Troublefield – May Dragons & Damsels

I had the fortune to visit Troublefield in mid May.  I say fortune as picking this week was crucial.  The flowers were out in the sunny water meadow, loads of butterflies were in the air, as well as lots of damsel and dragonflies.  I returned one week later to find the fields completely wrecked with the flowers all eaten or trampled, and only a solitary blue remaining.  The DWT in there “wisdom” putting in a herd of cows in this SSSI location, before the flower and insects had finished.  Why mid summer I never know on a site that is supposed to be for the flowers and insects.  Best time to visit on their reserve page – says Summer – well not 2011!   Not allowing the flowers to go to seed, can hardly help them.  Anyway enough of my moaning.  Onto what I took before the disaster took place.

First up a large red damselfly resting on a nettle.

Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) – Taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm Macro Lens.  ISO 400 F4 1/500 Natural Light.

A pair of the large reds mating.

Large Red Damselflies Mating (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) – Taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm Macro Lens.  ISO 400 F11 1/100 Manual Flash from Canon MT-24ex.

Then onto the larger damselflies – first a scarce chaser…

Scarce Chaser – Taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm Macro Lens.  ISO 250 F8 1/250 Natural Light.

Then a couple of shots of this beautiful Broad-bodied Chaser.

Broad-bodied Chaser – Taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm Macro Lens.  ISO 250 F4 1/1650 Natural Light.

Broad-bodied Chaser – Taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm Macro Lens.  ISO 250 F5.6 1/400 Natural Light.

And of not to mention some demoiselles were about.

Demoiselle – Taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm Macro Lens.  ISO 400 F3.5 1/640 Natural Light.

And closer up

Demoiselle – Taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm Macro Lens.  ISO 400 F7.1 1/400 Natural Light.

I suppose I ought to show you some flowers too.

Meadow flowers – Taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm Macro Lens.  ISO 250 F4 1/3200 Natural Light.

How about some more flowers, this time with a butterfly nectaring on them.

Blue on flowers – Taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm Macro Lens.  ISO 250 F8 1/320 Natural Light.

And finally a blue taken towards the end of the day at rest.

Blue butterfly at rest – Taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm Macro Lens.  ISO 250 F11 1/250 with Manual Flash from Canon MT-24ex.

Map of Location

A small DWT wildlife reserve.