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Dragonflies

Keeled Skimmer Dragonfly - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Odonata

There’s a Keeled Skimmer Dragonfly, Orthetrum coerulescens, above this tiny stream in Rome. It’s a female and has the distinctive black line …

NA3 - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

NA3? Over our dead bodies

When I’m in Devon I live right in the centre of town but close to some wonderful green spaces. Large areas of …

Black Tailed Skimmers - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Black Tailed Skimmers

I can see a pair of dragonflies. They’re Black Tailed Skimmers, Orthetrum cancellatum, in tandem in beautiful weather. The male has that …

Red-Veined Darter Dragonfly - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Red-Veined Darter Dragonfly

It’s a glorious day here in Italy. I’ve climbed to the top of a hill and can see across the valley: There’s …

Hornet - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Insects by the pond

It’s blisteringly hot at the Abbazia San Giusto in Tuscania in Italy today. There’s not much wind and precious little shelter. Tucked …

Tarquinia - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Searching for Little Owls

We are up at 6am, politely yawning. Today is our most recent attempt to see Little Owls. As a child I helped …

Female Blue Dasher dragonfly - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

A dash of Blue Dasher

There are plenty of dragonflies over the creek at the bottom of the garden here in Virginia. This one is a Blue …

Hairy Dragonfly - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

The Very Hairy Dragonfly

I saw a Hairy Dragonfly, Brachytron pratense, last year, in May: Hairy Dragonfly Today I can see one in front of me: …

Four-Spotted Chaser - Ham Wall - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Four-Spotted Chasers

There are dozens of Four-Spotted Chasers over the ponds here: They are such entertaining dragonflies: I’ve seen them before, here at RSPB …

Southern Skimmer Dragonfly - Matera - The Hall of Einar - photograph David Bailey (not the)

Southern Skimmer

There’s a female Southern Skimmer, Orthetrum brunneum, flying around us. It’s not a UK species; we’re in Italy. The males are a …

Broad-Bodied Chaser - Matera - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

No need to chase

There are Broad Bodied Chaser Dragonflies in the old city of Matera. There’s one amongst the plants on a rooftop: Changing my …

Lesser Emporer Dragonfly - Matera - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

The Lesser Emperor of Matera

We’re in Matera in the south of Italy. It’s one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on Earth, with palaeolithic caves on …

Common Darter - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Dragonfly on a post

I see a dragonfly on a post at RSPB Old Moor: And then I see another dragonfly on a post at RSPB …

Common Darter - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

An Uncommon Darter

Looking down from the top of the valley we can see the medieval hill town of Santo Stefano di Sessanio below. It’s …

Four-Spotted Chaser - The Hall fo Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Four-Spotted Chaser

I always found dragonflies difficult to identify. However, a quick check on Wikipedia for the Four-Spotted Chaser Dragonfly tells me that “The …

Four-Spotted Chaser - The Hall fo Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Four-Spotted Chasers

There’s something deeply alien about Dragonflies. These Four-Spotted Chasers have huge compound eyes just like a space helmet. And the translucent exoskeleton …

Male Broad Bodied Chaser - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Chasing Broad-Bodied Chasers

There really is no point in chasing Broad-Bodied Chasers. That’s not because they are one of the commonest Dragonflies across Europe and …

Hairy Dragonfly - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Hairy Dragonfly

I was wondering what this hairy dragonfly was called: Then I found out it was called the Hairy Dragonfly. Some people are …

Four Spotted Chaser - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Chasing a Four-Spotted Chaser

I’m chasing a Four-Spotted Chaser dragonfly. They’re very active this morning in the Somerset marshes. It takes an age for me to …