Egg laying...

Yesterday was a very long day - nine hours travelling, mostly spent sitting on trains, and seven hours of fieldwork. When we arrived home at eleven pm I didn't really feel like blipping - can't think why!

Most of the photographs taken yesterday were functional ones of the site we were surveying down in Dorset. But I took a little time out to photograph some insects. I got some shots of a red admiral feeding on rhodendron (the colours clashed!) and one of a hovering bee fly which I was quite pleased with. But, although the focus isn't too sharp I decided that this female broad-bodied chaser laying eggs in a pond was the most interesting shot of the day.

I had originally hoped to get an in-flight picture of the male, who has a powder-blue abdomen, as he was patrolling the pond in a fairly predictable manner. But this female turned up and started laying eggs just a few metres in front of me, though it would have been even better if she'd been closer! I took quite a few shots but this was the only one which shows her abdomen in the water, at the point of egg-laying. I think I'll have to have another go sometime, preferably when I have the right lens!!