Not Lepidoptera (dragons!)

[Zonda]

I was watching an Emerald at the weekend. It never stopped, just went up and down, up and down. I was there for half an hour, up and down, up and down. I remember thinking at the time, 'how the dickens does anyone photograph that?' I have been there early, and tried to see one.....Not in evidence then...(sigh)

[eccles]

Try later in the day. I think this may be why we were lucky with the brown hawker. Emperors will stop to eat a catch too, which is how I caught this male, snapped on the same day.

[eccles]

Emerald damselfly male at Priddy Mineries on August 20th.

[GsButterflies]

Well done Eccles, stunning images.

I've seen loads of Emperor's but never managed to locate a perched one.

G

[eccles]

Thanks Gary. You just have to be lucky with emperors as even if they perch they're normally incredibly alert and will fly off when you try to get close enough for photos. But when they capture prey they settle down to eat it and are then sufficiently preoccupied to approach them. I was still about six feet from the above individual, using a 70-400mm telezoom.

I had a bit of a surprise on Thursday. I thought four spot chasers were long gone, being a Spring/early Summer species but there were several fresh individuals around the upper pool at Priddy Mineries. I didn't think dragonflies went in for all this butterfly style second brood thing but I presume no one told the four spots. They soon lose their lustre as they age and look rather dull, but for a few short days they are a glorious golden colour:

[Zonda]

Nice shot mike, yeh does seem late. I photographed them for the first time this year, back in June i think.

[GsButterflies]

Hi,

I will also post this in the general forums under TV shows.

On Tuesday (08th September) at 7pm on BBC One _ "The One Show" will be a short film on Golden-ringed Dragonflies filmed in The New Forest this July.

Should be worth watching.

G

[eccles]

Thanks for the tip, Gary.
Meanwhile, two common darters were doing what common darters do. Snapped at my local nature reserve today using another 'wrong lens', a 200mm f2.8 prime with 2x teleconverter.

[xmilehigh]

Great Pics Eccles

Couple of Dragons taken today @ Priddy Mineries

Common Hawker


Migrant Hawker

[GsButterflies]

Jerry,

Love the Common Hawker, been trying to find and photograph one this year. Unfortunately without any success so far.

G

[eccles]

Hi,

I will also post this in the general forums under TV shows.

On Tuesday (08th September) at 7pm on BBC One _ "The One Show" will be a short film on Golden-ringed Dragonflies filmed in The New Forest this July.

Should be worth watching.

G

I missed it but fortunately BBCi Player still has it online. You can watch it here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... 8_09_2009/
The short film starts at 15 minutes 40 seconds into the programme.

And a real coincidence yesterday: After a rather lean morning at the Ham Wall RSPB reserve that saw lots of common darters, a few migrant hawkers and not much else apart from one or two brimstone butterflies, a stop-off at Priddy Mineries came up with the goods yet again. Seen there were a mating pair of common hawkers, black darter, common darter, southern hawker, and this little beauty, a male golden ringed, and only my second ever sighting:

[Zonda]

Well done,,,gawd i dream about taking shots like this.