Dragons

Since i started Tweeting my blogging has tailed off a bit. I find being able to express yourself there and then more than satisfying. It's nice to report any decent sightings as you find them giving others a chance to get along to see whatever it is if they are in the vicinity and vice versa.
That fabulous pond just outside of Dinnington has pulled me in a couple of times recently. I have been going out early quite a lot recently but now the weather has finally improved it's great to get out looking for dragons when the car is available later in the day. Not too many odonata about early mornings the way the temperatures had been in June. Lots of damselflies at the pond, many of them tenerals lifting from the cover of the surrounding vegetation as i walked gingerly passed them. A number of newly emerged dragons moving off also in the form of Common Darter. Now i have to admit i'm pretty shit at capturing in flight dragons so the 4 male Emperors were never going to appear here unless they alighted but they didn't so they won't. An ovipositing female will however.

I'm including a second image of the "Empress" because there's an in flight damsel, a fabulous capture (ahem), and a teneral damsel under the dragon on the leaf, a strange place to find one !

I always find it exciting to find my first exuvia of the year and more so if i can get my hands on it. Very fragile like rice paper almost. This time the emergent dragon was close by, a Southern Hawker. My first of that species this year and a nice way to find one.

here is the emerged adult (excuse the poor dof, getting back into the swing)

While sitting by the smaller pond looking into the pristine water i managed to capture a damsel larva swimming by. There was a Great diving Beetle nymph also which i sadly missed. It had captured a damsel nymph and was taking it into cover to be consumed. Fearsome creatures i have read....and they look the part !!