190725_1504_020 ruddy darter dragonfly perched on iris leaf (1st of 2019)(r+mb id@576).jpg
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