Shropshire - Dragon and Damselflies

An excellent couple of hours at a private site produced my first images for the year of Emperor Dragonfly...

A bright blue male...

Four-spotted Chaser...

Female Black-tailed Skimmer blending in with the vegetation...

Azure Damselflies copulating...

Also on show, male Variable Damselfly...

A pair of Variables, seen here mating...

And the female Variable by herself...

Male Red-eyed Damselfly...

A female Blue-tailed Damselfly (infuscans form)

Two styles of copulation, both Common Blue Damselfly...

Plus a female Banded Demoiselle...

Shropshire - Four-spotted Chaser

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... 

the  'claspers' flare outwards at the tip of the abdomen.

In the female, the appendages are more widely set. They converge at the tip (or as here they are parallel).

They converge at the tip (or as here they are parallel).

They either converge at the tip or as seen here, are parallel.

The shape of the abdomen holds some clues as well but that's another story...

Whixall Moss - White faced Darter etc

I did say I wasn't going to do any more insect photography this year but with just one distant Hobby to show for a long walk around the Moss, I couldn't  resist a peek at some of the pools?

Almost immediately, a male White-faced Darter in view! With no macro lens, all these images were taken with the 500mm lens - quite a versatile piece of kit!!

Always nice when resting amongst an attractive backdrop!

When compared to a 'stick'.!

Quite a bit of competition for ownership of the stick!! The Four-spotted Chaser led the Darter a merry dance!

Meanwhile, down in the gloopy mud and slime, Azure Damselflies were busy....

Mating and laying eggs  :-)

I've got all the angles covered and with a talk coming up for the local RSPB group (Shirehall, Shrewsbury on Nov 21st) Some of these images may well make an appearance there?

Whixall Moss - Ruby Tigers

It was pretty quiet on the Moss with no White-faced Darters seen and just a dozen or so Four-spotted Chasers seen. Presumably this has dented Hobby interest with only one distant bird seen! There were a couple of pretty vocal Cuckoos seen in flight and Stonechat but that was about it!

Four-spotted Chaser close up....

By far the most photogenic event was a bit of an orgy going on with four Ruby Tiger moths getting frisky in the grass!

After they had finished, post-coital lethargy set in and they sat pretty from any angle!

Not the largest of species and showing the colourful interest of the 'macro lens world'

And NO, I'm not going to get a moth trap - just take the day fliers as they come.....