Dragonflies and Damselflies

[AlanF]

This year I didn't find enough passion to go hunting dragonflies

But yesterdays walk brought me accross this couple of darters. I suppose, those are Sympetrum vulgatum.
I was quite surprised to see them mate in late October - though we have a really unusual warm autum this year.

View attachment 187176

Sympetrum vulgatum -they are certainly vulgar doing that in public.

 

[Click]

I really like your picture, Maximilian.

 

[ISv]

Nice shot Alan.
I found this happy cutie today, say cheese

F36A3468_ZS_DMap_16p_ret_DxO_full by Erik Astrom, on Flickr

One more of this kind and I will cry! Great!!!

 

[ISv]

Do dragonflies carry mites or ticks? Or what are those small objects on the body of this ruddy darter.. ?
Whatever they are, they look perfectly organized

F36A4480_DxO_full by Erik Astrom, on Flickr

Looks more like kind of eggs (and I don't think these are Dragonfly eggs). Very interesting!

 

[ISv]

I finally got the ID's of the two I posted on page 27: Cordulegaster heros and Sympetrum fonscolembei (help from entomologist - not my work).

 

[Maximilian]

Hi Erik and ISv!

Do dragonflies carry mites or ticks? Or what are those small objects on the body of this ruddy darter.. ?
Whatever they are, they look perfectly organized

Looks more like kind of eggs (and I don't think these are Dragonfly eggs). Very interesting!

Very strange what you found there, Erik!

For sure those little round balls are no dragonfly eggs. This Darter is a male and female Darters only lay their eggs into the water but nor onto their partner.
For mites or ticks I would expect some legs or limbs visible, but maybe I am wrong here. And IMO those are too many and too well arranged.
I am thinking about some tumor, skin or fungal disease. But I am absolutely no specialist here.
If anyone knows, please tell us…

 

[ISv]

Few from the last two weekends.

 

[Jack Douglas]

Very nice ISV. It's prompting me to post a couple from long ago that I've just processed a little better I think.

Jack

 

[Jack Douglas]

And here is one for the squeamish. A cannibal!

 

[Click]

ISv and Jack,

Beautiful series, guys.

 

[ISv]

And some from today: when there are no interesting BIF... Hey, these are flying too!

 

[Jack Douglas]

And some from today: when there are no interesting BIF... Hey, these are flying too!


View attachment 189600View attachment 189601View attachment 189602

View attachment 189599

Excellent! Goes to show you are skilled and your AF is capable! Not that easy. The question is, how big is it in the frame, i.e. how far away?

Jack

 

[Click]

Very nice series, ISv.

 

[ISv]

Excellent! Goes to show you are skilled and your AF is capable! Not that easy. The question is, how big is it in the frame, i.e. how far away?

Jack

Thanks for the "excellent"!
Opanda IExif says 3.55 meters. The closes focus distance of the lens is 2.20 meters.

 

[ISv]

And from today - unfortunately for the flying Dragons I didn't have a chance to get closer than 5+ meters...

 

[Jack Douglas]

I don't have many flight shots but this old one is different in that it's shot at 1/320 with 600mm.

Jack

 

[Click]

Very nice shot, Jack. Well done.

 

[Click]

And from today - unfortunately for the flying Dragons I didn't have a chance to get closer than 5+ meters...

Another beautiful series.

 

[ISv]

I don't have many flight shots but this old one is different in that it's shot at 1/320 with 600mm.

JackView attachment 189628

Nice! What lens/edition? Or may be (hmm - I'm almost sure that's the case) the Dragon is just hovering at that one point (if panning at 1/320 the background should be pretty blurred...)

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi ISv.
My guess would be that it is from his 300 f/2.8 + 2x converter days.

Cheers, Graham.

Nice! What lens/edition? Or may be (hmm - I'm almost sure that's the case) the Dragon is just hovering at that one point (if panning at 1/320 the background should be pretty blurred...)