Common Darter it is then...!

Out and about on my local patch this morning.. Found some more damsels and a few of these Common Darters emerging. This one had only recently emerged from the exuvia and the wings had just opened..

Hope you're having a nice weekend,

All the best,

Brett

Canon 1D MkIII, Sigma 150mm, Tripod
1/800 @ f8.0, ISO 250
(Title change thanks to discussion with more knowledgeable members )

I hope you are more certain than me on the ID Brett - if it is a Common then it's VERY early

Great image imo, super bg and a nice simple comp - GOOD ONE

Hello Brett.

Lovely image and I would agree its a Common Darter.

I have noticed from the past that you can be a good three to five weeks ahead of use down were you live.

Hi Andy, I'm about 90% sure but my other guess would be Keeled Skimmer but it didn't have that distinctive shape to the abdomen. The site was a bog/heathland site which may account for this guess. However it is easy to confuse both species at this early stage.. Not an expert in this field so would welcome any input from the member.. Many thanks..

Also, thanks Guy, you're right we often have many species down here ahead of the 'national pattern' because of the extra warmth and sunshine etc.. It has been superb over the past few days which I think has pushed them to emergence.

Brett

Hi Brett, really like it, but is it ethical to catch one between chop sticks before you photograph it

Scott

Hello again Brett.

Forgot about the Keeled Skimmer as we dong get then round here. I only have one image of a female Kelled Skimmer. And having a closer look at this image I might got with that one in stead of the Common Darter. The main reason for this is the two white line just behind the dragonflys head, which my female Keeled Skimmer also has.

Thanks to you both and I think you might be right (Cheers for making me look further Andy)..

However in my book it shows the teneral female Common Darter with those lines also..?

Brett

If it was a teneral KS I'd expect some definite yellow tinting in the wings towards the inside leading edge. I'd also be expecting to see more defined antihumeral stripes on a fresh KS too - so I think another title change might be in order Brett

Your other options that spring to mind are Southern and Vagrant, both of which would be a LOT more noteworthy than a CD and both of which you would be well placed to chance across living where you do.

Don't know if either are excepted as breeding here, but if they can arrive they can breed!

Then again Brett, it might just simply be the first CD of the UK 2009 season - in which case well done for that one too!

Definitive id for CD is a yellow stripe on the outside of the legs and a black line across the top of the frons which doesn't follow down the inside of the eye.

Naughty bits are diagnostic too!

But the image shows none of those details - don't suppose you took shots from other angles did you?

LOL... Got you all thinking at least.. hee hee!

Brett

Andy, this is another view for you..

Brett

Hello Brett.

I wished you would have posted this one first. Stick with the Common Darter.

great image, the composition is fantastic, and the dragonfly looks all new and shiny

Teneral Male CD it is - as before it's very early Brett, congrats

Love the choice of compositions you've choose brett but the second post is stunning, you've changed the angle/composition on macro shots with your recent posts well done

Both really nice shots.

Malcolm

yes, a teneral male CD. I wasn't 100% from the first image although had pretty much ruled out a KS because it's a male and it doesn't look like it's about to turn blue. Anyway, it is very early, you must be having some nice weather down there Brett Great shots by the way, both of them. I really like the composition in the first one in particular.

Matt

Thanks folks, your input is much appreciated and I should be more confident in my ID skills.. I told the others who were there today that it was a CD so that gives me back some faith.. LOL!

Kind regards,

Brett

Nice shot, coincidentally I was at the same site this afternoon and saw a number of teneral Common Darters, first week of June for these in Kent isn't that unusual. Having said that, the site is quite dry at the moment though, that and the good weather may have brought them forward a little.

Greg

Both very nice Brett, it was very enjoyable... and def CD, we are always that little bit earlier than them up north....

speak soon

Neat image well done Brett.

Major.

A fine pair of images and superbly executed

Two super shots.