Emerging Hairy Dragonfly

Hairy Dragonfly

Brachytron Pratense 

Having checked the pond again yesterday morning, I could see a female Hairy Dragonfly nymph already quite a way out of the water taking in air and hoped if the conditions were good, that she might emerge during the evening. After a day or thinking if this was going to happen, I went out again just before dark and could see she had moved up the reed and looked likely to emerge. The colours on this nymph were quite superb and looked like she was going to burst. After preparing the flask and snacks, I went and got set up early and settled in to a comfortable position. One of the signs that they are going to emerge is once they have chosen a favorable perch to emerge on, they often violently move their abdomen around to see if there is enough clearance for the dragonfly to expand its wings and abdomen. This can be a worrying time as they can often fall back into the water and if not quickly attached again to something, run the risk of drowning. With the lovely colours on this female showing through, this gave me a chance to capture this movement of the abdomen and after a while, she became settled and prepared to emerge. This waiting game can either be quite quick or quite a while but eventually she started to emerge and I was able to capture the emergence at every stage again. Every emergence is different and you just hope that the exuviae is connected well enough not to fall off as this would be fatal. After spending a couple of hours outside and the female Hairy Dragonfly nymph successfully emerged and with the wings pumped up, I made my retreat indoors and hoped she would still be there early morning for a few more shots. I was again up early and straight outside with the camera where she was beautifully coloured up next to the exuviae. I took a few more shots before potting her up and driving to the site I caught the nymph where I released her next to the waters edge. Later this morning I went out with the family and on return around midday, had a quick look at the pond and was surprised to see another female Hairy Dragonfly had emerged and also 1 Variable Damselfly. After some lunch, I potted them up and again made the short drive where they were released successfully. I think the other two Hairy Dragonfly nymphs in the pond are both males and I would like to photograph the whole emergence of the male as I missed my chance last year. They are both in the shallows waiting so hopefully the next couple of nights will deliver this challenge for me. 

Hairy Dragonfly (female) Emerging

Marc Heath

Simone et Léone...

Brachytron pratense
Hairy Dragonfly

Simone et Léone, les Brachytrones ! Suite à ma première rencontre de la saison
avec Cordulia aenea, sortie ce mercredi aux étangs forestiers, leurs fiefs :
mais non, pas de Cordulies bronzées, mais en revanche Brachytron pratense,
que je n'avais pas vu l'an passé, sans doute à cause du printemps pourri...
Deux femelles observées, une à contre-jour (1 à 3), l'autres sous le couvert, soleil
jouant à travers les feuilles (4 à 8)... Ah les filles ! Je les ai baptisées ainsi,
car 2 h à leur tirer le portrait, ça créé des liens... Ici les fins d'émergence, ayant
raté les débuts, mais sans trop de regrets, car au cœur de touffes de joncs...
Plus 3 exuvies, et un individu survolant les massettes d'où il venait d'émerger.
Intéressant de les voir si tôt, plutôt en mai d'habitude,
sauf un 14 avril en 2014. Images du 12 avril. 

Morikan

'Newly Emerged' Hairy Dragonfly

Hairy Dragonfly

Brachyton pratense

I was just about to sit down and watch the television last night about 8pm when I quickly checked the pond to see if anything was happening. One of the Hairy Dragonfly nymphs had started to climb up the reed so I prepared the equipment and settled in for what I thought would be a good few hours. The nymph got into position and spent the next 30 minutes stationary. I took a few photos and hoped as this was a male, that I could capture the whole emergence again but when it started tail thrashing to make sure there was enough room to emerge, he fell off back into the water. I went back inside again and checked a little later to see he had started his climb again. Like before, he prepared himself only to fall back in the water again. With the time getting on, the best I could hope for was an early start and hoped that he would emerge early morning. I was up this morning at 4am and was soon at the pond to reveal that the nymph was still at the base of the reeds. I spent the next 90 minutes sitting outside in the hope that it would happen but alas, no movement from him. A couple of Chaser nymphs however looked like they were getting ready in the shallows and kept me occupied but not even they wanted to emerge. I decided at this point to go out birding for a while to Nethergong and asked my daughter to keep me informed when she got up in case there was any action. It was quite predictable I suppose when at 9am, I received a video call from Jasmine showing me that the Hairy Dragonfly had just emerged, typical! I was soon back in the car and arrived home 10 minutes later where I spent the next 30 minutes at the pond taking a number of pleasing photos of the male Hairy Dragonfly and exuviae. The light was superb, the wind was barely blowing and it was just a privilege to spend time observing and photographing this superb dragonfly. It was already quite warm by 9.30am and after a bit of wing buzzing , he lifted off to hopefully complete his life. I was very pleased I managed to make it for some photos, not quite the full emergence sequence I was after but to capture the dragonfly and exuviae together more than made up for it. Hopefully the Chaser nymphs will be next at some point during the week. I just hope I can photograph them before going to work. 

'Teneral' male Hairy Dragonfly

Marc Heath

La surprise de Verrie

Hier j'étais à Verrie sur un CCI  et lors d'une pose me voilà a arpenter le bords des fossés à la recherche éventuelle d'une belle et a ma surprise une petite velue printannière était là en contre-bas assez loin .( prise au 70* 200)
Elle n'est pas restée longtemps et a vite pris son envol.
Première fois que je la rencontre

Photos 21 mai 2016

Laurence

Elle est velue à l'heure

Ne l'avais pas vue l'année dernière. Il a été difficile de la suivre des yeux compte tenu du vent et d'une lumière médiocre. Mais elle s'est posée quelques instants et ça a suffi à mon bonheur.

Brachytron pratense-Hairy dragonfly-Aeschne-velue printanière

A Hairy Dragonfly Emerges

Hairy Dragonfly

Brachytron pratense

For the past two years at least, I have wanted to photograph the iconic first dragonfly of the year that flies in the UK, the Hairy Dragonfly. I spent quite a bit of time last year trying to find individuals emerging early morning but only found a few exuviae of this species. I decided last winter to see if I could collect a few and rear them indoors in my indoor tank and at the right time, release them back into my garden pond ready for emergence. Like an expectant father, I have nurtured them through the winter, feeding them, changing water and observing and photographing them. I have learnt a great deal about this species but the hope was that I would be able to photograph this miracle of nature as it changes from nymph to dragonfly. Most literature I have read suggest that they emerge early morning but it was a great surprise last night when at about 9pm when I checked the pond, that I saw a nymph climbing the reed. I quickly set about getting all the equipment ready and armed with a flask, I positioned my self at the pond and settled in for what ended up to be 3 hours of watching and photographing. I was still sat in the garden at midnight but it was most definitely worth the time and effort to produce some of my finest shots yet I think. Just watching the process of emergence is truly fascinating but quite time consuming but I went to bed on cloud nine and hoped she would still be present early morning which she was. Before going to work, I took a few more shots and after she has warmed up, she made her maiden flight. Its so rewarding having had this plan and carried it through and along the way, shared the life of this secretive dragonfly through to being an adult. If I don't take any better photos this year, I will not be complaining, well I might, but I am over the moon with this set and achieved a long awaited challenge.

Hairy Dragonfly (female)

Marc Heath

Les Belles Passantes...

...que l'on a pas su retenir, chantait Brassens !

On les appelle aussi photos volées, parce que juste le temps d'un clic ou deux,

et le modèle est envolé, souvent en nous laissant juste "la photo pour assurer" ! 

Des clichés de 2015 bien sûr, avec dans l'ordre d'apparition à l'image :

1 à 3 : Aeshna mixta, Aeschne mixte. Sur la 2, je n'ai découvert la présence 
d'un second individu, invité surprise,  qu'en visionnant la photo sur ordi...

4 : Brachytron pratense, Aeschne velue printanière, 
le seul mâle adulte vu cette saison...

5 à 7 : Anax imperator, Anax empereur, d'abord une femelle 
qui connait bien le sens du mot mimétisme,
une autre femelle en ponte prise de loin et recadrée,

et enfin un mâle un peu tordu, de naissance ou après un choc ?

8 : Enfin, Oxygastra curtisii, Cordulie à corps fin femelle, 
le seul sujet croisé en 2015 !

Morikan