Common Hawker female coming up first and this was a beautiful lavender blue colour form - she will be even smarter once those colours develop.....
There were one or two exuvia about but nice to get the likely origin of this hawker in the frame!
Going in closer - these are liberties you would never normally be able to take with this species!
And ultra close - all hand held :-)
The legacy of a life spent underwater the past two years?
And then this sad sight is a male Common Hawker, vainly trying to get airborne with wings horribly fused and mishapen. It could flutter a short distance but looks destined to perish?
But, wings apart - still a beautiful creature!
Couldn't resit getting in close to those eyes....
Probably the last time I will ever be so close to one?
And just to demonstrate just how perilous the habitat the can be - many are drowned on emergence and later, it's so easy to end up in a sticky web!
Come into my parlour.......
