Norden Dragon Hunt and an Admiral

Took another visit to Kilwood and Norden on the August bank holiday weekend.  My aim was to try and see and hopefully take some shots of a male black darter for the first time.  Having taken a female one last year I knew that there was a reasonable chance of doing so, and was pleased to get some shots of one eating a fly – which I as it was patiently sat chewing, I was able to burst fire a series of shots that I then animated later, and also was able to change lenses to the MPE-65 for a close up shot.

Here’s the shots of the Male Black darter.

Canon EOS 50D (100mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec, ISO400)

Male Black Darter eating – Taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm F2.8 USM Macro Lens.  ISO 400 F5.6 1/60 Natural Light.

Canon EOS 50D (65mm, f/11, 1/250 sec, ISO200)

Close up of Black Darter eating (Slight crop to panoram style) – Taken on Canon 50D with MPE-65mm Lens around 2x magnification.  ISO 400 F11 1/250 Flash.

Black Darter Munching Animation – Series of 4 shots taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm F2.8 USM Macro Lens.  ISO 400 F5.6 1/160 Natural Light.

I thought this dragon was another male black darter, but looking closer at it I believe it is a female Keeled Skimmer.

Canon EOS 50D (100mm, f/8, 1/200 sec, ISO400)

Female Keeled Skimmer – Taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm F2.8 USM Macro Lens.  ISO 400 F8 1/200 Natural Light.

As well as the male black darter, I also managed to see and shoot this female black darter posing on some heather.

Canon EOS 50D (100mm, f/8, 1/60 sec, ISO400)

Female Black Darter on heather – Taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm F2.8 USM Macro Lens.  ISO 400 F8 1/60 Natural Light.

Whilst looking in some gorse at some tiny hatched spiderlings, I saw this mosquito – which I took at around 2x magnification on my MPE-65mm.

Canon EOS 50D (65mm, f/11, 1/250 sec, ISO200)

Mosquito on Gorse – Taken on Canon 50D with MPE-65mm Lens around 2x magnification.  ISO 400 F11 1/250 Flash.

Finally on leaving via the Kilwood reserve, I came across around 4 Red Admirals feeding on nectar.  I could not resist a few shots so the trip back was delayed slightly.  Here’s the best two of them.

Canon EOS 50D (100mm, f/8, 1/200 sec, ISO400)

Red Admiral – Taken on Canon 50D with Canon 100mm F2.8 USM Macro Lens.  ISO 400 F8 1/200 Natural Light.

Canon EOS 50D (100mm, f/6.3, 1/60 sec, ISO400)

Red Admiral in portrait – Taken on Canon 100mm F2.8 USM Macro Lens.  ISO 400 F6.3 1/60 Natural Light.

Map of Location

Dorset Wildlife Trust Reserve. Limited roadside parking