Stephen Burch's Birding & Dragonfly Website |
||
Home | Trip Reports | Gallery | UK index | Oxon pics | UK pics | Dragonflies | Other Nature | Links |
|
|
![]() |
Migrant Hawker, Oxon 15 September 2007 For something a bit different, try clicking on this image to see a short animation! Thanks to Steve Cham for the suggestion of animations. |
![]() |
Migrant Hawker, Oxon 15 September 2007 One of the best of many quite reasonable flight shots - they were hovering for relatively long periods. I even managed to get the auto-focus to work, when they were so close and still. |
![]() |
Migrant Hawker, Oxon 15 September 2007 See below. |
![]() |
Migrant Hawker, Oxon 15 September 2007 See below. |
![]() |
Migrant Hawker, Oxon 15 September 2007 Masses of Migrant Hawkers, just waiting to be photoed both settled and in flight. |
![]() |
Southern Hawker, Little
Whittenham, Oxon 15 September 2007 Back in the UK, and a good late summer 'Hawker' day, with plenty of sun & little wind. This was relatively early in the morning. |
![]() |
Female Iberian Bluetail,
villa garden, Praia da Luz, Portugal 23 August 2007 |
![]() |
Red-veined Darters,
Alvor Estuary, Portugal 28 August 2007 One of the few dragonfly breeding habitats found - fresh water was not abundant. |
![]() |
Red-veined Darter,
villa garden, Praia da Luz, Portugal 29 August 2007 |
![]() |
Red-veined Darter,
villa garden, Praia da Luz, Portugal 29 August 2007 Very numerous species... |
![]() |
Scarlet Darter, villa
garden, Praia da Luz, Portugal 20 August 2007 Scarlet Darter, but the obvious pale cross markings on the abdomen don't appear in the book. |
![]() |
Lesser Emperor, Pera
Marshes, Algarve, Portugal 28 August 2007 Somewhat commoner in Portugal than the UK. This was the only one I found settled for long enough to take pics. |
![]() |
Brown Hawker, Radley
Lakes, Oxon 11 August 2007 Taken while waiting for the L Emperor to appear - not much point laying eggs in Thrupp Lake, if it is to be drained shortly.. |
![]() |
Lesser Emperor, Radley
Lakes, Oxon 11 August 2007 A record shot of this rarity - shows all the diagnostic features including the narrow yellow band just in front of the blue at the base of the abdomen. |
![]() |
Small Red-eyed
Damselfly, Oxon 5 August 2007 I can assure viewers of my website that this was not an easy picture to get! Needed more extreme measures than I would normally consider... |
![]() |
Mating pair of Small
Red-eyed Damselfly, Oxon 5 August 2007 See above |
![]() |
Ruddy Darter, Sole
Common Pond, Berks 4 August 2007 A not fully mature adult? Also at this site today, Southern Hawker, Emerald Damselfly and plenty of Four-spotted Chasers. No sign though of Black Darters. |
![]() |
Female Emperor
ovipositing, Decoy Heath, Berks 28 July 2007 I'm reliably informed that BBOWT has recently put a lot of effort into this excellent reserve, which would have been much better for dragonflies if the weather hadn't been so appalling recently! Apparently Keeled Skimmer, and Small Red Damselfly occur here, as well as Downy (but probably not Brilliant) Emerald. No sign of any of these rarer species in only just passable (for dragonflies) conditions today. |
|
Male Emperor, Oxon 21 July 2007 Plenty of these around today in a brief sunny spell, having clearly survived the deluge of yesterday, albeit a bit battered! This one would come in to settle in a sheltered corner when the sun went behind clouds, but took off again the moment the sun reappeared - about 1 sec after this shot was taken! |
![]() |
Immature Black Darter,
Whixall Moss NNR, Shropshire 7 July 2007 I first thought this was an immature Ruddy Darter, but thanks to Kate Dent from Berks, for correcting me. The diagnostic 3 yellow spots in the black band on the side of the thorax are clearly visible. |
![]() |
Emerald Damselfly,
Whixall Moss NNR, Shropshire 7 July 2007 In poor, windy conditions, there was no sign of White-faced Darter which was the main object of this trip. But these damselflies were some compensation, in a few pools sheltered by a small clump of trees. |
|
Immature Common Darter,
Greenham Common, Berks 23 June 2007 No sign of the Red-veined Darters here today in far from ideal conditions. As well as a few Common Darter, there were Black-tailed Skimmers, Emperors & various common Damselflies here. |
![]() |
Blue tailed Damselfly,
Oxon 17 June 2007 Presumed female of the form violacea |
![]() |
Male Common Blue
Damselfly, Oxon 17 June 2007 |
![]() |
Downy Emerald, Sole
Common Pond, Berks 10 June 2007 I appreciate this isn't the sharpest picture, but dragonflies in flight aren't easy! This was at least hovering for a second or two. Usually just long enough to find it in the camera, but not to focus and press the shutter! Once or twice it stayed put for just a little longer. More light in the form of sunshine would have improved matters, and given faster shutter times to avoid the wing blur. |
![]() |
Red eyed Damselfly,
Oxon 9 June 2007 |
![]() |
Four spotted Chaser,
Oxon 9 June 2007 |
![]() |
Club tailed Dragonfly,
Goring, Oxon 2 June 2007 See below. |
![]() |
Club tailed Dragonfly,
Goring, Oxon 2 June 2007 Success at last! Not easy to spot, or photo, though. Best picked up in flight low over the river, and then follow them until they settle. However, this one didn't stay in any one place for long, and disappeared around 13:00. |
![]() |
Banded Demoiselle,
Goring, Oxon 20 May 2007 See below for comments on technical aspects. Taken while abortively searching for Club-tailed. Definitely my bogey species! |
![]() |
Female Blue-tailed
Damselfly, Goring, Oxon 20 May 2007 My first attempt with extension tubes (all 3 Jessops together!) on the EOS350D & EF 400mm. Certainly allows much higher magnification - bringing damselflies into 'play'. Somewhat predictably, the downside is the incredibly small depth of field, even at quite small aperture. Tripod essential! |
Enjoyed these pictures? To see some more, why not have a look at my 2008 dragonfly pics? |
|
© All pictures copyright Stephen Burch |