Thursley a first visit.

Thursley Common in Surrey, is reputed to be the location for the most diverse species dragonflies in the UK.  Being in the area on Sunday, I decided to pay a first visit in the hope of seeing some.

I parked up near the village – I now know it may be better to park at the reserves car park.  The common is large, and at the time of the visit the heather was in full bloom,  so much that I wished I’d also bought at landscape lens along as well.  I saw a few dragonflies in flight, but only managed shots of Common Blue damselflies.  I have since found that I was looking in the wrong area from the UKdragonflies.com forum.  So will go back again and look around Moat pond area and the boardwalks nearby.

However in the heather I did manage to find a nice posing White or Buff tailed Bumblebee.

White/Buff Tailed Bumblebee – Taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm F2.8 USM Macro Lens.  ISO 400 F8 1/250 Flash from Canon MT-24ex Twin Flash.

and further round the heath – a wasp feeding on a solitary bee.

Wasp feeding on bee. – Taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm F2.8 USM Macro Lens.  ISO 400 F8 1/250 Flash fill from Canon MT-24ex Twin Flash.

And finally I did see manage to photograph a Common Blue Damselfly!

Common Blue Damselfly – Enallagma cyathigerum – Taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm F2.8 USM Macro Lens.  ISO 400 F4 1/640 Natural Light.

Map of Location

A small car park is located here near Moat Pond.