Dragonfly

[Kay 3,709]

I sat by the pond this afternoon catching some rays & got a couple of dragon flies not sure exactly what they are but very nice to see all the same

 

[RogerTheCat 3]

I sat by the pond this afternoon catching some rays & got a couple of dragon flies not sure exactly what they are but very nice to see all the same

 

 

I think it is a Four-Spotted Chaser

[J Darcy 5,871]

One of my favourites is the broad bodied chase males.....

Nice, and possibly the easiest to photograph for their prediliction for a favoured hunting post...

Not bad pic Kay....

[Kay 3,709]

One of my favourites is the broad bodied chase males.....

Nice, and possibly the easiest to photograph for their prediliction for a favoured hunting post...

Not bad pic Kay....

 

Thats spot on it kept flitting back & forth to the same few reeds .. is the female the same colour or brighter ?

[J Darcy 5,871]

Sit for a moment and watch where he/she is waiting for their prey to fly past. Once it is on the circuit of hunting then just get snuck in within a good distance.

Chasers are great for pics. They will have just emerged too so still pretty pristine.

the males are brighter. The BB chaser male is a lovely blue. I had one from a larvae once and will see if i can find the pics.

[Kay 3,709]

Sit for a moment and watch where he/she is waiting for their prey to fly past. Once it is on the circuit of hunting then just get snuck in within a good distance.

Chasers are great for pics. They will have just emerged too so still pretty pristine.

the males are brighter. The BB chaser male is a lovely blue. I had one from a larvae once and will see if i can find the pics.

 

So my pic is a female .. i am pretty sure i got a male last year it was bright blue

[J Darcy 5,871]

Yes the blue ones of this variety are more than likely BB chaser males. The one in the photo, as RTC rightly says, is a FS chaser, but IMO i think it is a female due to the darkened end abdominal segments.

But i will stand corrected.

[Dime 0]

The sexes can be alike in the Four-spotted Chaser. Best to look at the anal appendages which aren't visable in Kay's excellent pic.

[Kay 3,709]

This is the same dragonfly but a different angle ...

 

[J Darcy 5,871]

Thats a female........

male is so mucc darker in a uniform fashion.

[Kay 3,709]

Thats a female........

 

Is it the split in the tail at the end that identifies the sexes ?

[Tis TM 8]

Yes the blue ones of this variety are more than likely BB chaser males. The one in the photo, as RTC rightly says, is a FS chaser, but IMO i think it is a female due to the darkened end abdominal segments.

But i will stand corrected.

 

I was standing watching a flatish short bodied, bright blue dragon fly yesterday with a friend, and was wondering how on earth I was going to find out what it was... THANK YOU Kay and JD, you've just sorted that