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Dragonfly and Damselfly Pics 2006

Red-veined Darter, Albufereta beach, Mallorca

October 2006

Red-veined Darter, Albufereta, Mallorca

October 2006

Probable Vagrant Darter, Albufera waterworks, Mallorca

October 2006

Probable 'old' female Common Darter, villa garden, near Pollensa, Mallorca

October 2006

  Small Red Eyed Damselfly, Shellingford Pit, Oxon

26 August 2006

This morning I read a feature about Small Red Eyed Damselflies spreading in England. So this afternoon, I paid more attention than usual to the Damselflies at my local 'patch'. There were at least 2 males here - note blue on segments 2 & 8. These insects were v. small as well.

  Small Red Eyed Damselfly, Shellingford Pit, Oxon

26 August 2006

See above

  Red Eyed Damselfly, Shellingford Pit, Oxon

26 August 2006

Compare with the above. Clearly a different species (no blue on segments 2 and 8).

Emperor Dragonfly, Oxon

19 August 2006

Amazingly, this one was settling every so often, and allowing approach to within the 3.5 m close focus distance of the Canon 400 mm lens.

No apologies for showing this one large!

   Emperor Dragonfly in flight, Oxon

15 July 2006

Better than the 1 July pic!

Click on pic to enlarge

  Emperor Dragonfly in flight, Oxon

15 July 2006

Similar to above, but the tail isn't very sharp. To compensate, the wings are better placed to show the body.

  Black tailed Skimmer, Oxon

15 July 2006

  Female Southern Hawker, Kintbury Newt Ponds, Berks

8 July 2006

This was amazingly inquisitive and confiding, and even tried ovipositing on me, briefly! Liked my rucksack better, though,

  Azure Damselfly, Kintbury Newt Ponds, Berks

8 July 2006

  Ruddy Darter, Kintbury Newt Ponds, Berks

8 July 2006

Still slightly 'immature'.

  Blue Tailed Damselfly, Kintbury Newt Ponds, Berks

8 July 2006

The head and body are still in immature 'plumage'

Large Skipper, Kintbury Newt Ponds, Berks

8 July 2006

OK I know this is a butterfly not a dragonfly, but it is an insect, not a bird!

My first visit to this site. Much better for pics than Sole Common Pond (below), but fewer species around.

  Four Spotted Chaser, Sole Common Pond, Berks

8 July 2006

My first visit to this site. A very boggy edged pond made it difficult to get close enough for pics. A reasonable variety of species, though, including Emperor and a possible Downy Emerald (but not seen well). Weather not warm enough for optimum dragonfly watching.

  Broad Bodied Chaser, Oxon

1 July 2006

Broad Bodied Chaser, Oxon

1 July 2006

  Emperor Dragonfly in flight, Oxon

1 July 2006

At last a reasonably sharp flight pic.

  Common Blue Damselfly in flight, Oxon

18 June 2006

With a DSLR, it seems that dragonfly flight pics are generally even more difficult than for birds! But this was slow moving and relatively straightforward with the EF 400 mm lens (which doesn't really focus close enough). Note that even with a shutter speed of 1/2000 sec, the wings are a bit blurred.

  Immature Black-tailed Skimmer, Oxon

18 June 2006

Thanks to Steve Cover (from Wilts) for putting me right on the ID of this one.

© All pictures copyright Stephen Burch  

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