essex naturalist

I have taken many pictures of ruddy darter over the years, but I couldn’t resist a snap of this male sunning itself the other day on a wooden gate. They are photogenic and often obliging creatures…

Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum).

I took it at Hadleigh Country Park in Essex, a fine site for – alongside a host of others – dragonflies and damselflies. There are a few special species among them, including the scarce emerald damselfly. This one was photographed at the same place a few years back…

Scarce Emerald Damselfly (Lestes dryas).