Sunbathing Dragonflies

 For some reason, the cycle track bridge over the A1 becomes a favourite sunbathing spot for dragonflies this time of year. 

More specifically, common darters, and even more specifically today, female common darters, three of which were out enjoying autumn sun on the bridge today, their huge brown eyes following me as I tried to get photographs. 

Most of the time, dragonflies are pretty skittish and hard to photograph, but at this time of the year with colder nights - and it was chilly last night - they take a while to warm up and are a bit more amenable to posing for irritating photographers.

The coralberry bushes were busy too today, lots of bees going like hooligans at the last of the flowers. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 23.09.25

A Dragonfly at Work!

 Our workplace has never been a particularly good place to photograph dragonflies, although you do the occasional brown hawker on the hunt over the wildlands that border campus.

Thus, in a week of relentlessly grey weather, to find one in the tended garden area at work was rather a surprise. A female common darter investigating the planters, and being pretty co-operative - indeed I find this species the easiest to photograph. 

The buddleia is still in flower, and usually when I walk past it, there is a small tortoiseshell having a feed.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 21.08.21