Golden girl

If I'd remembered that the only sensible road to use to get to Trench Wood from my side of the country is closed this week for repair, I'd have gone somewhere else today. But if I had, I'd have missed some nice crickets and grasshoppers, and a few handsome dragons and damsels - so on balance the ridiculously long diversion was worth it.

This lovely female Emerald Damselfly posed most obligingly for me and gave me my favourite photo of the day, but I was also quite taken with this shot of a tandem pair of ovipositing Emeralds, which shows the difference in their colouring and body shape pretty well. I have a few other interesting bits and pieces, and if I get the time over the next few days I'll add them to my Facebook page too.

I've been terribly sad today, since learning that Robert Thomason has died. He was a good photographer, and his journal often made me laugh - and though we never met in person, we'd been blip and Facebook friends long enough for it to feel as though I knew him well. His final illness was so brutally short that it's hard to come to terms with the fact that he's gone, and I send heartfelt condolences to his wife Leila and his other family and close friends. In my head he's on his way back to his beloved Symi, which is where I think those who loved him will find him. Safe journey Rob.