Sparrowhawk

 We were sitting in the garden the other day when I noticed something sitting in one of the trees. I thought at first, by the colour, it was a Collared Dove then I realised by the way it was sitting it couldn’t be, it was a Sparrowhawk.  We didn’t see it land in the tree so how long it had been sitting there I don’t know. I grabbed my camera and took a few shots. The following day while sitting in the garden a couple of Buzzards flew over and I managed a few distant shots.

Sparrowhawk.

Buzzard calling.

Brasside Ponds

 A place I’d never heard of until CB posted some images of Small Red-eyed Damselfly (something I have never seen) he’d taken there. I Googled it and found out it wasn’t too far away so my wife and I decided to pay a visit. There were loads of Damselflies skimming over the pond but I can’t be sure any were Small Red-eyed Damsels. However, I did manage a great consolation prize. Now I know where the ponds are I will be back next year to hopefully get to Damsels I’m after.

I may not have seen any Small Red-eyed Damsels but I will definitely make do with this Lesser Emperor Dragonfly. It might not be the best picture you’re likely to see of one, but it’s the first I have seen (thanks Alan for confirming what I thought it was and thanks to my wife for pointing out, in her words, "a large Dragonfly” flying over the pond). 

Common Blue Damselfly.

Blue-tailed Damselfly.

Teneral Blue-tailed Damselfly?

Female Blue-tailed?

I spent ages trying to get flight shots of the Sand Martins flying around the pond. I only had a 300mm lens with me so these images are all big crops.

Cormorant sunning its self.

Two flies I have yet to identify.

And I haven’t a clue what this is.

Hoverfly hovering.

Kibblesworth Brick Pond

 Or a walk around Bowes Valley Nature Reserve with my wife a few days ago (I’m still catching up) for dragonflies. The most numerous were Common Darter but we did see a couple of Emperor Dragonflies and a few Emerald Damselflies. While the Emperor was always distant the Darters were quite close so I was able to get some canny flight and posed shots.

Emperor Dragonfly.

Emperor Dragonfly in flight but always at a distance.

Eating in flight.

Common Darter.

Common Darter in flight.

I think this is first time I have caught Emerald Damselflies in tandem.

7-spot Ladybird.

Burdon Moor

 A trip to Burdon Moor the other week proved interesting on the insect front, It was a canny walk out.

Male Common Darter.

Female Southern Hawker. 

Green Leafhopper (female I think).

Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar.

Not sure but could be an Ochsenheimeria urella Moth.

Bumblebee or Cuckoo bee?

It should be easy to identify but I just get confused. I find it hard to distinguish between a Bumblebee and a Cuckoo bee.

This one is being photo bombed.

Wasp cleaning its self.

Common Tachinid.

Hoverfly Myathropa florea.

Grasshopper.

Small White Butterfly.

Stonechat.