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Dragonflies & Damselflies Page 30

Image Taken on 12 Aug 2016 at 13:54    Image of day on 01 Oct 2016

Lower left is a male Common Darter Dragonfly watching over 'his' pond from a convenient perch. Top right a male Southern Hawker Dragonfly patrolling his patch in his own manner - endless flight over and around the pond. He kept flying close to the Darter, who occasionally reacted but returned each time to his perch.
You don't often see Darters and Hawkers in the same image - these are the same distance from the camera so you can compare sizes.


Ref: 20161001_df3_20160812_1354_056-058 southern hawker dragonfly male flying past common darter dragonfly male on perch 1-3 of 3 (accurate montage @ 7fps)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 11 Aug 2014 at 14:46    Image of day on 20 Oct 2014

This Southern Hawker Dragonfly landed in a hedge close to us where we grabbed this image before it flew on.


Ref: 20141020_df2_20140811_1446_004 southern hawker dragonfly male hanging from hawthorn(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 06 Aug 2009 at 11:43    Image of day on 14 Sep 2009

We generally put our 'guests' on a hawthorn hedge to fly off in their own time and if they don't go immediately we take a few portraits.


Ref: 20090914_db1_20090806_1143_046 southern hawker dragonfly male head on view of face (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 30 Aug 2016 at 10:58    Image of day on 15 Oct 2016

A male Southern Hawker Dragonfly hovering in front of the cameraman for a couple of seconds, drifting slowly to the left. We have picked 4 frames from the sequence that allow accurate positioning without overlaps.


Ref: 20161015_df3_20160830_1058_146-157 southern hawker dragonfly male hovering 01+06+10+12 of 14 (accurate montage @7fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 30 Aug 2016 at 10:58    Image of day on 15 Oct 2016

Another hover by the same insect.
Note how the legs are completely folded up - something you DON'T see when we photograph Dragonflies in our flight tunnel where they are in free flight but too soon after launch for the 'undercarriage' to have been raised.


Ref: 20161015_df3_20160830_1058_163 southern hawker dragonfly male hovering 4 of 4 (crop)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 13 Sep 2016 at 14:46    Image of day on 02 Nov 2016

This male Southern Hawker Dragonfly started hovering long enough to get the camera on him and focus. Here are 3 frames from about 1 second of the hover.


Ref: 20161102_df3_20160913_1446_306+309+313 southern hawker dragonfly male hovering by main pond 1+3+4 of 4 (montage bottom to top)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 15 Sep 2011 at 13:14    Image of day on 31 Oct 2011

Some hazy sunshine brought out this male Southern Hawker dragonfly. The insect hovered long enough to get the camera on him for 9 frames, of which we have selected 4 for a little montage of various wing positions.


Ref: 20111031_df1_20110915_1314_169-171+173 southern hawker dragonfly male hovering over duck pond 1-3+5 of 9 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 13 Aug 2017 at 12:31    Image of day on 30 Sep 2017

3 Hours later over the Duck-shaped pond this male Southern Hawker Dragonfly was hawking and hovering over the water. These 3 images are about 140mS apart


Ref: 20170930_df3_20170813_1231_100+104+108 southern hawker dragonfly male hovering over duck shaped pond 1+5+9 of 9 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 28 Sep 2016 at 14:05    Image of day on 15 Nov 2016

This image from a flyby shows the wonderfully complex head and thorax.


Ref: 20161115_df3_20160928_1405_073 southern hawker dragonfly male hovering over grass (detail crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 28 Sep 2016 at 14:05    Image of day on 15 Nov 2016

A Southern Hawker Dragonfly still patrols the main pond at the least show of sunshine. Here he is hovering almost motionless (except for the wings of course) so we have spread the images and not tried to hide the background repeats.


Ref: 20161115_df3_20160928_1405_059-062 southern hawker dragonfly male hovering over grass 1-4 of 4 (montage at 7fps)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 08 Aug 2022 at 12:24    Image of day on 23 Sep 2022

More usually found here around ponds and low over the meadow, Southern Hawker Dragonflies mostly hawk at lower heights and slightly more predicable paths. But usually seen singly


Ref: 20220923_d72_20220808_1224_228 southern hawker dragonfly male in flight (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 17 Sep 2018 at 13:57    Image of day on 06 Nov 2018

A male Southern Hawker Dragonfly over the meadow, in among several Migrant Hawkers without obvious conflict.


Ref: 20181106_df3_20180917_1357_025 southern hawker dragonfly male in flight(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 26 Aug 2016 at 10:51    Image of day on 14 Oct 2016

A mid-morning flight for this male Southern Hawker Dragonfly moving through the position of sharp focus for just this one frame as he spends the whole day patrolling his patch around the main pond.


Ref: 20161014_df3_20160826_1051_017 southern hawker dragonfly male in flight (crop 2)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 22 Aug 2015 at 12:16    Image of day on 21 Oct 2015

The Southern Hawker Dragonfly nearly head on to camera. The maneuverability of these insects is amazing.


Ref: 20151021_da1_20150822_1216_227_ft1 southern hawker dragonfly male in flight (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 29 Sep 2011 at 15:16    Image of day on 12 Nov 2011

Here you are looking up at the male Southern Hawker dragonfly from underneath.


Ref: 20111112_da1_20110929_1516_316_ft1 southern hawker dragonfly male in flight (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 16 Aug 2010 at 12:42    Image of day on 25 Sep 2010

I see you!
A week later another individual came in for a few in flight images. Like all our guests they get released unharmed near where we netted them


Ref: 20100925_da1_20100816_1242_028_ft1 southern hawker dragonfly male in flight (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 10 Sep 2006 at 12:50    Image of day on 20 Sep 2006

Decades ago we photographed dragonflies in flight at great effort using flash and electronic triggers. With a bit of luck a modern SLR can do a creditable job hand-held.


Ref: 20060920_d10_20060910_1250_086 southern hawker dragonfly male in flight (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 19 Aug 2012 at 14:47    Image of day on 26 Sep 2012

A detail from another image of the head and thorax of a male Southern Hawker Dragonfly.


Ref: 20120926_da1_20120819_1447_318_ft1 southern hawker dragonfly male in flight (head detail crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 27 Aug 2013 at 12:50    Image of day on 26 Oct 2013

An accurate montage about 140mS apart of this male Southern Hawker Dragonfly flying by at speed.


Ref: 20131026_df1_20130827_1250_672-673 southern hawker dragonfly male in flight 1+2 of 2 (accurate montage @ 7fps)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 08 Aug 2022 at 12:25    Image of day on 23 Sep 2022




Ref: 20220923_d72_20220808_1225_262-267 southern hawker dragonfly male in flight 1-6 of 6 (accurate montage @8fps)(r+mb id@768).jpg


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