Dragon/Damselflies

This post is dedicated to the 40 or so Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies) species you could encounter in the UK. Really love watching the aerial master-craft of the dragonflies as they hawk around the lakes and rivers, but the alertness of these insects does frustrate when trying to get close enough to get photographs. Damselflies unlike dragonflies do allow you to get a little closer but their size means you have to get really close to get a decent photo, but they can be just as frustrating as they back off to the opposite side of the grass stem to stop you getting a picture of identifiable features. But these Odonata species are really worth the effort if you can get some pics as they as they can really show up the colouration and complexities of these insects.

                             Male Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo)

                                 Immature male beautiful demoiselle

                                     Female Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa)

                                     Male Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa)

Male Azure Blue Damselfly (Coenagrion puella)

Female Azure Blue Damselfly or a female variable blue ?

Female Azure Blue Damselfly (Coenagrion puella)

Mating Azure Blue

Male Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosomma nymphula)

Female Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosomma nymphula)

Female Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosomma nymphula)

Male Blue Tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)

Female Blue Tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans violacea)

Female Blue Tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans rufescens)

Blue Tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans typica)

Female Blue Tailed Damselfly (Ischnura rufescens-obsoleta)

Blue-tailed Damselflies Mating

Male Common Blue (Enallagma cyathigerum)

Female Common Blue (Enallagma cyathigerum)

Male Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator)

Golden-Ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegastor boltonii)

Male Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea)

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna nixta)

Female Migrant Hawker (Aeshna nixta)

Female Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens)

Male Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens)

Female Broad-Bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa)

Emergent Female Broad-Bodied Chaser and exuvia

Female Four Spot Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata)

Male Four Spot Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata)

Male Black-Tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum)

Female Black-Tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum)

Female Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum)

Female Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum)

Male Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum)

Mating Common Darters