Sweden - Tranquil Waters and Swarming Darters

One of the aims of my short visit to Sweden is to photograph some personal new dragonfly species and yesterday produced two more - the Yellow-Winged Darter and the Black Darter. The former were swarming laying eggs along the edge of this beautiful lake. There was also time for a couple more fly images to add to my collection. Identification will have to wait!!

Sunrise Heathrow, Sunset Sweden

Just a quick post to show friends that I have arrived in Sweden for a five day birdwatching and dragonfly trip. The weather here was warm and sunny so quite a few dragons on the move. There are four red darter species and here show two the Moustached which is redder than the Common Darter (has yellow on thorax) and has a teardrop down the side of the eye and the Ruddy Darter - even redder and with a club shaped tail.  Of the birds, White Tailed Eagle large enough for a photo, an obliging Wheatear, lots of Barnacle Geese and a strange looking Hybrid between a Lesser White-Fronted Goose and a Barnacle

Recent Insect Photographs

While our internet has been down for the last week or so (now reconnected), I have accumulated quite a few macro shots from Gamlingay Woods, Milton Country Park and Toft garden. The highlights were the Hornets catching and eating various Hoverflies in the Woods, the splendid Snail-Killing fly, Woundwort Shield Bug, Dark Bush Cricket and Southern Hawker from our garden and the Non-Biting Midge from Milton.

Woburn

A visit to Woburn with Ellie, Sadie and Meredith on a busy Bank Holday Sunday but managed a few images that I like!

Graffitti Workshop

On Friday I spent a very enjoyable day helping Kieran with his photography - part of a Silver Art Award he is working for through the Girton Youth Club led by Tim Shuker-Yates. The project was to photograph a Graffitti wrkshop in a local village. Tim didn't get time to finish his very impressive Dragon with Pearl. The tutor at the Workshop, John in red, had some very impressive graffitti on display including the SciFi one shown here. Good technique included very fluid movements of the arm and wrist. I would have liked to take home one of the many wheelie bins.

Showers and Sunshine at Bournemouth

A few shots from Sunday's Airshow at Bournemouth - it started wet, then showery and finally the skies cleared to give a hot sunny afternoon with packed beaches. I couldn't resist the mum introducing her child to selfies early in life