Not so Scarce Chasers...

I've been feeling a bit rough since last Friday, thanks to a cold virus passed to me by Chris. But around lunchtime today the persistent sore throat and headache eased and I started to feel more normal. So it was off for a jaunt by the river - surprisingly hot in sheltered spots, but with a refreshing breeze where it was more open.

The prolonged spell of good weather certainly seems to have benefited  dragonflies and damselflies - I can't remember seeing so many down there before. Every stretch of marginal vegetation was embellished with fluttering wings, mostly damselflies, but with a surprising number of Scarce Chaser dragonflies too. 

I had quite a lot of images to choose from, but selected this one because I've never previously photographed a pair of mating Scarce Chaser, and didn't realise that the underside of the female's abdomen had a bluish bloom. From this pose you can see why mature males develop black patches towards the middle of their abdomens, marking the spot where the female hangs on!