Another shot at The Pond in the Goyt Valley and a regular visitor. On some sites devoid of vegetation where I want to shoot, I have installed a 15mm wooden dowel in the bed of the pond to serve as a perch. That way I can get them in an optimised position for shooting. See first video below: June 16th.
A full frontal image to show this has eight spots, not four, which confuses people. It is however a distinctive Dragonfly. Other Dragonflies have one spot on each of four wings, hence they have four spots which can cause confusion. This species is constantly lifting off and landing. Usefully they usually return to the same safe harbour each time with food to eat (flies) when hunting. Incidentally this insect is what they term a 'Teneral' or immature. It had not long since emerged and the insect was still developing. Almost there but not quite. Often eye-colour is last to form: June 16th.
A Goyt Valley specimen clearly showing the total of eight spots: June 21st.
This is a real life example from The Pond where I have used a 400mm piece of 15mm dowel, pointed at one end and driven into the pond bed, at an angle, to serve as a perch. I have since improved. I carry a pre-drilled 300mm piece of dowel and a quiver full of dried reeds to insert into the end of the dowel to act as a more realistic perch. In this video the Four-spot feeds then lifts off. I did it here as an experiment but I have used the idea elsewhere of necessity. Can also attract the Broad-bodied Chaser and Damselflies: June 21st.
This video shows a Four-spot hunting and returning to a perch. It is then dive-bombed by another Four-spot, possibly a member of the opposite sex. Male and female of this species impossible to determine outside a lab (unless you are a Four-spot): May 31st.
