Venus Pool - Common Darter close up!

 You always need a back-up plan when looking for Clouded Yellows! Mine came in the form of a female Common Darter which wouldn't normally command much attention. But she seemed confiding...  

I could immediately see the abdomen was rather distorted, probably from the emergence process and didn't look pleasing at all!

Sooo, inching closer, I manged to remove the offending bits... and with the the wind blowing, amazing how 1/500sec could capture these images...

Looking good at any angle!

Maybe I should carry my macro lens more often?

Venus Pool - Common Darter

Nice obliging female Common Darter sitting up nicely in the arable field, Venus Pool...

The body shape and yellow/black legs separate it from Ruddy Darter

There was also a female Ruddy Darter which 'darted' to the top of the nearby hedge on the two occasions I walked by. The all black legs are visible...

I couild do with a showy male?

Titterstone Clee - Hawkers emerging

I've photographed quite a few emerging species but never caught up with Common Hawkers - until today! A whirrr of wings in the margin of a pool alerted me (like no other sound) to the unseen presence..... And then suddenly it's so obvious but I'd already walked straight past it!

Common Hawker female coming up first and this was a beautiful lavender blue colour form - she will be even smarter once those colours develop.....

There were one or two exuvia about but nice to get the likely origin of this hawker in the frame!

Going in closer - these are liberties you would never normally be able to take with this species!

And ultra close - all hand held :-)

The legacy of a life spent underwater the past two years?

A (female) Common Darter break....

And then this sad sight is a male Common Hawker, vainly trying to get airborne with wings horribly fused and mishapen. It could flutter a short distance but looks destined to perish?

But, wings apart - still a beautiful creature!

Couldn't resit getting in close to those eyes....

Probably the last time I will ever be so close to one?

And just to demonstrate just how perilous the habitat the can be - many are drowned on emergence and later, it's so easy to end up in a sticky web!

Come into my parlour.......

Collard Hill - Large Blue

Collard Hill in Somerset is probably one of the most reliable and accessible sites to see the Large Blue. Having 'passed' on a trip last year due to poor weather, a decent day beckoned and I was on my way.....

It was sunny which is usually a necessity for success, the only problem was the near gale force wind which was blasting over the top - the sheltered lower slopes were fairly sheltered and it wasn't long before I found one nectaring - the distinctive underwing pattern like no other blue!

The upperwing has large black spots, unique amongst the Blues of the UK....

There weren't many Large Blues on the wing, probably less than double figures so it was hard work for photography!

Another chance at the underwing shot was not going to be missed :-)

Marbled White were present in better numbers, flighty and skittish as ever......

Plus a few common species - Large Skipper.....

And a fresh emergence of Ringlet, female seen here.

One or two day flying moths included this Silver Y.

Even a dragonfly or two - mostly Common Darters, an immature female seen here...

I was hoping to check out the nearby site for Glanville Fritillary but the weather and lateness of season made this a pointless mission - oh well, there's alweays next year!