Pages

Notes on Use of This Blog


1. I have a policy that I always reply to comments on my blog, even if it's just to say thank you.

2. Please don't submit comments that include your own web address. For obvious reasons, they will not be published.

3. I'm now on Twitter - @RichardPegler1

Thursday 2 August 2018

A Return to Chartley Moss - on Monday 2nd July, 2018

I'd had the pleasure of a visit to Chartley Moss in Staffordshire on 20th May which was jointly organised by Natural England (who manage the site) and the British Dragonfly Society. On this occasion, the number of persons on the visit was rather large, and made photography a little difficult for much of the time. 

Chartley Moss is not open to the public, but I subsequently succeeded in getting issued with a permit to visit on an occasional basis - subject to some some very strict conditions which were wholly reasonable, given the sensitive nature of the habitat, and the potentially dangerous nature of the site.

I notified NE of my intended visit and that my friend, Doc Martin, would be accompanying me (readily agreed to by NE for safety reasons), and all was set for Monday 2nd July.

We arrived at the nominated parking place and set off to the site. There was plenty of hot sunshine available, but a stiff breeze was going to hamper our photographic efforts.

On arrival, we could immediately see that there were less dragonflies around than on my previous visit. There were still White-faced Darters present, but not in such high numbers, and many of them were in rather poor condition. Four-spotted Chasers were also down in numbers, and similarly battered from numerous skirmishes. Other dragonflies seen included a couple of Emperors, a couple of Brown Hawkers and a brief appearance of a probable Southern Hawker. Damselflies - also in short supply - included Common Blue, Azure, and Large Red.

White-faced Darters, if they do settle, tend to have a habit of doing so on the ground, making it relatively difficult to get a shot with an uncluttered background, but less prone to them being blown out of focus or frame in the breeze. 






White-faced Darter (Leucorrhinia dubia) (male) - Chartley Moss
Female White-faced Darters can be quite difficult to find unless freshly emerged, mating, or ovipositing, as they tend to roost away from water. This one (a poor record shot, I'm afraid), seemed to be preparing to oviposit.

White-faced Darter (Leucorrhinia dubia) (female) - Chartley Moss
Sadly, I did not find any exuviae, but I did see plenty of evidence of these dragonflies working towards future generations.


White-faced Darter (Leucorrhinia dubia) (male + female 'in cop') - Chartley Moss
Martin seemed to act as a magnet for this species. Soon after we arrived one landed on his knee, and later on I took a shot of him across the water, trying to photograph one that had landed on his finger!


Doc Martin, WFD magnet! - Chartley Moss
Here are some of the damselflies seen.

Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella) (male) - Chartley Moss
Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) (male) - Chartley Moss
Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) (male) - Chartley Moss
There seemed to be a good number of Silver Y moths on the Moss. This is a migratory, but common, species.

Silver Y (Autographa gamma) - Chartley Moss
We'd been there a while, and agreed that it was time to be setting back after a couple of hours or more in the hot sun. The walk back turned out to be quite rewarding, however, as after we left the open area, I spotted a Large Red Damselfly on the end of a stick, and couldn't resist trying for a shot that I've yet to perfect. I still haven't perfected it!

Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) (male) - Chartley Moss
I left Martin trying for the perfect shot with this specimen whilst I turned my attention to another on the other side of the path.


Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) (male) - Chartley Moss
To my delight, whilst Martin was preoccupied with the LRD, a female White-faced Darter appeared and settled on a nearby log. It wasn't the best of settings but it did allow some unobstructed shots of a female.


White-faced Darter (Leucorrhinia dubia) (female) - Chartley Moss
Suddenly she was usurped by a male which stayed briefly before giving chase to the female.

White-faced Darter (Leucorrhinia dubia) (male) - Chartley Moss
The next thing I knew was that the male had coupled up with the female and brought her back to a point close by my position.


White-faced Darter (Leucorrhinia dubia) (male + female 'in cop') - Chartley Moss
They eventually flew together to a point up relatively high on a tree trunk. It was time to depart the area!

It had been an enjoyable morning in good company. We sat and ate our picnic lunches in the car before heading homeward as Lindsay was not too well at home and I felt the need to get back and see that she was OK. As a measure of how hot it had been, on one section of road on the return journey large areas of tarmac surface had been ripped up as they adhered to vehicle tyres.

My next post will probably feature more dragons. Thank you for dropping by.

20 comments:

  1. Wish I had your skill and knowledge on ID, such beautiful photos. That lens on Doc Martins camera makes me very jealous, but my husband is convinced anything bigger than what I have would be too heavy for me!
    Best wishes Diane

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Diane. That dragonfly book that I mentioned to you would help your ID capabilities immensely - I still have to refer to mine frequently - so my 'skill and knowledge', are not that good! As for the size of Doc Martin's equipment, I'll resist any temptation for a smutty response.

      Have a wonderful week ahead - - - Richard

      Delete
    2. LOL glad your temptation did not get the better of you. Difficult buying books here. Amazon.co.uk does not let us buy anymore as we have a French adress and Amazon.fr sells French books which for me are pretty useless. The other point is, is it really worthwhile as unless we go away I do not generally see dragonflies. Hope you have a good week Diane

      Delete
  2. Superb post and shots Richard. Looks like you had a very successful trip and despite the breeze, many quality shots.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Marc. I could probably have done a little better if I wasn't having problems with my camera. It has splots of something on the sensor (oil?) - again! - and I think they might be interfering with the autofocus. I suspect that it will be sent away after my visit to Kent next week. Best wishes - - - Richard

      Delete
  3. Beautiful images of the White-faced Darter, superb photos Richard.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Bob. The White-faced Darter is a rather special dragonfly and only found at three small locations in England. Best wishes - - - Richard

      Delete
  4. Good afternoon Richard:If you have a friend with his own set of dragonfly pheromones better take him along every time!

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is a treat to go with the first coffee of the day. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. WOW! These are briliant images Richard. Thanks for sharing. Have a lovely weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Margaret, and a happy weekend to you too!

      Delete
  7. Hi Richard! Awesome pictures!!! Greetings

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Anne. Have a great week, and enjoy the next 22 years! Best wishes - - - Richard

      Delete
  8. Hello Richard
    I never get with my equipment down ... super nice
    Greetings Frank

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Frank. I have carefully chosen my equipment to enable me to do close-ups and long distance with the same lens but have managed to keep the cost to a sensible level. With my best wishes - - - Richard

      Delete
  9. Another very enjoyable post, Richard!

    Chartley Moss looks like a unique place and I'm glad you have access. This series of dragons and damsels is superb! Kudos on your patience, knowledge and skill, without which these photographs would not be so special.

    We hope Lindsay is feeling better and that you are both prepared to enjoy the upcoming weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Wally. Chartley Moss is, I believe, the only one of its kind in UK, and only one of three floating mosses in Europe.

      Lindsay and I are both fine, thank you, and hoping for a leisurely weekend. I hope that you manage to do likewise!

      Thank you so much for your kind words. My very best wishes to you and Gini - - - Richard

      Delete
  10. Hi Richard,
    I am really jealous of these beautiful pictures of the dragonflies. The snouts are quite rare in the Netherlands and you show the most beautiful dragonflies. Super cool recordings. The other ladies are great too.
    A very big compliment.

    Kind regards, Helma

    ReplyDelete

Please Note: Blogger seems to be making it difficult for some (many?) people to leave comments on blogs, and also making it difficult for the recipient of comments to detect that a comment has been left. If you have any difficulties leaving a comment on the blog, please feel free to email me on richard@peglermail.co.uk. However, if you are solely trying to promote your own blog or business by leaving a link in your comment, it will be blocked. If anyone wants to find you as a result of a comment that you have left, they can do so by looking at your profile.

Please, Blogger, get this mess sorted out.