Another blazer of a day (it won't last), and time to visit Castle Hill nature reserve and head for the secluded dew pond. A perfect location for dragonfly watching.
There were plenty of butterflies and day-flying moths to keep me occupied during the walk to the pond, including 5-spot burnet moths, various small blues and skippers, but the most impressive displays were by the innumerable marbled whites. 
Down at the pond itself, the dragonflies were playing hard to get, spending much of their time either in dizzyingly rapid flight or ducking down behind the ample pond plants. The broad bodied chasers are at least prone to taking a rest every now and then and are marked as 'relatively easy' on my scale of dragonfly photo subjects. This is a male in a very typical pose.
The emperors are more of a challenge. They are extremely rapid in flight, rarely stop and when they do they tend stand vertically and thus blend in with whatever it is they are gripping. Still, one can try. 😉
The pick of the shots though was this one of a pair of mating common darters.
The next few days may be punctuated by light showers, but thankfully not a return to the unrelenting bad weather of the past few months. At least I hope not.
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens, aprt from the first one which was taken with the EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens.
derWandersmann
27 Jul 2012A good day, Words. And a nice change of pace.
gdare
27 Jul 2012Second and fifth photographs are beautiful :up:
Mickeyjoe-Irl
27 Jul 2012Fingers crossed for the weather.
avo999
27 Jul 2012so beautiful – you´re photos are always like a new world for me :love: :love: :love:
53north
28 Jul 2012I managed a ride up into the wolds and did a few macro attempts with my 5mp phone…
SittingFox
29 Jul 2012Great shot of the marbled white on the thistle :up:
Words
29 Jul 201253north, that's pretty good with a phone. I see a couple of hover flies there.
Words
29 Jul 2012Andrea, thanks!
Words
29 Jul 2012dW, it was so good to have some decent weather. I headed straight to a spot I knew would deliver!
Words
29 Jul 2012Mick, the weather is holding up… but by its fingertips.
Words
29 Jul 2012Adele, thanks! It made a change to have a nearly perfectly clean background.
Words
29 Jul 2012Darko, thanks! I was really pleased with both those shots.