Yesterday we spent time at Titchfield Haven around one of the small ponds looking for Damselflies and Dragonflies.
With a warm morning, there were many to see.
Four-spotted chaser dragonflies out in large numbers.
Female blue form Emperor dragonfly “tail dipping” – egg laying.
Azure damselfly mating.
A freshly emerged male Golden-ringed Dragonfly in the New Forest today, her wings have unfolded but not yet dropped into the open flight position so it will be an hour or so before he will fly.
I put my hand down to pick up an empty dragonfly nymph exoskeleton which was on the ground and the dragonfly walked onto my finger.
A damselfly empty nymph exoskeleton.
Similar to Dragonflies, Damselflies are usually smaller and have slimmer bodies. Most species will fold their wings along the body when at rest, unlike dragonflies which hold the wings flat and away from the body. They have existed since the Jurassic Age.
All damselflies are predatory insects; both nymphs and adults actively hunt and eat other insects.
Tetragnatha Montana is a species of long-jawed orb weaver spiders commonly known as the silver stretch spider. These spiders have a habit of extending their front legs into a stick like shape
Now the sun is out Dragonflies and Damselflies are starting to fly.
Four-Spotted Chaser.
Four-Spotted Chaser. This Dragonfly has emerged deformed and missing one wing.
The Chaser below is deformed and missing 1 wing.
Azure Damselfly pair mating.
Hairy Dragonfly.
Banded Demoiselle.
Back home after our campervan trip to Wales and a day in the New Forest. Looking in a wet area for some small creatures.
Water Skimmer.
Raft Spiders.
This one is hunting on a Milkmaid flower.
Distant Fallow Deer – young bucks.
Minotaur Beetle – Typhaeus Typhoeus {size of my thump nail}.
I have to get down low for these creatures.
Commonly known as sea hares, The clade Anaspidea are medium-sized to large opisthobranch gastropod molluscs with a soft internal shell made of protein. Sorting out some memory sticks I came across these pictures I took at Meon Shore Beach in the summer of 2019. I have only ever found 2 of these interesting creatures and have not seen one since this sighting.
When you see a Cormorant what colour bird do you see? To me, they always look black. Take a closer look to see the real bird.
View of the moon tonight from my garden.
fuji HX2s with 150-600mm. handheld 60th sec.
“So should we find a nest hole?”
” Well, I saw one over there”. “So let’s take a look”.
With the sun out I thought it was a good morning to make a visit to take a look at the local Ringed-necked parakeets to see if they were looking for nest holes.
The birds had found a hole which they were checking out. The male bird watched on as the female checked out the hole. ( the male parakeet has the neckband).
I hope this will be the chosen hole to nest in as I will be able to monitor it during the nesting season.
Continued Reflections from my World. 