I do look forward to the Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) emergence. They always seem to have (albeit from a very human point of view) a smile on their faces and will be on the wing maybe even into November. Yellow female and red male at North Cave Wetlands. Also a cousin, the Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) a male taken on holiday in Corsica a week or so ago. Note the blue eyes. The Red-veined females are also yellow.
Female Common Darter
Male Common Darter
Male Red-veined Darter
Female Meadow Brown on Common Spotted Orchid
Some Butterflies in the sunshine which has finally arrived. Marbled Whites and Meadow Brown at YWT Wharram Quarry and Small-Pearl Bordered Fritillary at YWT Fen Bog. Wharram quarry alive with butterflies, orchids and wild flowers at this time of year. Shame about the farmer outside the reserve mowing all the roadside verges! Why oh why........
Marbled Whites
Orchids in Wharram Quary
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Everyone likes a Bee orchid, this one at North Cave Wetlands. Last year seems to have been a good year for them and this year not so bad. Their appearance does seem a bit random though. For instance, at Yorkshire Water's Tophill Low reserve 199 plants were recorded last year, but only 6 this year!
Male Emperor patrolling his Empire
A good variety of dragons and damselflies on the wing at the wetlands at the moment. My favourite the male Emperors are patrolling their ponds. We don't get many Emerald Damsels but always nice to see them. The Red-eyed Damsels are proving elusive. They don't like to leave the water's edge and I am finding it difficult to bring the macro to bear on them and the telephoto doen't really cut it with such small subjects. First time I have seen the blotchy winged Praenubila form of the Four-spotted Chaser. Also in flight a male Black-tailed skimmer.
Praenubila male Four-spotted Chaser
Male Emperor
Male Emperor in flight above and below
Female Emerald Damselfly below
Female Blue-tailed Damselfly - rufescens form
Male Black-tailed Skimmer
Red-eyed Damselfly male - pics hopefully to be improved upon!
Easier to photograph in cooler conditions. Photos showing a female of the blue form at North Cave Wetlands.
male underside
Common Blues starting to appear in reasonable numbers now at North Cave Wetlands. Females at some colonies are very brown. The females at North Cave seem on the whole to be quite bright and blue.
female
male
two males differing in size
Common Blues starting to emerge at North Cave Wetlands with the odd smaller Brown Argus amongst them. This one has a slightly damaged wing.
Female Common Darter 
Male Common Darter
Male Red-veined Darter
