Dudmaston - Small red-eyed Damselfly up close

I'd booked a second visit to Dudmaston, just in case! Given more good weather, I was hoping for more insects and maybe some close ups away from the water of Small Red-eyed Damselfly? I certainly managed the latter, here's some of the highlights...

Starting those aptly named 'tomato red' eyes!

This male just warming up for the acrobatics by doing a handstand?

Then a nice clean background for some portraits...

Had to be a close up to finish?

It's hard to imagine that this species has only been detected as resident in the county for the past two years. If Dudmaston is anything to go by and there are other locations, the future looks assured :-)

Dudmaston - Dark Bush Cricket

Every Cricket I've found / seen these past two months has been accidental and today's newbie followed this familiar pattern. I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye and....

Dark Bush Cricket!! What a beast, sporting enough armour to put a tank to shame!

Whilst the body has an indestructible feel to it, the same can't be said for the antennae with one half missing!

I wonder which species lady luck will deliver next?

Dudmaston - Small Red-eyed Damselfly action!

I sensed that my earlier visits to Dudmaston were a little premature as Small Red-eyed Damselflies get into their stride as 'Red-eyed' are on the way out?  Today's visit was a good move as there were plenty on show and even better, they were showing rather well with one thing on their mind!

Let's get the male pose out of the way and then action all the way!

First find your partner...

Eggs are finally laid...

And with the sun shining for a change, a chance for reflections?

I don't know what to make of these few group shots, more like a frenzied orgy with unattached males just waiting for their chance? Up to eight individuals on this lily stem (with confusing reflections!)

This shows the romantic 'caveman style' just drag her along whilst a few eggs are unloaded?

With females disappearing from the lake at a rate of knots once they are let go from mating, the best chance of studying female colour patterns was by a judicious crop! The base colour starts off yellow green in youngsters, developing via green to blue. This is a young female!

While this one is progressing nicely developing a lot of blue! I suspect there are no really mature forms about at this stage of development.

Waiting room... there's always a male standing by in case the female becomes 'available'!

Dudmaston - Small Red-eyed Damselfly

 I had already managed to see and get record shots of Shropshire's latest addition to the Odonata list, Small Red-eyed Damselfly!

Here's the first images from 10th August, it's very easy to pick them out once you get your eye in! Clearly smaller and with much more blue showing on the flanks at both ends of the abdomen

Closer shots of Red-eyed Damselfly were managed as well today ...

Loving the above raindrops!

Oh those eyes!!

Seen here mating with a Common Blue Damsel keeping tabs!

And more males chasing after the lucky female!

Here we go with the first Small Red-eyed Damsel. A bit nearer than the last visit but that was about to be eclipsed!

Shame this one has a bit of distortion of one wing but I didn't even notice it until reviewing the shots!

You can just about see the small x on segment 10, another useful identifying mark!

Here's one solution to the offending wing, a closer crop! Plus another indicator of the identity, the Coenagrion spur on the thorax is shortened with an obvious dot adjacent in male Red-eyed. You have to exercise caution using this marker as Red-eyed often show a similar pattern!

I was really looking forward to finding more individuals but mother nature stepped in with the forecast rumbles of thunder. Destined to be torrential for the next couple of hours, I headed home...