Dragonflies - Communal Thread

[JayJay]

Not seen a single dragon yet this year. Might go hunting for them this week now the sun's finally returned after a gloomy few weeks.

 

[anisah]

Last Thursday, 21 June, saw these two locally.
1. Common Hawker Ovipositing

These are not uncommon around where I live in Lincolnshire. This one was quite a way out from the bank of the pond and I did not have my most appropriate lens available for the shot - it was taken with a Tamron SP AF 180mm F/3.5 Di LD[IF] MACRO. Its a superb lens for macro work, but not really the best choice at this distance! Also I have to give credit to my wife who spotted this one and called me along to get the picture.

2. Scarce Chaser

Now this one is much less common and I was surprised to see it as it as I had not seen one in that area, about 1km from my home, for about 2 years.

Have to agree with others, though, dragonflies, as well as butterflies, have been seldom seen this year.

 

[john.margetts]

Here are four dragonflies and damselflies from today. These are from Culvderthorpe in Lincolnshire.

4 Spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata




4 Spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata




Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum



4 Spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata which has been fighting with too many competitors.


Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum and Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas, both preparing to mate.

 

[michael23]

Black tailed Skimmer, I think,

M34A0379 by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

M34A0442 by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

Broad Bodied Chaser

Broad Bodied Chaser by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

Demoiselle

M34A0407 by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

Common Blue

M34A0420 by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

 

[john.margetts]

We went to Rimac in Lincolnshire yesterday - primarily for Bestbeloved's birds - but I caught a few dragons. I would appreciate a name for the yellow one. I think it is a female but far from sure and my guide is not up to the job. the others I know.

Common Blue Damselfly

Four Spotted Chaser

Ruddy Darter (or is it?)

 

[Jannyfox]

I would appreciate a name for the yellow one. I think it is a female but far from sure and my guide is not up to the job. the others I know.

Common darter or vagrant darter? They are quite similar. Have a look at https://british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/

 

[john.margetts]

Thank you, jannyfox. My guide has four species which look exactly the same ( I am using a simple Aidgap guide from the Field Studies Council).

 

[BillN_33]

We went to Rimac in Lincolnshire yesterday - primarily for Bestbeloved's birds - but I caught a few dragons. I would appreciate a name for the yellow one. I think it is a female but far from sure and my guide is not up to the job. the others I know.

looks like a female Ruddy Darter to me

 

[Jannyfox]

looks like a female Ruddy Darter to me

Yep, could be that too.

 

[BillN_33]

Yep, could be that too.

??

Look at the markings, plus the black legs and the pointed vulvar scale = Female Ruddy Darter

compare these with the Common Darter and the Vagrant Darter, which is rare in the UK

Female Ruddy Darter

 

[PINNACLE]

Bit of a rare one
Southern Migrant Hawker

Southern Migrant Hawker by Martin Billard, on Flickr

Common Darter

Common Darter by Martin Billard, on Flickr

Another rare one Brilliant Emerald

Brilliant Emeradl by Martin Billard, on Flickr

 

[sparker]

 

[john.margetts]

Thank you for the information, Bill. I'm afraid the details you offer are a bit beyond my dilettante standards.

??

Look at the markings, plus the black legs and the pointed vulvar scale = Female Ruddy Darter

compare these with the Common Darter and the Vagrant Darter, which is rare in the UK

Female Ruddy Darter

 

[michael23]

Emperor, and in flight too!

Emperor Dragonfly by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

Emperor Dragonfly by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

 

[PINNACLE]

Brown Hawker

Brown Hawker by Martin Billard, on Flickr

 

[michael23]

Brown Hawker, saw at least 4 females egg laying at Dudmaston yesterday

Brown Hawker by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

Brown Hawker by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

Black Tailed Skimmer

M34A1915 by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

M34A1882 by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

 

[PINNACLE]

Brown Hawker, saw at least 4 females egg laying at Dudmaston yesterday

Brown Hawker by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

Brown Hawker by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

Black Tailed Skimmer

M34A1915 by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

M34A1882 by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

Nice set Michael

 

[michael23]

Nice set Michael

Thanks Martin, it was good see a good number of them for a change. Lovely flight shot of the Brown Hawker.

 

[PINNACLE]

Southern Migrant Hawker bit of a rare one in the UK but numbers seem to be increasing

Southern Migrant Hawker by Martin Billard, on Flickr

 

[PINNACLE]

??

Look at the markings, plus the black legs and the pointed vulvar scale = Female Ruddy Darter

compare these with the Common Darter and the Vagrant Darter, which is rare in the UK

Female Ruddy Darter

Hi Bill

If you look up the page you will see I posted under your original post a Common Darter is it in fact a Ruddy Darter? It looks very similar to your post.
I got another one on the same day

Stuck between Ruddy, Common and Vagrant Darter

Thanks
Martin

 

[michael23]

Looking at it, I think it's a Ruddy Darter, female. The legs are all black and the markings on the sides seem to match very well. Vagrant seem to show a couple more markings on the last 2 sections. , also according to my book the legs are bicoloured, black and yellow.

 

[JackBell]

Common Blue Damsel, Four Spotted Chaser (only one seen this year) and a Demoiselle. Like most seen very few up in Durham this year.

 

[Simon Tyrannes]

Some amazing images, just love this animal.

 

[The Amateur]

Dragonflies and Damselflies aren't something i've really given much consideration too before but a new 105mm macro lens has started me pointing the camera at our smaller wildlife recently. No idea what these are apart from being Damselflies of one type or another. Willing to be educated!

Damselfly 1
Damselfly by Ian Taylor, on Flickr

Damselfly 2
Damselfly by Ian Taylor, on Flickr

Damselfly 3
Damselfly by Ian Taylor, on Flickr

 

[Gaz J]

Common blues

 

[Jannyfox]

Gary beat me to it - they're common blue damsels, Ian - the blue one the male and the green the female. It's not uncommon for male and female damsels of the same species to look completely different. For ID take a look at https://british-dragonflies.org.uk. The site can take a bit of wading through but they're all there.

 

[The Amateur]

Fantastic! Thanks both. Every day is a school day!

 

[JayJay]

Not sure whether it's a scarce chaser or black tailed skimmer

https://www.flickr.com/photos/76999116@N05/

 

[StuartUK]

Its Orthetrum cancellatum (Black-tailed Skimmer). Libellula fulva (Scarce Chaser) has prominent black bases to the hind pair of wings and less black at the abdominal tip (only last 2 and a bit segments). It is also generally a shorter and broader shape typical of a Libellula.

 

[PINNACLE]

Emperor

Emperor Dragonfly by Martin Billard, on Flickr

 

[PINNACLE]

Common Hawker
url=https://flic.kr/p/2718uHq]

[/url]
Common Hawker by Martin Billard, on Flickr

 

[JackBell]

Common Hawker
url=https://flic.kr/p/2718uHq]

[/url]
Common Hawker by Martin Billard, on Flickr

Lovely, I must try for an 'in flight' shot. I don't think my or my camera's focusing ability is up to it though. Found a new site with a few opportunities.

Common Darter


Couple of Emeralds (I think)



....and a Blue

 

[PINNACLE]

Lovely, I must try for an 'in flight' shot. I don't think my or my camera's focusing ability is up to it though. Found a new site with a few opportunities.

Common Darter
View attachment 131546

Couple of Emeralds (I think)

View attachment 131550 View attachment 131551

....and a Blue

View attachment 131552

Nice set, manual focus is the way forward and does not take long to get used to.

 

[JackBell]

Nice set, manual focus is the way forward and does not take long to get used to.

Do you pre focus in the general area they are flying and trust your timing, and a little bit of luck?

 

[PINNACLE]

Do you pre focus in the general area they are flying and trust your timing, and a little bit of luck?

Pre focus on something a similar distance to where it is patrolling then just tweak when it is your sights. I usually do one shot rather than high frames per sec as otherwise you do get hundreds of binned shots. Most Hawkers have a pretty predicable flight pattern the main exception is the Brown Hawker who go all over so don't start with one of those.

 

[JayJay]

Didn't really nail these but here's a couple of flight shots from the weekend

https://www.flickr.com/photos/76999116@N05/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/76999116@N05/

And one perched, big crop unfortunately.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/76999116@N05/

 

[RichardMills]

I got a chance to have a go at this for the first time this weekend when i spotted a dragon fly and i had camera in hand.

It was a fleeting 15 minute attempt which i found frustrating as my camera refused to focus on the dragon fly multiple times which was momentarily stationary in front of me (i was trying to predict its stationary spots).

I had pre focused, was using afc, single center spot, also tried group af, and the camera (D500) simply refused to focus on the dragon fly when it was under the focus spot. Releasing and pressing the af button again multiple times it was adamant it wasnt going to budge.

In the end I managed to get a few shots I was happy with for the little time I had.

 

[michael23]

Red Veined Darter, a new one for me yesterday, tried but failed with in flight southern hawkers though!!

Edit, Miss id'd it, its a common Darter

Red Veined Darter by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

 

[StuartUK]

Sorry michael23, but this is Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) not Red-veined (S. fonscolombii). In S. fonscolombii the costa and most of the wing veins are crimson and the stigma is pale yellow with broad, dark borders. The photo shows that all the wing veins are dark and the stigma is reddy-brown with no obvious border. There is a nice picture on this page, taken in the Algarve, which shows both features well.

 

[Pete B]

From RSPB Sandwell
Laying eggs - Brown Hawker Dragonfly by Pete Banks, on Flickr