As suggested in my previous post, for this post I am harking back to a visit I made earlier in the summer.
The Ashby Canal is relatively close to my home, and there are a couple of places on its length that I know to be quite good for White-legged Damselfly at the right time of year. Unfortunately, I left it a little late this year to seek them out. One of the main problems with leaving it late was that the canal-side vegetation had grown very high, making it difficult for photography - as I found out when I visited. However, the Ashby Canal is good for White-legged Damselfly precisely because the canal-side vegetation is allowed to grow undisturbed.
I parked in my usual canal-side place, and started walking the towpath. It was sunny when I set out, but rather breezy. I walked for about 500 metres, seeing virtually nothing except a brief appearance of a Brown Hawker and a male Banded Demoiselle that disappeared before I could get a shot in. I was almost on the point of giving up, and returning home without a single release of the camera shutter.
Eventually, I spotted a male Common Blue Damselfly, which I did manage to get a shot of - from a distance.
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| Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) (male) - Ashby Canal |
A few minutes later, I found a pair of Common Blues mating.
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| Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) (male + female - in cop) - Ashby Canal |
Almost immediately after this I found a male White-legged Damselfly - and then another - and another!
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| White-legged Damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes) (male) - Ashby Canal |
I don't know whether it was location, time of day, or a subtle change in the weather, but I now started seeing more dragons and damsels. At one point I had an Emperor Dragonfly patrolling the far side of the canal, but I'd only got my 150 macro lens with me, so didn't manage any images. Blue-tailed Damselfly were busy, with the only females photographed being of the blue andromorph colour form.
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| Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) (male) - Ashby Canal |
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| Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) (male + female - in cop) - Ashby Canal |
Ruddy Darters seem to have done extremely well this year in these parts but, from my own experience, Common Darter have not fared so well.
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| Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) (male) - Ashby Canal |
Banded Demoiselle were now starting to show more. I found one pair preparing to mate. However they were in a very difficult position for photography, and I accidentally disturbed them while trying for shots. Here's a couple from before they disappeared.
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| Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) (male + female) - Ashby Canal |
That was the only female Banded Demoiselle I saw. There were, however, several males around.
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| Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) (male) - Ashby Canal |
At one point, I spent some time watching three males interacting with each other. With the prevailing light and the lens I had, I wasn't able to get all in focus or eliminate motion blur, but it was interesting to watch.
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| Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) (male) - Ashby Canal |
The main objective, however, was the White-legged Damselflies, so here are a few more from that day.
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| White-legged Damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes) (male) - Ashby Canal |
One individual was performing an action which I suspect was the transfer of sperm from primary to secondary genitalia.
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| White-legged Damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes) (male) - Ashby Canal |
What started out as a disappointing session, had turned itself around and become a very enjoyable time beside the Ashby Canal.
Thank you for dropping by. I have no idea, at this stage, what my next blog post will feature.
I really appreciate these photos as they are a huge help to me for my ID. We are off to Bergerac next week and there are a couple of lakes there where I got some good photos in July. The weather does not sound wonderful though and it might upset my photography!! Beats wishes and have a good week Diane
ReplyDeleteHi Diane. If every you get stuck with dragon and damsel ID, I'd be happy to help if I can - although I'm no expert. You're welcome to send me a photo to have a go at.
DeleteI'm still keeping my fingers crossed for your weather while you're away - I hope you get better than the cold drizzle we have got at the moment!
Best wishes - - - Richard
Ah Richard, even at your age you are chasing white-legged damsels. What better way to spend your time along the canal? Patience is obviously a virtue as the old saying goes and you were rewarded with multiple sightings and a great series of images. Odenates are pretty plentiful here at present, as are butterflies and moths, but I haven’t had much time to devote to them. Too much bird stuff going on. Much love to you and Lindsay. Davjd
ReplyDeleteThe trouble is, David, I tend to forget what I'm supposed to do when I catch up with them. And even if I remember, my equipment has a habit of letting me down!
DeleteJust this morning, I said to Lindsay that I really must start spending more time with the birds. They've really taken a back seat this summer. Oops - just remembered what birds on the back seat used to mean in my early years!
My love to you and Miriam - - Richard
These are truly top notch. What stunning images.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Adrian. This summer I've been really enjoying insect photography, but there's a lot of room for improvement there!
DeleteA smart Damselfly indeed Richard and excellently captured too showing off the features nicely.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marc. The White-legged Damselfly is possibly my favourite damselfly.
DeleteIncredibly beautiful pictures! Have a nice evening
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anne. So sorry to hear of your loss. My condolences to you and your family - - - Richard
DeleteHi Richard
ReplyDeleteWhat some Dragonflies, my favourites are Banded Demoiselles, and the White-legged Damselfly, lovely catch.
Thank you, Bob. Some of our damselflies and dragonflies are truly spectacular when you see them close-up. My best wishes - - - Richard
DeleteUnas fotos absolutamente extraordinarias, con todo lujo de detalles. Enhorabuena Richard, todo lo mejor desde España.
ReplyDeleteGracias, Germán. Me encanta ver los detalles en estas fabulosas criaturas, y la mejor manera de hacerlo es a través de la fotografÃa. Ten un excelente fin de semana - - - Richard
DeleteWhat a lovely series of blues... except for the Ruddy darter!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant photos :)
The emperor would have fitted in perfectly! LOL!
As a matter of fact, I used to take pictures with my 150 macro Sigma too but since I have the 200/500 mm I use it for dragons and the results are not bad. Also, it allows me to take pics from a distance!
Enjoy your sunday and I hope you'll have a sunny weather
Thank you for your kind words of encouragement, Carine. Most of the time I use the Sigma 50-500 for my photography, including for dragons, for the very same reason that you favour your 200-500. This time, however, I wasn't expecting to see anything at a distance, so took the 150 to save weight.
DeleteCold, cloudy, and windy at the moment - I hope that your weather is better than ours! My very best wishes - - - Richard