Damsel

If you build it, they will come.

So there I was at lunch time today, sitting on an exercise mat down in the wild garden, trying for photos of the blue mason bees, when a small fluttering movement pulled my eye, and there she was: a Large Red Damselfly. The first damsel of the season for me, and a full two weeks weeks earlier than I've ever photographed one before.

Having snapped her with the long lens I got (inelegantly) to my feet to try for a macro shot, but the effortful movement disturbed her and she took off, so this is the best I achieved today. I hope that she'll return and give me more photo opportunities over the next few weeks, but not quite as much as I hope that she decides to oviposit in one, or both, of the ponds.

This is cropped to an extent I hadn't believed possible, so it's testament to the big gear that it's as clear as it is. Nonetheless it's a long way from being the best photo I took today - but knowing my love of these creatures, I'm sure you'll understand that it had to be the one that I posted.