Red Veined Breeding Success!

It was only a few months ago that I first found a few Red veined Darter on one of the pools in the Nethergong area. Despite searching, I couldn't find any females at the time but hoped that there were some around to breed. Jump forward to the weekend where I was out in rather cloudy conditions and checking the grasses around the pools for any dragonflies or damselflies when I suddenly flushed quite a yellow dragonfly in front of me which soon landed. I already had my suspicions and was pleased to see a teneral female Red veined Darter. They had bred! With this find, I then spent the next hour carefully walking through the grasses where I managed to see 7 Red veined Darter, 6 teneral and 1 adult male. Although the light was quite challenging, I managed to take a number of photos of this first for the area. To prove breeding, I then spent some time looking in the vegetation where I manged to find at least 10 Red veined Darter exuviae. I'm sure there are more to emerge and some that I have already missed. Hopefully I can get back in the next few days for another look but what a local result to have these beauties breeding on the patch. I wonder whether they will mature up on site and lay their eggs for next year or leave the site and return south. It's certainly been a treat to have them this year.  

Red veined Darter - teneral female

Red veined Darter - male

Take the Camera Away!

Not the best of weeks in one way with a few days feeling quite ill and I couldn't get out and then the car decided to break down, so that has been taken away to a garage to be looked at Monday. So with no car, I have been very limited where I go. Luckily, I have a few sites close to me that I can cycle too. With this in mind, I have spent yet more hours watching a few Southern Migrant Hawkers on territory at Nethergong where they have been showing well flying up and down the now very dried up ditches. Having spent some time here now, I have become familiar with their flight patterns and they have got used to me, where they now hover quite close to me at times. This has given me a few opportunities to try to capture some pleasing flight shots. In most cases, I have some 'nearly' shots but occasionally, it all comes good and you get the shots you were after. It hopefully proves that if you know your species and study them enough, that anything can be achieved. Having said that, I will still aim higher if I get another chance this season. If not, what a time I had with them. It was a pleasure...slightly frustrating at times!

Southern Migrant Hawker - male

'NEW' Patch Dragonflies

It's seems to have been a good year for a number of species and this continued hot weather has no doubt encouraged more species to travel to our shores from the near continent. Two species that have done well are the Red veined Darter and Lesser Emperor. Both of these species have never been seen on my Nethergong/Chislet Marshes patch in the ten years of watching but with the addition of a reservoir this year, I was keen to monitor to see what species turned up. A few weeks ago I saw my first 5 Red veined Darter on the patch and despite not seeing any females, It would be nice to think that they have egg layed there. A check at the weekend again provided 4 Red veined Darter and 2 Lesser Emperor, a male and a female. Again a new species for the patch. I did take a few record shots but certainly not publishable! As I walked back to the car, I checked a sheltered sunny area and found a few Willow Emerald Damselfly. Despite only having the Canon f4 300 mm lens on, I decided to spend some time trying to capture a few images. It was nice to watch them flying out from the hedges and return with small prey a second later. Just spending time in nature has to be one of the best things ever. There's always something to look at, photograph or just enjoy. With a few weeks off work now, hopefully I can get out a bit to enjoy what nature has to offer.  

Willow Emerald Damselfly - male

Willow Emerald Damselfly - female

Schools Out For Summer!

With the first day of the summer holidays here at last, I decided on a visit to Nethergong to see whether any Southern Migrant Hawkers were on the dried up pools. On arrival at 11:15 in brightening skies, I could only enter one field to check as the other was full of cattle and I'm not that good with them if I'm honest. I made my way towards the dried up pools and thankfully, saw the first of 3 Southern Migrant Hawkers on territory flying continuously up and down. They didn't land in the ninety minutes I was with them so I thought I would attempt some flight shots. This is a good species to capture in flight as they can hover well at times. I did a bit of homework first before attempting a few photos. One of the males had a dangly leg and vigorously chased away anything that attempted to fly through or land in his territory. With a bit of patience, I ended up with a few useable photos. Still some improvements required but a fantastic way to spend a few hours. It certainly beats working! Other bits seen included 2 Norfolk Hawker, 4 Emperor Dragonfly, 2 Black tailed Skimmer, 2 Willow Emerald Damselfly, a few Common Blue Damselfly as well as Common and Ruddy Darter.

Southern Migrant Hawker - male