Cragside

A few days ago, my wife and I went up to Cragside in Northumberland not to visit the house but to find Dragonflies. Slipper Lake was our destination and Black Darter my target, I have never seen as many. My wife sat patiently for a few hours as I filled my boots with not only Black Darter but also Common Hawker Dragonflies. There were also loads of Emerald Damselflies around the margins of the lake. At one point, my wife gave me a shout “what’s that brown thing flying around” it was a bat. I managed to get a couple of rubbish shots before it flew off. It was a cracking day out (at least it was for me).

Male Black Darter

Female Black Darter

In tandem

Mating Wheel

I saw this Hawker drop into the reeds, it caught something and flew up into the trees

I followed it and realised what it had caught.

I don’t know how it happened but the Hawker has both an Emerald and a Black Darter to feed on

Common Hawker mating wheel this was the best I could get

Egg laying

She was laying eggs in a few different places

I had to try for flight shots

Emerald Damselfly

In tandem

I thought trying to get flight shots of Dragonflies was difficult trying to get flight shots of a bat is even harder

It’s a pity the only half decent shots I got was when it went behind a bush

 

Kibblesworth 13.08.17

It was worth a trip to Kibblesworth on Sunday to get my first Southern Hawker of the year. A late Broad-bodied Chaser and Emperor Dragonfly were a nice surprise as was seeing what could have been a Brown Hawker, I did not get any pictures so cannot be sure, but that is what it looked like. In addition, there were good numbers of Common Darter. It was also nice to see a couple of deer although they did not hang around long.

Southern Hawker

Broad-bodied Chaser

Emperor Dragonfly always distant

Common Darter with lunch

Eating lunch in the pyramid position

One that did not make it

Roe Deer with fawn

Moving off

 

Hook Norton Part 2

A few more from our holiday in Hook Norton.

Record shots of Hobbies a heat haze (that’s what I’m blaming) blurred the shots.

Spotted Flycatcher

Juvenile

Reed Warbler

Heron enjoying the sun



Female Common Blue not White Legged as I first thought

Common Blue Damselfly

Brown Hawker this is the best I could do

I have never seen as many Gatekeeper butterflies they were every where

Brown Argus

Brown Argus

Common Blue

Caterpillar

Bee