'Moulted' Brown Hawker Nymph!

A check of one of my tanks after work this week revealed that the Brown Hawker had moulted during the day and its skin was floating complete on the surface of the water. This is the first time it has moulted since I have started rearing it during the winter and after a brief search I could see the quite 'white' Brown Hawker nymph hiding away. Throughout the evening the pigment started appearing on the body and within a few hours, it was back to its dark colouring. With the first day of summer today, someone tell the forecast that, I had a while trying to photograph one of my favourite dragonfly nymphs and tried to capture some of the key features. I find the Brown Hawker nymph one of the most striking nymphs to look at, the light bands on the thorax leading to the back of the head, the dark bands on the legs are all significant features helping with the id of this species. I spent some time this afternoon taking a number of photos from different angles and using AV mode, manual focus, f8, ISO 400 and speed at around 200 I managed to get a number of pleasing images.

 'Moulted' Brown Hawker Nymph (side view)

'Moulted' Brown Hawker Nymph (underside)

'Moulted' Brown Hawker Nymph Labial Mask

Its amazing that this is only a moulted exuvia and that the nymph continues to grow well in the tank. I hope if I keep looking that I may see see one of these nymphs moult in the next few months, it must be some sight to witness. Hopefully soon the first Large Red Damselflies will emerge, iv'e prepared a tank for these with a few green sticks for them to climb up and emerge. Three more days at work and then I have got 2 weeks off for Easter. Fingers crossed for some better weather and an opportunity to photograph the Large Red Damseflies emerging and who knows, maybe a Hairy Dragonfly if I am lucky when i'm out and about. 

'Moulted' Brown Hawker Nymph (underside)

'Moulted' Brown Hawker Nymph (top side)

 The 'Business' End of a Brown Hawker Nymph

'Moulted' Brown Hawker Nymph (side view)

'Moulted' Emperor Dragonfly Nymph (top) and Brown Hawker Nymph (bottom)

Tank Troubles and Moulting Nymph Skins!

Earlier in the week when I went to check the tanks I noticed that one of the Emperor Dragonfly nymphs had moulted and the complete skin was on the surface of the water. Knowing that this must have happened when I was at work I set about trying to find it. Unfortunately I did find it, but it was in the jaws of the big Emperor Dragonfly nymph which had obviously found it resting up. I hadn't been caught long and as much as I didn't want to watch it, I had never really seen this beast in action. It eat it from the abdomen end first and after eating half of it, let it go where remarkably the small Emperor nymph dragged itself away to safety. It didn't last long however and did not make it through the night. I have since seen the Emperor Dragonfly nymph hunting small nymphs and its certainly feeding well. Looking in the other tanks, I have also this week seen the Brown Hawker nymph catching small shrimps, the speed of the attack when close enough is too quick for the eye to see. The Broad bodied Chaser unlike the Hawkers sits patiently and when something gets close enough, suddenly launches its attack. Lastly the Large Red Damselfly was seen eating a small damselfly nymph and almost looks ready to emerge soon. I will keep and eye on them as hopefully the next few weeks may see the first ones starting to emerge. I remember last year that the abdomen went quite red in colour prior to emergence, something to look for. I decided today to have a quick session at Nethergong where the idea was to catch a few small prey items for the nymphs in the tank and pond. After returning I thought I would have a photography session with the 20mm Emperor Dragonfly skin that had been moulted in the week. Depending on the species, dragonflies can moult 10 -14 times during larval development and each time a complete skin is left. When moulted the labial mask and Labial palps are visible showing the business end of why they are such dangerous predators underwater. After setting the camera up I took a number of shots from different angles and was able to study the mask through a magnifying glass, yet more new information to learn. I could have probably done with a 100mm macro lens for more quality and detail but they didn't turn out too bad with the 150mm macro lens. I have also seen a few damselfly skins as well in the tank so this may give me the excuse for another session later in the week maybe, if time allows!

Emperor Dragonfly Nymph (side view) 

Emperor Dragonfly Nymph (top side) 

Emperor Dragonfly Nymph (side view) 

Emperor Dragonfly Nymph (side view) 

Emperor Dragonfly Nymph (underside) 

Emperor Dragonfly Nymph (underside) 

Emperor Dragonfly Nymph (underside)

Wheatear's Arrive at Reculver

With a single Wheatear arriving a couple of days ago at Reculver I made a brief visit yesterday morning before work for 10 minutes where after a quick search I could see the male Wheatear sitting up nicely on the rocks. Its always a buzz to see the first of these attractive birds returning back to the area and after a nice view, I continued on to work. This morning around 9.30am and with the weather not sure whether it wanted to rain or be sunny, I made another visit to Reculver with the camera. There was a chilly biting north wind which made for an eye watering few hours but we are in that 'migration' window where things will start to turn up. The sun was in and out as I made my way west along the seawall and after scanning the rocks, I soon located the familiar shape of the Wheatear. Often after arrival, they are quite wary and this proved to be the case as photos were quite hard to get as it fed actively in the rocks and under the cliffs. I settled down on a few rocks and after a while it started to move a little nearer and I was able to get a few images. I'm still getting used to the camera but so far am pleased with the results that I am getting.

Wheatear

Room for improvement i'm sure and hopefully this will come as the year continues. I moved on where I wanted to see if any other birds had arrived along the seawall. I walked down as far as the Green Wall but with the rain starting and the biting wind reducing me to teary eyes, I made my way back. I did note a few birds including 3 Curlew, 2 Little Egret, 6 Sanderling, 5 Redshank, 1 Red throated Diver, 2 Oystercatcher, 3 Turnstone, c15 Linnet, c600 Dark bellied Brent Geese and back at the Oyster Farm, 1 Black Redstart was seen but soon moved deeper into the farm and out of view. A quick look inland on the way home produced 1 Great crested Grebe, c10 Tufted Duck, a few Gadwall and 2 Chiffchaff, one in fine voice singing. Hopefully an early morning outing tomorrow to Reculver to see what else may have arrived overnight. 

Wheatear

Reculver Calls!

With the migration season seemingly starting at Reculver with a few Black Redstart arriving in the past few days, the added bonus of Short eared Owls hunting late afternoon and a Barnacle Goose in with the Brent Goose flock, I made a visit to the area after work. Since having my Canon 7d, I think this is about the first time I have used it on the birds so it may take me a few sessions to get used to it and produce something of good quality. Arriving in clear sunny conditions about 4.20pm I walked up to the towers and took a good look at the rocks which produced my first Black Redstart of the year. I spent about 15 minutes trying to get a few shots, most not turning out that well but I ended up with the shot below which is not too bad, slightly over exposed but its a start.

Black Redstart

Moving on to the seawall I saw a few Oystercatcher, Redshank, 2 Little Egret, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Curlew and a Ringed Plover. Along the seawall I met up with Dave Barnes who had seen a Short eared Owl hunting over the Oyster farm. We had a chat whilst scanning and I soon picked up the Owl as it quartered over the far side and dived down. When it appeared again there were 2 Short eared Owls and they briefly spiraled before going their own way. I walked on in the hope of getting some kind of shot but at this point the sun had gone in and was soon covered by descending mist. As I walked around the Oyster Farm, it made a few passes but always quite distant but I took a few shots anyway.

Short eared Owl

Moving on it or an other one was seen perched on a post and I was able to take a few shots but again, the light was not good at all.

Short eared Owl

In the fields behind the Oyster Farm were c600 Dark bellied Brent Geese and they took flight together producing a lovely spectacle of noise as they flew over my head back to the sea. As I scanned I picked out the Barnacle Goose and I managed a quick shot before it was lost in the large flock.

Barnacle Goose with Dark bellied Brent Geese

It was also pleasing to see c40 Golden Plover as well as singing Skylarks, Reed Buntings and a flock of c20 Linnet. There were c20 Corn Bunting in a bush in the middle of the Oyster Farm and a single Grey Heron flew up. Only about an hours birding but nonetheless, a pleasant session and great to be back out birding. Not long now until the first Wheatear's arrive, any day now I reckon!

Bands of Beauty!!

After reviewing some of my shots yesterday with the Banded Demoiselle nymphs, I come to the conclusion that the green background may not have worked like it has with some of the other nymphs I have photographed. With this in mind and looking at other photos of this species on the internet in different surroundings, I set about finding a more subtle background and went in the end for a few brown dead leaves from the garden. After positioning the leaf in the tank at the right angle and lighting the tank so the light picked up the leaf well, this made for a nice background colour and I hoped that this may show more detail in the shots. With most of the Banded Demoiselle nymphs already returned to a local river where they already breed I kept a couple back and spent some time last night in the kitchen. I spent an hour taking a good number of shots using manual mode, f8-11, ISO 400 and speed set to 250 and I think the results have worked out well with the subtle brown background compared to the session before. As well as taking photos it was also a nice excuse to be able to study them at close range and see the wing buds already well formed in some individuals. To think for some of these will transform from a not great looking nymph into superb flying Demoiselles soon and complete their epic journey is what it’s all about. All were returned this morning to the river to continue their adventure. Hopefully my camera will be there to capture some of them later in the year! 

Banded Demoiselle Nymph

'Horny' Damsels!

A few weeks ago whilst looking for Large Red Damselfly nymphs at Sue Morton's pond in Westbere, I got talking to her husband Dave who is a keen trout fisherman. Knowing my interest in dragonflies and photographing nymphs during the winter months he asked if I wanted to go along to a nearby river in March where he and a few others carry out a survey to see how healthy the insect life is in the river. He tempted me by mentioning that from time to time they catch Banded Demoiselle nymphs, a species I have yet to see in the larvae stage. After arranging meeting times in the week I met up with Dave and a few others where I spent an hour helping out and watching the recording of the river life there. On the first attempt where all manner of life was put in the trays I scanned carefully looking for the target species. I know what they look like and was soon able to pick one out, then as my eye got in, I found quite a few of differing sizes. In the short time looking through the trays we found c15 Banded Demoiselle nymphs. They commented that this is the most by far they had caught of this species in one go. As this was my first experience actually seeing this species it was interesting to note how stick insect and spider like they were and with added long horns, they looked quite intimidating to the eye. I had turned up all prepared with camera, tripod, tank, pots and nets etc but they were happy for me to bring a few back with me so I could take my time in getting some photos. After dinner last night I set up the tank in the kitchen and got it all lit and spent an hour trying to photograph the Demoiselle nymphs. in various surroundings and backgrounds. Like all larvae under the water, its another world and I spent some time just watching them go about their business, the first pair of legs continually wiping the long antennae and for some, they played little part in walking and seemed to be used as 'feelers'. I managed to obtain a few photos which turned out quite nicely and yet another very educational session, not only on identification but also on habits and more information on camera settings etc. These larvae will be returned to the river in the morning as they live in moving water but I might have another session with one tonight, just in case I can get something a little better with the camera.

Banded Demoiselle Nymph 

A 'Common' Sight Soon!

Having found and photographed a few species in the past few months, I decided that I had not caught and photographed many Common Blue Damselfly nymphs so after work last week I made the effort to find a few. I spent a while searching and ended up with some and although some damselfly nymphs can be hard to id, the Common Blue Damselfly has often between 1 and 3 lines on the caudal lamellae which thankfully can often be seen with the naked eye. After returning home with a few I set up the tank in the evening where I spent some time photographing them and checking more id features with the books that I had not seen before on them. Although no adult dragonflies and damselflies are on the wing yet, I have been quite successful during the winter having photographed Common Blue, Azure, Blue tailed, Large Red and Red eyed Damselfly as well as Broad bodied Chaser, Brown Hawker and Emperor Dragonfly. Today, Saturday I made a visit to a river survey in Sturry where they managed to catch c15 Banded Demoiselle nymphs of varying sizes, another new nymph species I have never seen before. I have a few at home to photograph before I return them back to the river so guess what I shall be doing later tonight! Hopefully a few results to share in the next few days.

Common Blue Damselfly Nymph

King of the Nymphs!

Earlier this week after work I made a visit to a local pond to release some of the larvae I had caught and photographed earlier from my tank sessions. It seems right that after photographing them that I release them to go about their natural lives as best they can. After doing this I had about 15 minutes of pond dipping to see what I could get. I caught a few Common Blue Damselfly which I have yet to photograph but near the end of the session I caught what I have been after for some while, a near fully grown Emperor Dragonfly nymph of about 55mm in length, a beast of a nymph in size and looks. I returned home with it and that evening set about trying to get a few photos of it. Unlike the rest of the nymphs I have photographed where I can get quite close with the camera, for this one because of its size, I had to stand quite a bit back to get it all in the viewfinder. This presented a few issues with shadows etc but I ended up with a few nice images although I'm sure I will be able to get better when I have thought about a plan to capture this in a better way. It was nice to get a few close images of the nymph and a chance to study this species in all its detail from close range. I will hopefully rear this one to its release and would love to capture it emerging. What I do know is that anything else in the tank is doing its best to hide from this stunning nymph. I'm sure another session with this nymph will take place in the next few days with hopefully a few more images to share!

Emperor Dragonfly Nymph (55mm Long)