Tuesday 22 April 2014

First Damsel of the season.



During a brief patch walk at Epsom Common this morning I spotted my first damsel of the season, a female Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) and took the opportunity to test out my recently acquired upgraded lens (EF70-300mm f44-5.L IS) . All these shot are cropped.


The black legs and broad yellow antehumeral stripes (red on a male) help to distinguish the Large Red from the similar Small Red Damselfly.

Back at home the lilac behind the shed is just starting to come into flower, the buds dripping with moisture after yesterdays rain.


Garden Bird Update: Compared to last year there has been very little activity around the bird feeders. Very few sightings of any House Sparrows so we suspect that their nest site on another property has been abandoned or destroyed. A pair of Goldfinches regularly fly in but don't hang around for a photo call. From our recent observations it now appears that two of the three nest boxes are being used by Blue Tits ... Anita has heard youngsters calling in one box located in the tall birch tree and I saw another adult entering the very old box on the back wall of the shed. No pictures yet.  FAB.

Linking to Nature Notes.

18 comments:

  1. great photos of the Damselfly Frank, and hopefully soon there will be more bird activity in your garden soon. Your lilac will soon be ready for picking....I'm sure it will smell delightful then too.

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  2. Nice lens! I've never seen red-colored damsel flies; most of the ones around here seem to be blue or black. That red is quite dramatic!

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  3. Super shots of the Damselfly! More birds will be arriving soon.

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  4. Wow,lucky you Frank,smashing images.
    John.

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  5. Hi frank. Wonderful shot of the damselflies. Would you ever consider ever putting a camera in one of the nest boxes?

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  6. Nice Damsel shots Frank. I think it be a while before any appear round here.

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  7. That was a good capture Frank.
    I have not seen any so far this year and I don't think I have ever seen that species.

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  8. The new lens appears to be working well Frank! Lovely shots of the Large Red, Like Roy, I've not seen any damsels yet this year, hopefully it won't be too long though. You can have a few of 'my' Wood Pigeons for your garden if you like, and a Squirrel or two!...[;o)

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  9. what great shots with your new lens... isn't it exciting to find nature a buzz after a long winter? have a great day~

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  10. They are so beautyful.
    Hugs from me.
    KB

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  11. ...gorgeous color and detail!

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  12. Very lovely shot of the damselfly, i can even see clearly the hairs on the head.

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  13. You must be pleased with your new lens! Those images are just stunning!!

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  14. I love seeing all the intricate colors on the damsel. Beautiful.

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  15. Well captured damselflies and that lilac should be out soon enough too.

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  16. Wow..that lens makes for great detail. I won't be seeing any dragons or damsels for a while, but I love photographing them. Thank goodness for spring.. Thank you for linking in Frank!.. Michelle from Nature Notes..

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  17. The Large red is my favorite damselfly!
    The eyes are something else!
    Too bad we don't have many in the lake, probably too many fish!!
    Lovely photos!

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  18. Many thanks everyone ... I really appreciate your continued visits.

    I expect the current weather (wet and cold again) will mean that any new 'Damsel' sightings may be a way off but I'll keep on looking.

    Cheers ... FAB.

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I hope you enjoyed your visit and I always appreciate your comments and feedback.

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