Discover Top Posts Tagged with #lesser emperor

Lesser Emperor - Imperador-menor (Anax parthenope)

Vila Franca de Xira/Portugal (16/06/2026)

[Nikon Coolpix P900]

#insects #insect photography #dragonflies #lesser emperor

Dragonflies - Anisoptera

(PART 1) / (PART 2) / (PART 3) / (PART 4) / (PART 5)

Another one, thank you. Another one, thank you. Another one . . . yeah, so me making series on awesome species I come across, is becoming a trend. Now I am hyperfixating on dragonflies with their awesome bright colours So, sit back, relax, and enjoy these gorgeous beauties.

More dragonflies ! ! Some of these have such a broad distribution, it is insane ! !

Also, the information on the distribution of these species, I sourced from iNaturalist.

Broad Scarlet - Crocothemis erythraea

(The whole continent Africa, the mainland of Asia, and nearly the entirety of Europe)

Halloween Pennant - Celithemis eponina

(Canada, U.S.A., Mexico)

Ruddy Darter - Sympetrum sanguineum

(Russia, Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Morocco, Algeria, Tunesia, and Europe, besides Iceland)

Lesser Emperor - Anax parthenope

(Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Chad, Egypt, Sudan, and nearly the entirety of Europe and Asia)

Southern Hawker - Aeshna cyanea

(Algeria, Iran, Türkiye, Russia, Europe besides Iceland)

#hyperfixation #entomology #dragonflies #anisoptera #Broad Scarlet #Crocothemis erythraea #Halloween Pennant #Celithemis eponina #Ruddy Darter #Sympetrum sanguineum #Lesser Emperor #Anax parthenope #Southern Hawker #Aeshna cyanea #bugs #insects #bugblr

昆虫図鑑「昆虫の森　身近な虫から憧れの虫まで」カバーイラスト&挿絵監修：丸山宗利　編集：スタジオエクレア出版社：笠倉出版社発売日：2020年10月30日

#仕事 #書籍 #図鑑 #昆虫 #笠倉出版 #insect #Tree Nymph Butterfly #Lesser Emperor #Man-faced Stinkbug #walking flower mantis #Violin Beetle #Oncotympana maculaticollis #adobephotoshop #illustration #color #work

Lesser Emperor - Tira-olhos-menor (Anax parthenope): mating

Vila Franca de Xira/Portugal (19/09/2025)

[Nikon D500; AF-S Nikkor 500mm F5,6E PF ED VR]

#insects #insects photography #dragonflies #lesser emperor

Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope): mating

Cruz Quebrada/Portugal (11/10/2017)

[Nikon Coolpix P900; 1/640s; F7,1; 320 ISO; Expo. Comp. -1]

#insects #dragonflies #nature photography #lesser emperor

Global Bird Fair 2026 and time in Rutland Water Lyndon and Egleton nature reserves 10th-12th July 2026, Durlston and a search for a Hampshire rare bird 13th July 2026 and lunch time and evening walks at Lakeside Country Park 14th July 2026

The photos in this set from a busy long weekend and today are of; Lesser Black-backed Gull at Lakeside Country Park today, Ruddy Darter dragonfly at Rutland Water's Egleton Nature Reserve on Friday, Yellow-legged Gull at the Lyndon Nature Reserve on Saturday, Marbled White and Lulworth Skipper at Durlston in Dorset yesterday, Great Crested Grebe and view at Lakeside this lunch time and a photo of me and my Mum with Megan McCubbin at the Bird Fair on Saturday.

One of my favourite times of the year arrived between Friday and Sunday as we went to the East Midlands for Rutland Water’s Global Bird Fair. As ever it was a socially stimulating, engaging and inspirational few days all for a good cause, this year raising money for “Preventing Island Extinctions” in São Tomé and Príncipe. Across the weekend it was lovely to speak to and hear talks from a diverse array of nice and passionate people, some whom we knew already others who we’d never met. Some of the famous faces it was a pleasure to chat to and see talks from and/or involved in a quiz or panel discussions were Megan McCubbin, Simon King, David Lindo, Mike and Zachary Dilger, Lira Valencia, Lucy Lapwing, Dr Sean McCormack, Robert Fuller, Indy Greene and Dr Erica McAlister. All of the talks were moving and thought-provoking and the Bird Brain of Britain, Room 101 and Merlin (app) vs human quizzes were hilarious and fun to watch. The latter which Megan and Indy were playing in this year was amazing to watch and the lady from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology was able to offer some fascinating insights into how the famous avian identification app works. I enjoyed wandering around the various stands in the fair and seeing Goldfinches being ringed at the ringing demonstration.

To compliment the hustle and bustle of the fair we had some fantastic time released into nature with some sensational bird and insect watching. Headline species included splendid views of the Osprey pair and their three recently fledged chicks at Manton Bay, I enjoyed wholesome views of this species which is one my favourites and I get so much out of seeing always with great in flight views where it was funny to see a Woodpigeon take off in a panic as one moved towards it as well as them in the nest. It was unique to see the chicks on the bank and a low perch which I’d rarely seen before, joyful time spent with one of the standout birds of my year. Another of my key birds of the year also shone as we enjoyed excellent views of a smart Yellow-legged Gull at Lyndon. Lyndon on Saturday evening was also as it was two years ago at a similar time of day the place where I saw my milestone 200th bird of the year, and it was exactly the same species as 2024, a dashing Green Sandpiper. Last year was our big year reaching 238 species so I knew it was be a tough act to follow but we have had some incredible birding experiences this year and I’m so pleased to reach the 200s for a sixth time.

There were moments of absolute euphoria at Egleton on Friday as we spotted a Lesser Emperor dragonfly and enjoyed it parading in front of a hide for a bit with its distinctive and gemstone like small patch of blue compared to the also seen Emperor. Quite a rare species I had only really heard of/looked them up in the last year or so, so I knew what it was when I saw it and was delighted. It’s another massive moment in what’s becoming my greatest odanata year and that day I saw eight other dragonfly and damselfly species which must be a record for me. Brown Hawker with their charming rusty looking wings was one and a highlight across the weekend seeing them drift across clearings above paths with my first Southern Hawker of the year seen too. There were a great load of butterflies about and I enjoyed fine views of Painted Ladies in the hot sun at Egleton in a ninth county this year as it’s turning into a big year for them.

Red Kites were a constant on the trip and Kingfisher, bronze Black-tailed Godwits, Curlew, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Great White Egrets, Teal, Swift and Sand Martins were other bird highlights. Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma and Large, Small and Green-veined Whites were other super butterflies seen. Other highlights were moths Vapourer, Swallow-tailed, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Drinker and Elephant hawk-moth caught from a trap at the Butterfly Conservation stand at the Bird Fair, my first Field Vole of the year at Lyndon, Common Red Soldier beetle, Seven-spotted Ladybird, Marmalade hoverfly, bee, wasps including a Potter Spider wasp, cricket or grasshopper seen quickly, Grey Cross spider and Leiobunum rotundum Harvestman. The other of the nine dragonfly and damselfly species seen across the weekend were radiant ruby male and cheerful female Ruddy Darters, Black-tailed Skimmer, Broad-bodied Chaser, Common Blue Damselfly and Blue-tailed Damselfly.

There were some splendid summer flowers seen across the weekend including one of my favourites tansy, nettle-leaved bellflower, fox-and-cubs, upright hedge-parsley, wild carrot, marsh woundwort, tufted vetch, scabious, viper’s-bugloss and scentless mayweed with sloes and guelder rose berries also interesting to see. It was also lovely to be immersed in the picturesque Rutland Water and take in the postcode image-esque local villages including Rockingham and Caldecott on the way in and out from the hotel each day which I always enjoy in bright weather. An unforgettable trip as ever.

Yesterday on a day of leave I take off as a post-Bird Fair buffer to going back to work as we travel home after the fair closes on the Sunday since we didn't manage to do it the weekend before last as planned we made a trip that is a massive part of our summer in itself, going to Durlston in Dorset in a quest for localised and minute Lulworth Skipper butterflies and we did get some excellent views of crescent-branded females and dusky mini males. Another astounding insect surprise this long weekend was seeing a couple of Clouded Yellow butterflies, always fantastic to see these unmistakeable sun-coloured butterflies. After the joy of adding Lulworth Skipper to my year list it was one of our next targets so it felt amazing to get that seen, in what is also one of my best ever years of butterflies I'm up to forty three seen for the year levelling the totals of my last two years and making my year list my joint third highest ever. I also loved seeing Six-spot Burnet, Hummingbird hawk-moth, Stonechat and restharrow on precious time by the sea at Durlston. It would've been rude not to pop into Miller's Pond in Southampton on the way home yesterday close to my sister's house where a rare Black-crowned Night Heron is currently present, I was delighted we caught some thrilling glimpses of it, only my second ever seen. In my sister's garden, on the way to the pond and at Lakeside today another big migratory insect trend for me alongside the Painted Ladies, Clouded Yellow and the fair few Hummingbird Hawk-moths I've seen in good conditions for insects arriving in the UK got underway seeing flamboyant Jersey Tiger moths.

Also good to see at Lakeside today were Moorhen, Common Blue butterfly, Meadow Browns, Black-tailed Skimmer, purple loosestrife and dock.