This Common Darter was resting on a park fence and was very tolerant of my presence (possibly because he was enjoying the warmth of the sun).  This capture was taken at the minimum focussing distance of the 100mm macro i.e. approximately six inches from the front of the lens. Bearing in mind the 100mm has a long lens hood – it must have been nearly three inches away from the front of the hood. Would have been great to have the Canon MP-E with me but nevertheless I think the 100mm did a pretty good job of capturing detail. After I finished taking a series of shots from different angles the Darter flew off only to return and nonchalantly land on my shoulder.

The common darter is a small, narrow-bodied dragonfly which is on the wing from the end of June right through to October, or even November in a warm autumn. This is a very common dragonfly, breeding in all sorts of waterbodies from ponds and ditches to rivers and lakes. As their name suggests, common darters dart forward suddenly from a hovering position to catch their insect-prey. They then take their catch to a favoured perch to eat it.

Male common darters are bright red while the females and immature adults are golden-brown. There are several similar-looking red darters which can be very difficult to tell apart.

The Wildlife Trusts – Common Darter