tarboat's photos with the keyword: brachytron pratense

With the sun shining out of an almost cloudless sky I decided to head for west cheshire in search of dragonflies. The best shot of the day was this female Hairy Dragonfly ( Brachytron pratense ) seen in a cornfield at Churton. I have been seeking a photo of this one for years, but the females are really hard to find apart from when ovipositing.

The visit to the marlpits at Churton saw lots of dragonfly action. Patience was rewarded when this male Hairy Dragonfly landed right in front of me and stayed around long enough for a few portraits.

When the weather forecast was for a fine day I just had to head into Cheshire in search of the early season Odonata. The Hairy Dragonfly ( Brachytron pratense ) was once very scarce in the county but in the last ten years has expanded its range and there are now several areas where it can be confidently expected amongst the marl pits and slow-flowing rivers. This male took a short break from its labours before resuming the search for females amongst the marginal vegetation of a pond.