Wednesday 2 June 2010

Broad-bodied Chasers at Tywell Hills & Dales





The Whitestone ponds at Tywell Hills & Dales reserve are temporary ponds that frequently dry out in summer - they are essentially clay-filled holes that collect rain water. Every year though, they seem to be home to breeding Broad-bodied Chaser. I popped there this lunchtime and was lucky enough to see a male at territory capture and mate with a passing female. She went on to ovipost into a clump of what looks like hornwort. My photos aren't great as my camera couldn't keep up with the speed of her movement. I usually shoot in RAW, but my camera buffers-out after 15 shots, so I had to change to jpg to get 99 continuous shots and capture some of the action.