Sunday 26 July 2015

Black Darter (Sympetrum danae).

Above is a snapshot of a few of the varied dragonflies and damselflies that I saw during a wander along the boardwalk at Thursley Common last week but for this post I am concentrating on the one species that I had hoped to find, the Black Darter (Sympetrum danae).

This small darter's preferred habitat on the common is the shallow acidic pools surrounded by abundant emergent vegetation. Its flight pattern is erratic and often of short duration with frequent perching among the vegetation.
In the very gusty windy conditions it took me some time to locate one male (above) who decided to perch briefly before promptly disappearing from view. I then spotted another male on the opposite side of the boardwalk and decided to settle down and monitor its activity. 

Over the ensuing half hour or so it used two different perches in between its continual forays to discourage both its own and any other species that entered its chosen space enabling me to get a few images of this distinctive species. 


I would have preferred an uninterrupted backdrop and calmer conditions, hence the use of a high ISO setting, but sometimes you just have to accept  what is on offer and go with it!
 



Unfortunately I failed to find a female so for comparison purposes I have included an image (below) taken during a visit I made at around the same time last year in much calmer weather.

Images of some of the other species seen during this session will appear in forthcoming posts. FAB.

Linking to:
Camera Critters hosted by Misty
Saturday's Critters hosted by Eileen
Nature Notes hosted by Michelle

16 comments:

  1. Hello Frank, awesome post and images of the Black Darter! The details are amazing. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Have a happy new week ahead!

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  2. Preciosas fotos de libélulas Frank, me han gustado mucho. Saludos desde España.

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  3. great detail of the wings on the dragonfly

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  4. My goodness Frank these are impressive photos. I have a lot of difficulty taking photos of these gorgeous little creatures. It is lovely to see them beauitfully photographed like this.

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  5. ooops! Sorry for that previous mistake! LOVED your photos here, thanks

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  6. Nice steady hands to capture these great images. Wonderful details up close.

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  7. Wow, incredible catch on that first photo, it's so cool how you can see him at work Lovely photos.

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  8. Fantasticc details you c aptured of the Black Darter.

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  9. Love Black Darters,brilliant tick Frank.
    John

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  10. Very nice, Frank. I am sure observing these insects brings you as much peace and joy as the birds do! It's all about being out in nature and paying attention! And I know you do it well!

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  11. Geweldig Frank als je maar lang genoeg wacht lukt het meestal.

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  12. Such gorgeous shots! The wings look so beautiful.

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  13. Gosh...I would be thrilled with these photos, but I know you take really great photos. I need to get out and find some of these beauties although there are some around the yard...Michelle

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  14. Nice. I love dragonflies so much. I saw a black darter only yesterday (at least I THINK that is what I saw) but never got a chance to get a decent photo. These are great captures.

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

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