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Southern Hawker

Aeshna cyanea

Photo by AlphaZeroOne
Published on Project Noah
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52.1788, -2.30519

Field Notes

Description:

This is a large hawker with a fast and seemingly tireless flight. Very difficult to approach with exceptional eye sight that can record the smallest change in light as you try to sneak up on it. Known as the Blue Hawker in other parts of Europe

Habitat:

A large, solitary, inquisitive and colorful species of lowland standing waters, including many garden ponds.

Notes:

This incredible dragonfly actually approached me to check me out. An experience that I will never forget! It took me a great deal of time to get a half decent photograph. Thank goodness for digital photography. Using traditional film, I would have wasted at least 2 rolls just trying to get this fabulous creature on the wing.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (9)
Ashish
Wonderful spotting..!!
AlphaZeroOne
Hi Atul, Doina & Ismael. Thanks for your kind comments and feedback. Doina, you are correct with your observation that these dragonflies will hover motionless for a brief moment. This particular one actually hovered several times, inches (cm) in front of my face, checking ME out before shooting off in some unpredictable direction. Amazing speeds and amazing flying skills. Something almost haunting about being 'inspected' and appraise by an insect whose ancestors have been around for hundreds of million years.
DoinaRussu
This is a great photo, captured in flight, with very good details! Is very difficult to get this because of rapid flight and chaotic :) Dragonflies have a habit of returning to the same place and, fortunately for photographers, have a habit of flying "in place" for a split second !:) My compliments!
Atul
great spotting great colors. thats the beauty of digital photography AlphaZeroOne.

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Mission
Global Dragonflies & Damselflies
Photographed
PublishedSeptember 26, 2011

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