Yet more dragons

With the test match wrapped up early and the sun shining fitfully I thought a dragon hint was in order, planning a circular route. The first stop-off point was the old pond. Again there were brown hawkers hawking and common darters aplenty. The hawkers wouldn't settle and the darters all kept too low to make for pleasing photos - the background being too cluttered. I made an effort then left for the dragonfly pond.

There wasn't much to be seen at first, just a few damsels and some darters disturbed as I walked round the pond. When the sun shone warmly the darters were more evident, two or three being seen in places where the grass was flattened by the feet of dragonfly enthusiasts. Hawkers appeared around the shrubs bordering the grass surrounding the pond and emperors over the water. I almost stalked a hawker that I saw land on a tree. But I lost sight of it, made a false move and spooked it.

The darters were more approachable and I managed to get close to one perching on the top of the seedhead of a plant.

Another photographer had arrived and dropped lucky to have an emperor settle on some sedges at the pond's edge. Just out of range for me though. I decided on a move but was stopped by the sight of a hawker ovipositing at the opposite end of the pond. I was making my way towards it when one of the emperors spotted it too and harassed it. The hawker moved further round the pond to an inaccessible spot. I decided to try some flight shots of the patrolling emperor.

As usual I switched to manual focus and tried firing off quick bursts as it passed by me. This proved as unsuccessful as usual. I swapped my 70-300 Sigma to the 18-200 Nikkor which has proved good, if a little short, for photographing flying birds. This worked slightly better, although the results needed more cropping than with the 70-300.

While taking the flight shots I heard a clash of dragonfly wings and saw two emperors battling on the surface of the pond. I was too slow to get a shot of the two together, but managed some blurred shots of the beaten male struggling to free itself from the water.

Struggling

Free!

After this I spent some time watching a brown hawker hoping it would land somewhere, but it didn't. Then the other guy called me over to look at a broad-bodied chaser he'd found basking on a wall.

Spot the dragonfly

There was a ditch between the wall and the path which I was told was a steep drop through the undergrowth. So we both made the best we could of leaning over the nettles. The chap told me of another pond on the site that was home to a couple of species that the dragonfly pond itself doesn't harbour. One to look at another day. He had to make tracks, so when he'd gone I took a chance. Sure enough the ditch was less precipitous than I'd been told. And I was able to get close enough to fill the frame.

Broad-bodied chaser

I chanced a circuit of the new pond, without seeing the species I' been told about, but there was a hawker about and some damsels. Certainly worth another look. The last port of call was the litter pit, but by the time I got there the day had gone off and my stay was short.

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