Sunday 9 August 2015

First Dragon of the Year

Saturday saw the arrival of the first visiting dragonfly to my garden pond this year.
Looks to me like a female Common Darter.
It spent time making sorties round the pond, always returning to the same place.

 Common Darter IMG_3111

 Common Darter IMG_3091

At one point it appeared to be chasing this pair of damsels but gave up when they landed:

 IMG_3104

Returning to its vantage point where it rested watching them:

Common Darter IMG_3110

Common Darter IMG_3095

Common Darter IMG_3084


She stayed a couple of hours before moving on.

5 comments:

  1. Super photographs John. It is not often we see them up here; maybe I would see more near the beck if I walked down the pasture, although I think they prefer still water don't they?

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  2. Excellent shots. I'm still waiting to see one.

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  3. I've seen common darters a fair way from water, they like woodland edges too. That pose is typical of the female common darter, with the wings hanging forward as if the dragon is slightly shy!

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  4. Number 4 is a really great shot John.

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  5. Great garden addition, John! Never seen one visit my pond yet but have been thrilled with seeing large red damselflies seen last month and captured video of mating and eggs being laid under pond leaves. So small they were and only on watching video did I see quite how pretty they are. Shorter common blues have been too

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Thank you for visiting. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Any comment, or correction to any information or identification I get wrong, is most welcome. John

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