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| Image courtesy of bbc.co.uk |
It is evening, just before 9pm. The sun has just set and the light is fading fast.
To the south, a gibbous moon shines weakly. The temperature is dropping quickly under clear skies and a freshening wind.
You receive a phone call from a friend.
"Just wanted to let you know there's a dragonfly at the nature reserve... thought you might be interested... I'm about 18 inches away from it...I've taken a few photos, but had to use flash."
What would you do? Would you go?
Hell, yes.
I carefully abandoned parked the car beside the Centre and dashed strolled over to the raised tanks that were used in the past for what I presume were trials of different aquatic habitats. The info received said that the dragon was here somewhere.
I checked all the vegetation, but couldn't see an insect anywhere. I checked again, walking around the other side of the tanks. Nothing. Then I looked at the surrounding wall to see if it was roosted there. Nope.
I left a voice message to say thank you for the tip, but it looked like the dragon had flown or been predated. Hanging up, I put the phone back in my pocket and happened to look down. There, in the tank with little vegetation protruding above the surface and hence the one I'd not given much more than a cursory glance, was sat a Broad-bodied Chaser. A few feet to the left, its exuvia was clinging to the wooden frame around the tank.
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| 21.12 Exuvia (shed larval skin) clinging to woodwork above raised tank |
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| 21.15 Female Broad-bodied Chaser dragonfly |
This might be today's only good news story.
8 comments:
Now that's what I call dedication.
A twitcher chases birds, so curious to know if there is a name for a dragon chaser?
Hmm, if it's on my local patch, is it a twitch?
I guess it is at 9pm!
The dark side of me would say that a dragon chaser is called a Hobby
And from the web... Dragon Chaser is "1. A heroin addict. One that 'chases the dragon', the elusive first high that can never be matched.
2. Anyone that's constantly attempted to re-experience a first or best high of any kind that will never be as good as it was before."
Martin, you're Mr Controversial at the moment, eh? :o)
You know fine well that my only vice is a cup of tea. Admittedly, by 9pm there's also the possibility of Ovaltine.
Ok Mr Clean, how then, do you explain that dragon chaser is an obvious anagram of roach gardners. Hah!
Were they a 60s folk duo? Or a firm of solicitors?
Can't say that I recall anything fishy about our gardener.
perhaps O-Doh! would be a suitable comment at such goings on at cocoa time!! from good old Wien!!!
I'll raise your Simpsons quote with a Star Trek: TNG one.
"Au contraire, mon Capitan."
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