Dragonflies and Birds Don’t Mix

An hour by the pond at lunchtime proved an hour well spent. I'd gone in search of these.
Broad bodied chaser dragonfly (female)

I could watch them, literally, for hours as they criss-cross the pond. The males (blue) are in constant motion. The females are much easier subjects as they hover over one spot to lay their eggs (ovipositing).

Unfortunately I wasn't the only one out looking for dragonflies. I was joined by this hunter.
Crow with broad bodied chaser

Followed by a long drink

As well as the chasers, the damselflies were busy making more damselflies. If you look carefully just beyond the active pair, you can see a new damselfly (pale pink colour) emerging.

There's a smaller, ornamental, pond by my office. It's a haze of damselflies (mainly blue ones), and a happy hunting ground for the delicate pied wagtails.
Pied wagtail hunting damselflies

Success!

It's impossible to end a post without at least one fox cub photo… so here's a three fox cub photo 😉

Nature Blog Network
Camera note: all day shots taken with the Canon 40D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. The fox cubs were photographed with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens.

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This Post Has 17 Comments

  1. Ukwildlife

    26 May 2010

    haha – the disappearing dragonflies reminds me of the when I was photographing black tailed skimmers at rainham marshes trying to get one hovering over the water, only to see a splash through the lens followed by a the smiling face of a marsh frog that had swallowed it whole!

  2. Words

    26 May 2010

    Neil, that must have been a great moment! Did you capture it on camera? Otherwise a 'missed opportunity' of magnificent proportions.

  3. Vulpes vulpes

    26 May 2010

    Wow, what a way to spend your lunchtime – time well spent!

  4. Dudley

    26 May 2010

    Wonderful action shots

  5. debplatt

    26 May 2010

    Especially loved the second photo. :up:

  6. gdare

    26 May 2010

    I bet it was the same crow that ate that butterfly. He is following you, knowing there will be some food in your vicinity :insane:

    😆

  7. Flying Red Fox Blog

    26 May 2010

    Very nice especially the water and flowers one.:D

  8. Words

    27 May 2010

    Darko, I'm sure it's the same crow. Greedy thing, but very good at doing what it does :yuck:

  9. Words

    27 May 2010

    Andy, thanks!

  10. Words

    27 May 2010

    Deb, those dragonflies are so good to photograph. They make it easy. I just sit still, line up the camera and keep taking shots. Every now and then I get one or two decent ones!

  11. Words

    27 May 2010

    Erwin, thanks!

  12. Words

    27 May 2010

    Vulpes, it's an ideal spot, and when the weather's nice it's just about perfect!

  13. Words

    27 May 2010

    Mark, thanks! I'm not sure what the flowers are, but they're native wild flowers.

  14. SittingFox

    1 Jun 2010

    Excellent shots! And if it helps, at least you haven't been watching ground squirrels busily munching on the road-killed remains of their former neighbours :yuck:

  15. Words

    2 Jun 2010

    I'm oddly not squeamish with wildlife, though if I cut myself I … :faint:

  16. debplatt

    3 Jun 2010

    Originally posted by SittingFox:

    at least you haven't been watching ground squirrels busily munching on the road-killed remains of their former neighbours :yuck:

  17. Wulpen

    19 Oct 2012

    Beautiful action shots

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