Catching lunch.

Watching Dragonflies today reminded me of the 1969 film The Battle of Britain with those airmen engaged in aerial combat in the blue sky over Southern England. There were no Spitfire flights over the Solent today. In flight, combat was taking place, an “Emperor Dragonfly” was on the hunt on the wing chasing and then catching a smaller dragonfly a “Common Darter”. Taking it to a nearby perching stick first killing it by removing its head then eating the contents of the darter’s insides Nature is both cruel and fascinating at the same time. I have witnessed this hunting and killing before of wasps and bees but this was the first dragonfly catching another dragonfly observation for me.

Forest stream.

Another hot weather walk in the New Forest this morning found us following a small stream on the flat which helped us keep cool. There were many Dragonflies – Emperor Dragonflies were “dipping”. An action where they lay their eggs.

Another Dragonfly that was about in good numbers was the Golden-ringed Dragonfly.

A few bird spots.

Nuthatch.

Blue Tit.

A lucky spot walking back to the van was a young Grass Snake.

Dragons in the sky.

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.

Close encounter.

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.

Damselflies.

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.

Long legs!

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.

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 to the woods.

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.

Sea Hare.

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.