What better way to rekindle odonataphilia than this very lucky close encounter with a female Hairy dragonfly at Churton Marlpits on the way back from an alpine plant show near Manchester, Despite a short yomp down tractor tracks through Oil seed Rape, a more idyllic habitat would be hard to find......
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLF7k-loG11WZ943GauJhd33Ij21AyHRgUE11dcY2SFIFxmAw0oPtbb4wKSkoMjwzxNgGNRMy9YYgtzhjLaxeureN6ETyEq08wJQo6fCnkTjh0ckkJzBbdRJJOUjp69HRFDlgkKQm8yD6/s320/Blog+Churton+Marlpits+habitat+30+4+11++IMG_9065+1_filtered.jpg)
I'd been watching a fairly large Dragonfly flying across the pool when amazingly it perched not far way. Sensing it may return to the spot, I moved close to it and waited -I could not believe my luck!!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcGgIWQVjDODML6i7-5W0z3m3FHCoar7FGlDcZ0r2JwxU0kHUvd59gul4KT3BjPr9UFev4Z8fgFN_yDUOaEIuc2eQZCaWNTkzScftdbEEtAXcElt0JwKlTCS8xr6laW0Qh8LhfOV45rxS/s320/Blog+Hairy+Dragonfly+cu+Churton+Marlpits+30+4+11++IMG_1369+1_filtered.jpg)
What a stunner! The moment didn't last long but I got a side view or two....
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlncSiYK1UN7X_oTt2u7PuvhJNLd9RXgBw9T_XF7FeKs6mp6ecHQyxYryVcBCKV_pTd02eBSv2odzWm1qZ1YVZe54ODh9pNHaQYqBZgGCNq4YnjZMf1wsyFA_pbgCQzDsiSwaFETYKcR-/s320/Blog+Hairy+Dragonfly+cu+side++Churton+Marlpits+30+4+11+IMG_1347_filtered.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyiAYcBbFrxiBT-fJOLid6NiANluRb-zJv7w6hqd4bxcJ42Y-SvCsBXvDh5nCXCFLdTdBqvXxI3yqJZTJKXuyNZnZ9cJIjKJL3n-ZCDJkAlhcTkZGzUbGjm3GouuIOhBbX4gDs7Tm80Mck/s320/Blog+Hairy+Dragonfly+cu+side++Churton+Marlpits+30+4+11+IMG_1351+1_filtered.jpg)
Before taking the liberty of a close up, taking that hairy thorax, so aptly named....
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieo86HJbOGnT_xI2pzfhYQmSB8_cJK1eW13Ru6-selKL0PJD575VY31WAWVnIbhWmq4JbALaCvu3pGVweGnmwaPseuw4BlwL2ghrOevnazzLLS8HAIr-Al3WrAs1JnWrwDlvT68u4zAA1S/s320/Blog+Hairy+Dragonfly+cu+Churton+Marlpits+30+4+11++IMG_1371+1_filtered.jpg)
Oh well, at least my eye is in - just got to find one of these in Shropshire now!!