in the air

 

An odd day this one: 18th May and a cycle to Saltoun. I didn't stay long but enjoyed getting some in-flight shots of 4-spotted chasers. Something missing though, maybe variety. However, good exercise in two senses, a workout on the bike and good practice with the camera trying to get shots of these dragonflies flying above the ponds. (Any fool can get shots of them sitting on a reed.)

Maybe I was tired. This was the day I bumped before going North to Aberdeenshire and the day after we returned. We had such a good time there it might have been the inevitable comparison. Also the cycle there was hard work. Into a pretty stiff headwind. I am not prepared to say how long it took to cycle the 16miles but the return journey was nearly 20minutes faster and usually I just chug home slowly, a bit broken. However today the wind on my back on the return journey was urging me to pick the pace up and race it. I was wondering how the pace compared to the bus speeds shortly before I overtook the 113 in Tranent and it did not catch me on the long descent to Musselburgh. Which felt like flying. Must have been doing the reverse on the way there for what might be a slowest ever. 

I have been trying to be focussed of late - when I approach a project (in this case dragonflies in flight) I will try not to get distracted by orange-tips and newts and tadpoles. No sir, just ignore those cuties and stick to the chosen subject. Okay well maybe a couple of extraneous subjects are allowed, you'd have to be hard-hearted not to be amused by the comical newts or impressed by large swirling circles of tadpoles migrating. (They are not migrating anywhere.)

Okay enough distractions! I padlocked my bike behind the old car-park and walked to the first pond. The weather was okay but not outstanding. I could only see 4-spotters with no sign of hawkers. Can't remember when they appear but the 4-spotters would be enjoying being kings of the ponds until then. Not huge numbers - maybe a handful. They are a helpful dragonfly that likes to stop for a breather so if you can't get flying photos they will oblige by perching on a pondside reed or twig.

I gathered a few sticks from the nearby logging operations and planted them in the shallows at regular intervals round the pond perimeter. There wasn't much immediate up-take. Maybe the chasers need a while for the sticks to bed in before they accept they can use them as perches. I was trying to discern what makes the difference between a good perch that they will return to repeatedly, and the ones they don't use. If I ever find out I'll let you know. Maybe they'll be using my planted perches by next trip.

female ovipositing

a swirl of tadders

impressed the camera focussed on the foreground not the background

I set the camera to a fast shutter speed. Generally between 1/4000 and 1/8000. I was using the 100~400mm lens but all of the flying shots were under 200mm and around the 140mm mark. There wasn't a huge amount of available light which sometimes meant the ISO was above 6000, but I am lucky that my camera doesn't seem to generate to much visible noise at that ISO. Which pleases me no end - there is a tendency to take all this amazing tech for granted but I only have to think of the results I used to get from the bridge camera (especially flight shots) and these photos seem miraculous by comparison.

drone fly having a mud-smoothie

The next issue is focussing on the insect not the background. Which means trying to place the insect in the centre of the frame where the autofocus is looking. In the fractions of a second this is going on I push a button on the front of the camera with my middle finger which pulls the focus back to the nearest thing in the frame which would be the dragonfly and almost instantly I hit the shutter release with index finger. If the shot is successful I keep my finger on the shutter release and shoot several more shots in burst mode, trying to remember the amount of space on my hard drive is finite. 

dragonflies will keep their heads still while moving their bodies
to change direction in flight (like kestrels)

I spent most time at the little beach on the North side of the first pond. The downside is you are shooting into the sun, the upside, bokeh, reflections and the sun catching the wings of these fascinating creatures. Sometimes I go round to the South side where hawkers and black darters favour a corner, later in the year. Alistair's favourite spot at the far end is pretty much under water although covered in a layer of floating sphagnum tempting you to go home with wet feet. I'm not sure if there an ideal outfit for dragonfly hunts; maybe chest waders although they have to be a bit sweaty for warm Summer days. I wonder if wearing open sandals and running tights you don't mind getting wet would be better. (I have waded into Bluestone Ford like this chasing bandies.) Something to allow you to get in the water. Although last couple of dragonfly ponds I have waded into were horrible soft muddy bottoms and a really good chance of slipping under the water with an armful of expensive (non-waterproof) camera.

one of the best shots today
161mm (then cropped in), f/8, 1/6400sec, ISO 3200,

body changing direction, head still level

slowest flight shot at 1/1600

173mm cropped in, f/6.3 1/5000sec, ISO 3200

I was grateful to this specimen who seemed to work out I wasn't a problem. Not only was it continually landing close to where I was standing, but it would hover on the approach and is probably in several flight photos here. It was keeping an eye on me but not shy and I could easily get to the minimum focus distance when it was perched. No real need to get out the macro lens.

I had a quick look at the other pond but there wasn't anything other than 4-spotters. Rather than take a walk round the usual paths I felt I'd be better just to cycle home. (Had the weather deteriorated?) Not like me but there seemed to be no butterflies about worth any further investigation. Maybe next time. I'll certainly be back soon to see if the hawkers and darters have shown up.

1.3miles in a couple of hours