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Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image Taken on 24 Aug 2007 at 15:57    Image of day on 16 Sep 2007

The dragonflies are now zooming around like fighter pilots. When they stop for a moment you can get a pic.


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Image Taken on 10 Jul 2026 at 15:45    Image of day on 06 Sep 2026

A female Ruddy Darter Dragonfly stopped for a moment.


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Image Taken on 21 Jul 2021 at 11:04    Image of day on 28 Aug 2021

Our first Darter Dragonfly ID of the year (21 July 2021). This is a female Ruddy Darter managing to partly obscure herself on the other side of a very chewed up Iris frond in the middle of the main pond.


Ref: 20210828_d73_20210721_1104_114 ruddy darter dragonfly female on partly eaten iris frond(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 07 Oct 2022 at 12:37    Image of day on 13 Nov 2022

50 metres away we find this female Ruddy Darter Dragonfly on the sun-warned armrest an old bench seat.


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Image Taken on 03 Jul 2026 at 15:22    Image of day on 29 Aug 2026

Here we catch a Ruddy Darter Dragonfly landing on this plant remnant and swivelling to face the sun in about one second. Read this pair of images right to left.


Ref: 20260829_r52_20260703_1522_129+119 ruddy darter dragonfly landing and swivelling to face sun (montage right to left over 1 second)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 25 Aug 2024 at 10:20    Image of day on 11 Oct 2024

A male Ruddy Darter Dragonfly.


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Image Taken on 23 Aug 2024 at 12:54    Image of day on 10 Oct 2024

A male Ruddy Darter Dragonfly perched on the top of a seed head, ready to dart out and grab some passing midge.


Ref: 20241010_d72_20240823_1254_178 ruddy darter dragonfly male(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 23 Aug 2019 at 12:44    Image of day on 23 Oct 2019

A male Ruddy Darter Dragonfly perched on bent over Iris leaf.
This is how they hunt - perch over the water and dash out when they see something to catch.


Ref: 20191023_df3_20190823_1244_444 ruddy darter dragonfly male(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 05 Aug 2019 at 13:01    Image of day on 19 Sep 2019

A few days later a male Ruddy Darter Dragonfly again shows his rich red colouration.


Ref: 20190919_df3_20190805_1301_013 ruddy darter dragonfly male(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 21 Aug 2018 at 15:54    Image of day on 13 Oct 2018

This mature male Ruddy Darter Dragonfly's wings are still mostly intact, but the trailing edges are showing signs of wear - mostly likely dragged over the thorns on a few Blackberry stems.


Ref: 20181013_df3_20180821_1554_037 ruddy darter dragonfly male (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 21 Aug 2018 at 15:55    Image of day on 13 Oct 2018

This mature male Ruddy Darter Dragonfly's worn wings not as obvious here, and you get a proper view of the body.


Ref: 20181013_df3_20180821_1555_042 ruddy darter dragonfly male (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

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.


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Image Taken on 03 Jul 2026 at 12:48    Image of day on 29 Aug 2026

The first Ruddy Darter Dragonfly this year - this one is a male


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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

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