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I was fortunate enough to be offered a lift to see this species the year after it was first seen in Britain. An easier than expected species to identify, excellent views were had at a small gravel pit. Since then the species has expanded its range north and west, though I expect it to be a few years yet until its discovered in Derbyshire sadly |
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This locally very common damselfly can be seen at a number of sites along the Trent Valley, though there always seems to be a good feeling everytime you find one of these |
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This female was very obliging as it just remained there as I had to unwrangle myself from various nettles, luckily the background and stick offer a near perfect composition. WEll worth the stings |
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A fantastic darter, this immature male was one of several individuals at a private site, one of the few remaining strongholds in England. A difficult to photograph darter, where much patience, and luck, is needed |
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One of the few species where the female is even more spectacular than the male, sadly I have no decent photos of them to offer, yet! A scarce but loccally very abundant and increasing species as it adapts to new habitats |
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One of Britains rarest odonata. Great to search for as they can be hard to find and identify. Note the 'hour glass figure' on segment 2 and the pattening of segment 8. Also appear quite small. The New Forest offers a fantastic day out in June for butterflies and birds too |
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This rare and little known damselfly has has recently been rediscovered in Britain, being very local in the Fens and Thames estuary area. Tricky to identify from the Emerald, sadly I only managed poor shots of this |
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These tiny damselflies can be a sod to find, its amazing how small they can appear, and you always seem to lose them if you change your angle slightly! Another scarce species that the New Forset comes up trumps for |
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A srange damselfly, occuring at sveral sites in small pockets for no apparent reason, but may be under-recorded? Still to be found in Derbyshire, note segment 2 pattening again |
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This common damsel appears in large colonies at all kinds of sites, so common I've never got round to photographing them really! As this picture shows |
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This fantastic dragonfly is found on heath and moorland throughout the country, but is rather scarce. Bar brook is the only well known site in the county for this species, and can be seen relatively easily here, great to watch s they patrol up and down the small streams |
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A bogland species, which like black-tail can be abundant given the required habitat, but absent from all surrounding areas. Easy to identify, I have yet to go and try to get a decent photograph of this species |
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Another bogland species, but more widespread than others, even occuring in Derbyshire! Prone to irruptions from the continent too. A species I've never seen much though, wrong time, wrong places I suppose |
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A common late Summer dragonfly over much of southern and central England, though spreading north and west. Often a victim to Hobbys during the flight period. Very common at Willington and can be seen from 630am to 9pm if weather permits |
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This teneral was photographed at Atcham, Worcs in May 1998. One of only 2 found on this dull breezy day. A superb dragondly, definitely one of the best looking species to be found in the UK |
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A great few days in Ireland produced not only me finding my own Bairds Sandpiper, but also this RVD, which I later found out to be the first record for Eire! and the first record for the whole of Ireland in over 50 years. These great darters are easy to pick out among their commoner relatives |
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A common sight in late Summer along the Trent Valley, perhaps being the easiest Hawker species to photgraph. This female was one of 9 egg laying around a single fallen tree |
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An afternoon can be spent watching colonies of these dance alongside the river in persuit of females, an abundant species in the right habitat, sadly not quite the right habitat is found in Derbyshire for the Beautiful Demoiselle, or is it?! |
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These energetic bullies are a good sign for any local reserve as they only like clean water and lots of emergant and green vegetation. Great fun to watch as they chase anything from Emperors to Damselflies |
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A trip to the Norfolk broads has to be made for views of this and the engimatic Swallowtail butterfly. These Hawkers offer great views, as they appear almost red in flight and patience can be rewarded with great photographic oppotunities |
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A locally common species, liking lush vegetation. Hilton GP can be a great place to photgraph a wide range of species, note the blue markings on 2nd segment compared to the Scarece Emerald |
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A common species at most sites, note the positioning of the blue band on the abdomen compared to Scarce blue-tail. The females can be intersting to look at, occuring in 3 different colour forms |
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Another black and blue damselfly, luckily, about the commonest one in south Deryshire at least, along with the Common Blue. Easy to identify by looking at the pattening on segment 8 |
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A damselfly of mainly fast flowing rivers with lush vegetation, similar in many ways to Beautiful Demoiselle, though like that species is yet to be found in Derbyshire, surely the River Dove has a hidden population?! |
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This scarce but locally very abundant species again favours the New Forest. This was one of my first photographs of a dragonfly, on the way back from a supposed Greater Sandplover, later to find out we were right, it was a Lesser! |
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A now common species thanks to the introduction of Gravel pits inland, the species favoured habitat. Making this one of the most common dragonflies in the Trent Valley |
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A common species found in all habitats, great to look for at any time of year due to the number of migrant darters resembling Common, so you never know if the next one could be a big one! |
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This prat decided to just go, and wreck the habitat at this site, while showing off his pink pants at the same time! Luckily he didnt manage a single photo, and pushed them all towards my camera instead! Note the algea mats that SRED love so much |
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