Digiscoping Dragonflies (1 Viewer)

[Richard Ford]

Tim, excellent shot, looks like you have mastered the technique and equipment. :t:

I have finally caught up with a Red-eyed Damselfly Ken, but only managed on distant shot at the Basingstoke canal over lunchtime using the 3x converter and Coolpix 4500.
I didn’t fancy the looks I would get lugging all the Digiscoping equipment into work.
I am also seeing Downy Emerald there, though they seem happy fling in the shade, could they be brilliant emeralds? They never land.


Anyway, here is the Red-eyed seriously cropped.

 

[Surreybirder]

Well done, Redwing!
Never seen a brilliant emerald, so I'm hardly qualified to answer that one--the books say that they prefer shade. Apparently they do look a lot brighter than downys, but how can you tell if they are in the shade? (I found the downys almost impossible to focus my bins on--so getting the diagonostic yellow marks on the frons of brilliant would be a mite tricky I fancy!)
Ken

 

[Forcreeks]

Surreybirder, I posted this reply about my micro closeups to the Damselfly comments and repeat it here for you. No tripod was used. I'm stooping down as low as I can go by the pond edge. The little Pentax 10x lens comes off the end of a plastic tube that makes up a monocular-microscope set by Pentax. The lens is good quality and so little it goes in the tiny camera bag accessory pocket for my Olympus C-50.. so I'm never shooting without it. It's diameter is such that it fits nicely over my unthreaded lens barrel and I hold it onto the lens-front with left hand while shutter releasing with the right hand. The limitation is that the fixed focal distance varies from about one to four inches from the subject depending on zoom amt.. so you have to be stealthy and patient and still can't use it in lots of cases. You may have already seen my gallery for the Ranchman's Tiger Moth closeup using it.. it's pretty dramatic. My aim has been to share techniques as I've learned a lot from the forums and photogs too.

 

[Surreybirder]

Or is it Four-spotted Chaser in english?

Lovely photo, Timhotep! You've managed to achieve great sharpness. I only discovered the hairs on the abdomen of the 4-spot when I took a photo myself recently HERE. You're right... four-spotted chaser it is.
(And lovely to see your scarce chaser in another thread!) I'd still love to know which part of the 'countryside' you live in?

Forcreeks: Thanks for the tips. Sounds as if it needs great skill and patience. I'm coming to the conclusion that I get my best results with an SLR camera on a tripod (see 4-spot referred to above, for example). Redwing gets amazing shots with his digiscoping set-up but I don't have such good equipment. The only snag with my (wife's!) SLR is that it is an old one that doesn't record any info so I have to record date, settings etc separately if I want to enter the competitions. Love your darner and Laurel by the way, hope it wins!

 

[Richard Fray]

Hello from Arizona

Hi everyone

Adey Baker has just directed me here. I run the Leicestershire & Rutland Dragonfly Group website (http://lrdragonfly.topcities.com/), although not for too much longer (hopefully!) as I moved to Arizona in November 2002. So I'm therefore a little out of touch with the UK now.

I've embarked on the long and scary-looking road to dragonfly identification in the US. I was used to around 20 species in Leics... I still haven't found out how many are in Arizona, but there are 450-odd in North America!

I've been digiscoping birds for a few years now, but I'm relatively new to dragonfly photography. I've attached a shot of what, I think, is called Flame Skimmer. And a very impressive insect it was too!

I'd like to ask if anyone has any tips for me starting out with dragonfly ID in the US, and if anyone wants to see a large gallery of excellent dragonfly photos (so not including mine ) from the UK, take a look at the photo gallery on the LRDG website (http://lrdragonfly.topcities.com/photogallery.htm). I've got loads of photos of birds and other wildlife on my own website: http://richardfray.topcities.com.

Cheers
Richard Fray

 

[Steve]

Welcome to BF Richard.

 

[Richard Ford]

Welcome to BF Richard on behalf of the moderators and Admin. :t:

I am sure you will find plenty of like-minded people with whom you’ll get involved in lively discussions and debates, it looks like you bring with you some good photography skills. What a fantastic looking site Richard, sure puts mine to shame, I will have to have another proper look when I get the time later.
I do not have a clue when it comes to Dragonflies in the US, (I have only just started on the UK species) but you are in the company of people who do. Your photo is fantastic.
Why not introduce yourself formally in the “say hello” forum.

Once again welcome to BF

All the best

Richard (Moderator)

 

[oldsquaw]

Howdy Richard, I have a copy of Dragonflies through Binoculars, it is real good for dragonflies, but doesn't enclude damsels. It has range maps and photos of all North American species. There is a "Damselflies of N. America" July 96, but I have no info on this book. I heard there is a damsel through binoculars, but I'm not sure. Good luck, Arizona has great dragons, and they're active year round in the desert. Van

 

[Pie Face]

Hi Richard

Fancy bumping into you here.

Attached a shot of White-faced Darters taken this weekend. The pair were that engrosed that I almost poked the males eyes out with the Coolpix!!

Mark (AKA Dragonfly pornographer)

 

[Richard Ford]

Wow
Excellent shot.
Here is a species that I may never see in this country without travelling a long distance from southern England.
I believe they’re considered to be gone from there former areas in surrey, actually only 20mins from my house. This is the first photo I have seen of this species, so thanks.
Maybe I will get a shot myself one day.

Rich

 

[Surreybirder]

Yes, welcome, Richard (Fray)! I think I may have corresponded with you under another name! Welcome to BirdForum (and the dragonfly sub-group). [Wasn't there a 'mystery' dragonfly taken by one of your group in Thailand or somewhere?]
That's a lovely shot... never seen a species with all red veins before.

I'll check out your web site later when I have a bit of time!
Let us know how you get on in Arizona!!

 

[Pie Face]

Hi Redwing

These were in Staffordshire at Chartley Moss, so not too far to travel. Unfortunately they is strictly no public access to this site, mainly because it is an extremely hazardous site. it's basically 3 metres of peat floating on top of 14 metres of water!! However every summer the British Dragonfly Society organise several (free)guided trips there. Check out their website, but I think last saturdays was the last this year. Just to wet your appetite another pic'

 

[Leslie]

Hi Richard (Fray) - Welcome to the forum. I do believe you have the flame skimmer there. I have a couple pictures of them in the gallery section (I couldn't figure out how to attach them here) or you can click on this link : http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=2335596&uid=743877&members=1

I have just gotten interested in the Odonata species recently. I have ordered the "Dragonflies through Binoculars" book, the one that Oldsquaw suggested, and should be receiving it any day now. Until you get a field guide, the website enature.com is a pretty good resource. You should have lots of wonderful opportunites for birding and viewing all kinds of wildlife in AZ.

Leslie

PS - I forgot to say what a wonderful picture that is!

 

[Surreybirder]

Lovely shots, Leslie.

 

[Leslie]

Thanks Surreybirder! I'm having a lot of fun learning about the dragonfles and trying to get pics of them. Very challenging!

 

[Richard Fray]

Thanks!

Thanks for the kind words everybody. I feel very welcome!

Fancy bumping into Mr Reeder here! We go way back - we met on Fair Isle in 1985 (I think) and have been friends ever since. Nice to see you're still getting excellent shots, Mark.

I've got two books on dragonflies in the US so far - the Stokes beginner's guide, and a small book about the common dragonflies of Calilfornia (well, it's close!). Apparently there's one in that series coming out soon covering the South-West. I've also got the dragonflies through binoculars book on order as well...

In the meantime, here's another shot from sunny Arizona - this one is some form of darter, or meadowhawk as I think it may well be called here. Anybody got any ideas???

Cheers
Richard Fray

 

[Richard Fray]

Great photos Leslie! And thanks for the enature.com tip - I'll have a look.

Surreybirder - yes, that was me with the mystery Thailand dragonfly photo! Adey Baker kindly asked around for me, and we got a name in the end (it was an Oasis Skimmer). The Thailand article is on the articles page of the LRDG website (http://lrdragonfly.topcities.com/articles.htm). I've also put a page of further unidentified dragonflies from Belize, Central America, in Feb 2003. Yes, I've been getting around a bit recently (doesn't it make you sick? )

I don't want to monopolize this forum, but here's one last pic from me for the time being - a familiar looking one, this; I think it's one of the bluets - possibly even a Familiar Bluet! Again, if anybody has any ID thoughts....

Cheers
Richard Fray

 

[Leslie]

Okay, this is a guess, but maybe the amber colored guy is a Mexican Amberwing. I do think the blue one is familar bluet. I'm really new at this though, so I could be way off, but it's fun trying.

I just received the "Dragonflies Through Binoculars" book and I really think I'm going to like it. The pictures are very good. The pics were not very good in a lot of the books I looked at. I hope you ordered it from Amazon.com - It was only $7.50!

 

[Surreybirder]

Where's Forcreeks when we need him?!
I think I'll get dragonflies through bins myself... after all I may go to the States again one day

 

[Forcreeks]

Richard Fray,

I'm pretty sure you have a photo of a male Variegated Meadowhawk. Note, from Dunkle book: "Abdomen has a black dorsal stripe on S8-S9 (Segments 8 & 9 on top - black) and a chain of white lateral spots on segs 2-8 bordered on top with black... also stigma is yellow at both ends. You need the Dunkle field guide too Richard.
Mar, love your photo of White-faced Darters, a bug's eye view.
Steve B.