The heavy metallic monsters of the Dragonfly world, otherwise known as Downy Emerald are alive and flying once more in Shropshire air space! Two sites visited recently provided opportunities for images...
This damsel was wowing the new green eyed arrival!
In complete contrast all I could manage at site no 2 was flight images!
Job done!
After seeing a female Broad-bodied Chaser emerge in the garden on 7th May, I haven't seen any more of this species! That is until today... with a male and female flying about...
Here's the female which I suspect (hope) had been laying eggs but it was very stand offish and soon hopped the fence into next door!
Wonder if I'll get anything else interesting over the pond this year?
Venus pool has become quiet but you have to be in there on the off chance that something good drops in? And why not point the camera at a Shelduck in flight while you wait?
Does that qualify as a 'near miss'...
Had my first Four-spotted Chasers of the year today. They have an extra wing spot on each wing unlike the other chasers. This species is unusual in having no easy visual clue regarding sex. Just by chance, they were a male and female so how did I make the decision? First and foremost, you need a very close view when at rest or a closeup photograph.
It's all about the anal appendages, the male is built for clasping hold of the female when mating...
They converge at the tip (or as here they are parallel).
Shades of the Black-winged Stilt! Another mega for the county and my luck goes awol but I offer no excuses - I went, I saw, I ticked a Pallid Harrier on the Long Mynd. That ought to mean 'success' for this post...
Two relatively close passes on my 'second encounter' resulting in 'images'! Spoilt by heat haze and distance!
Never mind, I could have come away with nothing quite easily. Thank goodness John Martin had the sense to go walking and drop on the Harrier where I stayed still. Well done John, Cracking image!
My second species of Odonata to emerge in the garden, a teneral male Broad-bodied Chaser which was spooked as I was doing a spot of weeding!
John Martin had a 2cy Mediterranean Gull early on today at VP so I thought I'd see if was still hanging around mid morning? It was but always pretty distant and often on the move as time went on. Meds are always smart gulls and worthy of some effort...
Here is is with the other two species present...
Garganey are classy Ducks, always worth a look? Sometimes distant, sometimes close and this evening was fortunately the latter! I started with views of 60m or so and ended up a lot closer...
Some pics from a very brief appearance on the water...
Great bird, great light, a great evening!
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