3 Dragons

If you've been watching Game of Thrones you will understand that dragons seem to come in threes ...

After what seems like the most miserable June on record (and not just for the cold wet weather), today turned out to be a lovely sunny day.  A cycle ride this morning (a very gentle cycle ride to make sure that I did not over stress my back) was wonderfully refreshing.  This afternoon I pottered down to the water meadows at Saltford to see if I could find any more dragonflies.  

I'm pleased to say that I spotted 3 different types.  The one featured in my blip is a Scarce Chaser (libellula fulvia*).  Apparently the blue eyes are the determining identifier.  It is officially scarce (cat 3 in the British Red Book of Insects), being restricted to 6 main spots in the UK.  I'm pleased to say that I saw a few of them, so hopefully they will continue to flourish locally.

I also spotted two further species of dragonfly on my walk, both of which feature in the extras.  The first extra is of the Emperor Dragonfly (anax imperator*), which I had to wait for the best part of an hour to get a shot of, as the wretched thing doesn't ever seem to settle, and when it finally did, it didn't settle anywhere which allowed me to get any closer, very frustrating!  

The second extra, is another 4 spotted chaser, (libellula quadrimaculata*) ~ which I have blipped before but which makes up my 3 dragons.

*I've given you the latin tag, not to impress you with my erudition (I gave latin up after 2 years at school - I was rubbish at it), but to demonstrate that I have been away and researched these beautiful insects. 

I could have been a Judge, but I never had the Latin for the judgin'. I never had it, so I'd had it, as far as being a judge was concerned...