Here Be Dragons

Lots of Dragonflies flying around my garden this week, too fast to photograph unless they're taking a rest. The one below obligingly stopped for a while on the washing line. I was astonished by the detail and colour, serving only to increase my fascination with these creatures. I think this is a Common Darter, but I'm not absolutely sure, the abdomen was red but I neglected to take a picture of the whole thing.

Also unidentified is the bug further down found on garden safari. It's not in my Collins field guide so, until proved otherwise, I shall claim it as a new discovery to science...

Common Darter (?) Dragonfly on clothes peg

Common Darter (?) Dragonfly

Common Darter (?) Dragonfly

Bug awaiting identification (EDIT: Shield Bug nymph)

Bug awaiting identification (EDIT: Shield Bug nymph)

Big Small Things

Thanks to ebay and a 40 year old lens I am now equipped for macro photography. My technique thus far is frenzied paparazzi snapping, focus achieved (or not) by swaying backwards and forwards whilst pressing the button a lot... Bigger animals or smaller ones further away were taken with a different lens, but generally a similar technique (or lack thereof).

A home reared froglet on small finger

Poppy and Hoverfly

Anatomical Allium Flower

Badger at dusk with mercifully poor eyesight

Fly on Teasel

Unknown Flower

Horsefly bites Me

Thistle

Time flies and Dragonflies

On the run from a dark edit suite, I took a moment to take some pictures at the Kitchen Garden pond this morning. I may have missed most of the Dragonflies emerging over the last couple of weeks, but was pleased to find and adult Broad-bodied Chaser patrolling as well as many many Damselflies... and a Frog.

Broad-bodied Chaser with attendant Common Blue Damselfly

Broad-bodied Chaser

Wide Mouthed (Common) Frog - ("you don't see many of those around do you?")