Smiling Darter, I Heart Her

Jazzy and I walk along the south side of our most southerly block of glasshouses every day. The sun-drenched brick wall is a happy hunting ground for basking bugs and jumping spiders.

As we turned the corner this morning I spotted a dragonfly on the aluminium ledge. I've never seen one here before, even though our neighbour's lake is only yards away. It was quite accommodating, as common darters tend to be, and posed, gyrated and cocked its head for me. Jazz had an attack of the green-eye when I told it how gorgeous it is.

Pics in the can we proceeded along the length of the wall and lo, another on the ledge, this time a male! I didn't get pics of him but hope the two of them get together for autumn dragon love.

I also photographed a hunting sparrowhawk above us but by the time time I'd swapped lenses it wasn't very close. Its piercing yellow eyes could still be easily seen in my pics.