Dodging the showers....

It's certainly not been stable weather of late, but many of you are persevering and in between showers and cold spells are seeing some lovely dragons and damsels:

S. Loose photographed this fabulous Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis whilst gardening...

 

...whilst J.Shields has been looking at the incredible eyes on these insects. This close up of a Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula shows how the eyes are clearly separated on the heads of damselflies whereas dragonflies usually have a degree of contact between the eyes. This is seen in her photo below showing the striking green eyes of the Golden-ringed Dragonfly Corduleagster boltonii coming together at a point.

 

P.Spear has been enjoying the dragonflies at Whixall Moss and managed to photograph the Common Hawker Aeshan juncea -no mean feat for a species described as relentlessly on the wing!

 

 

P.Spear also captured the female seen here ovipositing into vegetation. Furthermore he took some pics of Black Darter Sympetrum danae recently emerged with the exuviae nearby:

 

 

If you're out and about and find exuviae please do put them in a pot and get in touch and I'll do my best to identify them!