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Saturday 28 September 2019

Another Good Day! - on 21st September, 2019


With only 5 days notice, volunteers at Rutland Water were invited to attend an evening talk at the Volunteer Training Centre, given by celebrated naturalist and presenter, Nick Baker. Fortunately I was free and so decided, weather permitting, to tie it in with an afternoon visit to the east of the county.

When the day arrived, it was forecast to be a warm and sunny afternoon, but a bit windy. I felt that it was worth a return visit to Eyebrook Reservoir to see if I could get any closer to the Willow Emerald Damselflies that I'd enjoyed six day previously.

I arrived at around 14h45 to find just one other car there, and two people on the bridge, gazing over the parapet. When I asked if they'd been looking for the Willow Emeralds, I got a blank look. They'd no idea what a Willow Emerald was, so I explained. They quickly joined me in an attempt to find one, and decided to leave after just a few minutes with no luck. However, just as they were about to get into the car, I spotted one flying and called to let them know, whereupon  they quickly joined me once more.

Almost immediately, the emerald flew to the nearest point I'd ever seen one at at this location. However, it only stayed for a couple of seconds and was into the sun, and I completely fluffed the shots. Fortunately it flew to a place only about three times the distance away, and I did get a some shots, although none of them were good as the light was still in the wrong direction and the branch it was on was swinging about in the breeze like a mad thing! It did, however, keep flying out briefly over the water and returning to the same twig.


Willow Emerald Damselfly (Chalcoletes viridis) (male) - Eyebrook Reservoir
After a while, I went to have a look over at the other side of the bridge, and was joined by my two companions. Nothing of interest was seen, however, and the two of them decided it was time to go. I returned to the south side of the bridge again, to find the emerald had gone. After a while I found what I have to assume was the same individual as it was behaving in the same fashion but its new favoured twig was now double the distance from me than that of the twig it had abandoned. I took a few shots and, in spite of the increased distance, got slightly better results, probably due to the twig being more sheltered from the wind and in a position where I could shoot with a better light direction.



Willow Emerald Damselfly (Chalcoletes viridis) (male) - Eyebrook Reservoir
After being here for an hour and a half, and having had no sign of a Willow Emerald for nearly half an hour, I felt that it was time to try a different location with a different target species.

As the meeting I was attending was at Rutland Water, with an 18h00 for 18h30 start time, it seemed logical to head there, particularly as there was a location there that I'd previously found quite good for Migrant Hawkers.

I'd got some business that needed attending to at the Volunteer Training Centre first, so called in there, after which I was given permission to leave my car there and walk into the reserve from the VTC.

I was soon seeing Common Darter dragonflies, and some were reasonably obliging. In the third image, below, you can see two of the attributes that make these insects the efficient predators that they are - the amazing eyes, and the powerhouse that drives the wings.



Common Darter (Symptrum striolatum) (female) - Rutland Water, Egleton Reserve
There were still a few Common Blue Damselflies around, but I confess to not paying much attention to these.

Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) (male) - Rutland Water, Egleton Reserve
There were a few butterflies around too, the most notable of which were the occasional Comma.


Comma (Polygonia c-album) - Rutland Water, Egleton Reserve
It was, however, the Migrant Hawkers that provided the spectacle of the day. Soon after entering the site, I had been seeing the occasional Migrant Hawker flying around, but never settling - and flight shots would have been a non-starter for me as they were against a close backdrop of trees and shrubs.

As I approached the path that leads down to Shoveler Hide, I noticed a lady standing in an open area who seemed to be gazing in wonderment at something. I soon found out what - there were around 20 Migrant Hawkers milling around in an area not more than 10 metres across! I have never experienced anything like this in my life. I stayed for a while, hoping that one would settle, but found it impossible to keep track of any individuals. I think I did get a glimpse of one female, but it was definitely a male gathering.

In the end, I gave up and took a stroll along the hedgerow that forms the edge of Sharples Meadow. Here I found that there were around 10 hawkers in a 100 metre stretch and that several were settling from time to time. 


Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) (male) - Rutland Water, Egleton Reserve
The next image would normally have been consigned to 'the bin' but, before doing so, I saw the insect clinging to its abdomen, which I hadn't seen at the time of shooting. This insect was, I believe, Chironomus plumosus - the largest of the non-biting midges in UK.  

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) (male) - Rutland Water, Egleton Reserve
Chironomus plumosus (male)  - Rutland Water, Egleton Reserve
I carried on with my exploration of the Sharples Meadow hedgerow for a while, but my time was running out, and I soon had to hurry back to the VTC. I did get a few more shots on my way back.



Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) (male) - Rutland Water, Egleton Reserve
On my way back, I found a second area with around 20 migrant hawkers milling around. These seemed to be showing signs of settling, probably because it was getting late in the day (17h45). I'd have loved to have hung around for longer, but I did manage a shot of two dragons together, albeit at a great distance.

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) (male) - Rutland Water, Egleton Reserve
I got back in time to quickly devour my picnic tea, before going in to the meeting. 

I'd not done any research on Nick's talk before booking for it- going purely on the talk's title - 'Rewilding'. If I'd taken the time to research it, I'd have realised that it was not about rewilding projects for the land, but (as per the subject of Nick's book, which I was hitherto unaware of) improving of our own powers of observation of nature by the 'rewilding' of our full range of senses. If I'd have known this I would, perhaps, not have booked to attend, but I'm so glad that I did as it was extremely enjoyable, being both highly entertaining and very informative.

The meeting finished over an hour later than expected, so I made my way home by the most direct route - I'd originally intended to take a countrified route in the hope of seeing some owls. However, I did have the pleasure of seeing a fox cross the road in front of me at two locations on my way home. Thus ended a most enjoyable afternoon and evening.

In Praise of the Sigma 50-500 Lens

The Sigma 50-500 lens is an extremely versatile lens, and is my preferred lens on virtually every occasion. Every photo, above, was taken with this lens. It performs remarkably well for distant subjects with the lens at 500mm, and is a useful macro lens as well. I use a Nikon D7200 body with 24 megapixel sensor.

To give more detailed information, the last three Willow Emerald images were taken with the lens at 500mm, f10. They were very heavily cropped to approximately 1/40th of the original frame.

The macro shot of the Common Darter head and thorax was taken with the lens at 290mm, f10, and again was cropped to approximately 1/40th of the original frame.

If one winds the lens back to around 140mm, it is possible to focus on objects 3 inches (75mm) from the lens hood, giving a truly macro capability. 

The only occasions when I use a Sigma 150 macro lens in the field instead of the 50-500 are when I know that I won't want the long reach and want to reduce the weight I'm carrying. This is relatively rarely as I soon found that I tended  to regret the decision to leave the 50-500 at home. The 150 macro comes into its own when I'm shooting moths from the moth trap or insects in the garden.


Thank you for your visit. With the current weather forecast being not so good, and prospects for a photographic trip out looking a little slim, my next post will probably be a somewhat retrospective one.

28 comments:

  1. Some fine macro work, here, Richard. I would say that, all in all, given that you enjoyed the talk very much, it turned out to be a great day. I am giving a presentation on hummingbirds today and I hope people go away feeling as satisfied as you did from Nick's talk.

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    1. It was a very good day, David. Great as Nick's talk was, I'm sure that I'd get much more pleasure out of attending your Hummingbird talk - I wish you the best of luck, although I'd be surprised if you needed it!

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    2. If ever I make it back to Britain, maybe I can do it somewhere!

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    3. I suspect that it would not be a problem, and I would do my best to arrange it!

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  2. This was a very welcome surprise to digest along with my supper. Superb close ups. thank you.

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    1. Forgot to mention that I like the dark non distracting backgrounds in the first few images. Spot metering I assume. I always use a strobe for insects but I guess you would need a porter with the Sigma lens.
      I once bought a Sigma telephoto back in the days when I used Olympus. Never got on with it. Had it repaired twice so once bitten never considered another. You seem to have got a good one. It definitely does a good job in your hands.

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    2. Thank you, Adrian, for your kind words. I'm not very good with backgrounds, having to leave it to chance much of the time if the subject matter isn't in a convenient place. I never use flash out in the field. I did try it for a while when I used to take the macro lens out with me (using on-camera flash).

      Noticed this evening that Sigma have discontinued the 50-500. I'm not happy about that!

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  3. Hi Richard! Incredibly beautiful photos

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  4. I knew you would return... and well worth it to by the looks of it. That lens certainly performs well. An excellent series of shots Richard.

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    1. Thank you for the encouragement, Marc. I'm delighted to say that I'm getting better rapidly now

      I've had the lens a few years, and it's serving me very well. I have absolutely no ambitions to upgrade to something much more expensive, which would be heavier and not as versatile. UPDATE: was going to say how much a Sigma 50-500 would cost to buy, and so did a quick search - Sigma have discontinued it!!! I'm somewhat upset, to say the least. I wonder if the new 60-600 lens is as versatile?

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  5. Fantastic series of photographs, Richard! I loved each of them! Good job on having the patience to find some perching Migrant Hawkers. Superb results!

    That Willow Emerald is lovely and the details of your macro work is astounding!

    Concerning the last section of your post:

    "In Praise of the Sigma 50-500 Lens"

    "In Praise of the Photographer Creating Fine Images With The Equipment At Hand"

    There, fixed it for you.


    Please give Lindsay our best regards. Gini and I continue to wish for your complete recovery as you obviously intend to continue to overdo it physically with these insect/bird/wildlife forays.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not quite sure how to answer your comments, Wally. I don't think my efforts warrant such praise. I do try my best, but I usually come away with a great deal of self-criticism. Others are so much better photographers than I will ever be - and your own efforts are so much superior to mine.

      I'm delighted to report that my recovery is happening more quickly than I expected. I was determined not to vegetate, so have tried to gently push myself a little further each day. It seems to be working, and the discomfort in my chest feels as if it might be totally gone in a week or two. Fingers are crossed!

      I've given Lindsay your best regards, and she returns them with thanks.

      I hope that both of you are, yourselves, taking good care. With my very best wishes - - - Richard

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  6. Beautiful photos Richard of this insects on a beautiful day. Today it is here a rainy day. Greetings Caroline

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    1. Hi Caroline. The weather was beautiful that day, if a bit windy earlier on. However, like your weather, our weather has been extremely wet today! Best wishes - - - Richard

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  7. Hello Richard, stunning photos again! To see so much Migrant Hawkers together is surely something special. Interesting to read the making of the photos and the ecuipment you use.
    Take care,
    Regards from a very rainy :) Belgium
    Roos

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    Replies
    1. Hi Roos. All those Migrant Hawkers together in such a small area was an experience that I will not forget in a hurry!

      England has been extremely rainy today, also, and I have stayed indoors for most of the day!

      With my very best wishes - - - Richard

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  8. Beautiful images of the Dragonflies, especially the close-ups, fantastic Richard.

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    1. Thank you, Bob. I really enjoy close-up photography (when I get the chance!) as it opens up a whole new world to me. Take good care. Best wishes - - - Richard

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  9. Wow,outstanding photography Richard,love the sharp detail on your close - ups.
    Nice to see you back where you belong,delighting us with your finds,I'm very impressed with your work.
    Thank you.
    John.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, John, for your very kind words. Your own photography sets a standard that I'd be very happy to attain! My very best wishes to you and Sue - - - - Richard

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  10. Hello Richard,
    Picture 8 and 18 are my top two the details incredibly beautiful
    Greetings Frank

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Frank, I'm pleased that you like them. I really get a lot of enjoyment from macro photography as I see lots that I would never notice with the 'naked eye'.

      My best wishes - - - Richard

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  11. Oh wow ....... I'm really quiet about this !!!!
    What a beautiful natural pearls of macros. Really great to see. You are really good at Ricard macro photography and these beautiful pictures prove that again. Class!

    Kind regards and be careful,
    Helma

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Helma. If I ever manage to take photos that are as beautiful and artistically perfect as yours, I will be a very happy man!

      I hope you have a wonderful week - - - - Richard

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  12. I seem to have somehow missed this post while travelling around. Fabulous macros. I was hoping to get a macro lens, but as I have a new Nikon body a D3500 the macro lens will have to wait!! My D3200 is getting close to the end of its shutter life but it is good now that I have two cameras for RSA with different lenses. Cheers Diane

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    Replies
    1. Hi Diane. I hope that the D3500 serves you well - it does seem to be a rather useful body. I'd never go away anywhere for any length of time without taking two bodies and two lenses - just for safety. However, I did once go away for a week and forget to pack any memory cards!

      Best wishes to you both - - - Richard

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