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Dragonfly

Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,949
in Wildlife gardening
Yesterday evening I was picking some raspberries and I noticed this huge chap.
I saw it was still there this morning so got a snap
I see plenty of their brightly coloured cousins, but not seen a big dragonfly in several years




Billericay - Essex

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 22,870
    He’s lovely,  I get them down by the pond not seen one on the raspberries though.
    i did see a bright red one the other day. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,529
    It looks like a common hawker.
    Great photo and so nice it stayed still for you.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,949
    edited July 2021
    Thanks bertrand-mabel & Lyn, I wondered what it was. It looked like it was getting ready to fly as its wings were vibrating when I took the pic. I'd forgotten just how big they are, and a bit scary 😁
    I did notice a big 'something' coming out of a casing in my w/l pond a couple of days ago which is only a few feet away, so I wonder if that's where it came from.
    Just hope when I go down the garden next that I've got some raspberries left :)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,529
    Yes the larvae are in the water and then they climb out onto pond vegetation and rest for a while before emerging into the beautiful insect you have seen.
    No worries about your raspberries! They only eat insects.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,949
    Pity they don't eat pigeons :)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,107
     :o   🕊  😭 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,949
    oops 🤣

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 53,974
    Dave is particularly upset by your comment @Pete.8
    Put him right off his millet....

     ;) 

    Lovely dragonfly pic though. Just about time for us to get them on the boggy lower slopes of the hills here. It's sometimes like walking through clouds of them.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,397
    My Woodie ( aka Fat Pidge ) heard you say that Pete - looked extremely offended and flounced off  :D:D  
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,949
    Apologies to Dave - are you fattening him up for a pie? 😁

    I've not seen a dragonfly in years.
    I used to get them come into the lounge years ago now and then  - it used to frighten the living daylights out of me -  they're so fast and unpredictable, and noisy

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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