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Dragonfly
and Damselfly Photos 2020
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Migrant Hawker, Drayton, Oxon.
12 September
2020
A first visit to this lake to the east of Drayton,
where a female Lesser Emperor had recently been belatedly
identified from a photo.
No sign of this, but I did manage
to get close to this Migrant Hawker.
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Common Darters, Radley Lakes, Oxon.
10 September
2020
A further visit to Radley Lakes but again with no sign
of any rare darters. Instead, the only photo opportunity was
provided by this mating pair.
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Southern Hawker, Radley Lakes, Oxon.
5 September
2020
This visit was to follow up on Wayne Bull's report
from the previous day of a Red-veined Darter. Unfortunately in a
wait of about two hours I could find no sign of this very rare
species in the county (the last one was recorded as long ago as
2012!).
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Emerald Damselfly, Otmoor Oxon.
26 August
2020
No sign of any Willow Emeralds or Southern Migrant
Hawkers today in marginal conditions.
This Emerald
Damselfly at least provided another opportunity to experiment with
focus stacking.
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to enlarge |
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Willow Emerald Damselfly, Otmoor Oxon.
22 August
2020
Returning along the Roman Road, after yet another
abortive attempt to secure a Southern Migrant Hawker photo, I was
delighted to spot this Willow Emerald handing from a twig in
characteristic manner.
This is a female, so with a male
being reported from the same location on 18th, there are clearly
more than one present!
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to enlarge |
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Willow Emerald Damselfly, Otmoor Oxon.
22 August
2020
See above but this is is
a focus stacked image taken in non ideal conditions after it had
moved to a higher perch.
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to enlarge |
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Ruddy Darter, Otmoor Oxon.
8 August
2020
Along the Roman Road, after yet another abortive
attempt to secure a Southern Migrant Hawker photo!
This is
a focus stacked image
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to enlarge |
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Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Otmoor Oxon.
30 July
2020
Although I am pretty sure I had 3 brief views of a
mature Southern Migrant Hawker, it never settled and so no photos
again!
Some closer views of this more obliging Small Red-eyed
Damselfly was some compensation.
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to enlarge |
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Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Otmoor Oxon.
12 July
2020
Again no sign of any Southern Migrant Hawkers at the
site just south of the Old River Ray weir. However the pool over
the bank had 10+ of these damselflies that are highly localised in
Oxfordshire. This a new site for them.
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to enlarge |
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Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly, Longford Park, Banbury, Oxon.
11 July
2020
On the overgrown pool near the canal. SP4691739063.
This is the orange (aurantiaca) form of the female that looks more
striking than the male!
Thanks to Wayne Bull's sharp eyes
for finding most of these for me!
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to enlarge |
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Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly, Longford Park, Banbury, Oxon.
11 July
2020
Another slightly sharper photo of the aurantiaca
form of the female.
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Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly, Longford Park, Banbury, Oxon.
11 July
2020
A male
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to enlarge |
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Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly, Longford Park, Banbury, Oxon.
11 July
2020
An immature presumed male
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Ruddy Darter, Otmoor, Oxon.
26 June
2020
No sign at all of any Southern Migrant
Hawkers today. This Ruddy Darter however briefly popped up catching
the sun with a dark background which caught my eye.
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to enlarge |
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Keeled Skimmer, Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon.
26 June
2020
Despite the wind, this perch was sufficiently stable
to allow a successful focus stacking sequence to be taken.
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Ruddy Darter, Otmoor, Oxon.
25 June
2020
Not a lot of compensation for lack of Southern Migrant
Hawker photos!
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Banded Demoiselle, Buscot, Gloucestershire.
31 May
2020
Out for another causal walk, we stopped to try to get
some photos of these which were abundant on the north bank of the
river which is just in Gloucestershire.
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White-legged Damselfly, Culham Lock, Oxon
30 May
2020
Out for a causal Saturday afternoon stroll, we spotted
a small group of these White-legged Damselflies just by the Thames
path, west of the lock.
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Clubtail, Goring Railway Bridge, Oxon
28 May
2020
As well as the Clubtail emerging below, there was this
bonus close into the river bank in Little Meadow just upstream
from the bridge.
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Clubtail, Goring Railway Bridge, Oxon
28 May
2020
Another successful visit! On arrival at about
11:15, I found 10 spent exuviae on the wall, but with no sign of
activity. Returning about an hour later, I found this one just
starting to emerge!
In this focus stacked image it
had fully extended its wings and abdomen, and was shortly to take
its maiden flight.
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Clubtail, Goring Railway Bridge, Oxon
28 May
2020
This is animation sequence showing its emergence from
this stage onwards.
Click to enlarge and play! |
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Banded Demoiselle, nr Duxford Ford, Oxon
25 May
2020
A pleasant circular bank holiday walk taking in the
stretch of the Thames between Shifford Lock and Tenfoot Bridge.
Other species seen include 2+ of each of Hairy Dragonfly and
Emperor
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Downy Emerald, Barton Fields, Abingdon, Oxon
20 May
2020
This was being relatively obliging from time to time,
coming remarkably (too) close at times!
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Downy Emerald, Barton Fields, Abingdon, Oxon
20 May
2020
Another shot!
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Clubtail, Goring Railway Bridge, Oxon
14 May 2020
A successful return visit! On arrival at about 11:00, I found
one had just emerged and on the wall. It shortly flew off. I then
spotted another one just emerging and concentrated on that one, to
get this sequence of 3 photos.
In this one, it has emerged but its wings are still compressed.
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Clubtail, Goring Railway Bridge, Oxon
14 May 2020
In this focus stacked image, the wings are beginning to
straighten.
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Clubtail, Goring Railway Bridge, Oxon
14 May 2020
In this focus stacked image the wings are now straight and
fortunately this one didn't have any deformities, unlike the
unfortunate emergent below. It shortly flew off strongly over to
the top of a willow on the far side of the river in Berks (VC22)!
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Clubtail, Goring Railway Bridge, Oxon
6 May 2020
This individual emerged with a deformed wing as it had become
entangled in a spiders web. It then needed rescuing from the river
when it attempted to make its first flight. I fear it was most
unlikely to survive.
Thanks to Ian Lewington for his heads up on this one.
This is a focus stacked image.
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Clubtail, Goring Railway Bridge, Oxon
6 May 2020
A crop of the shot above.
This is a focus stacked image.
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Clubtail, Goring Railway Bridge, Oxon
6 May 2020
The one above, a bit earlier, just after it had emerged.
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Clubtail, Goring Railway Bridge, Oxon
6 May 2020
After seeing the one above, I spotted another Clubtail close by
on the same wall which looked like it was just about to emerge.
Unfortunately it then stayed in exactly the same state for as long
as I could wait. I do hope it eventually summoned the energy to
make it out.
But potentially 0/2 in terms of emergent survival, I'm afraid.
This is a focus stacked image.
Click to enlarge
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Azure Damselfly, Barton Fields, Abingdon, Oxon
2 May 2020
In the same pool in Barton Fields as the one below. This has a deformed abdomen and
appears to have difficulty in emerging.
My
first attempt at focus stacking this season. It was low down which
helped minimise any wind movement.
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Large Red Damselfly, Barton Fields, Abingdon, Oxon
23 April 2020
On one of the pools in Barton Fields. Many thanks to Martin Wackenier for telling me about these promising pools - I'd not known they were
there until now!
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| >© All pictures
copyright Stephen Burch |
