Common Darter.......

Well the rain i expeceted yesterday afternoon was literally a damp squib, just a few spots here and there, no down pours as forecast. Making the early start was a bonus, as the one thing i've learnt since picking up a camera is that 75% of a good image is about being in the right place at the right time. A large part of the remaining 25% i'd put down to patience and perseverance. The beauty of the digital camera is the ability to take large number of images, the inferior images get binned, and away you go again, your only limitation here is battery life and the size of your memory card. Extra batteries and memory space is a very worthwhile investment.

I had always thought that Damsel and Dragonflies could only be found during the main summer months, but after reading up on this Common Darter Dragonfly (Larger view) it turns out that this species can still be found well into the month of Novenber, and will probably the last on the wing in the UK.
They're found around ponds and other still, stagnant or even brackish water. They are frequently found away from water, resting on the tops of plants in woodland rides.
I caught this guy sunning himself earlier this morning by a pond in the Memorial Gardens next to the Crematorium at Porchester.
The grounds in the Memorial Gardens are absolutely beautiful, a truly tranquil place.

I'd like to thank eveyone who took the time to check out yesterday's blip, and even bigger thanks to those who starred and fav'd my in flight Dragonfly, very much appreciated.

Bev and i are off to Kefalonia at the end of the week for our third visit, so i'm hoping for some decent oppertunities to photograph flying, stinging and biting things........

j.