Glynn Hobbs - imageweaver

Common Darter breaking free from its previous life as a Nymph. It will pump blood to the veins in its wings, to expand them ready for its maiden flight This week, we have experienced 44 degrees centigrade here in the Dordogne. In these temperatures, very little ventures out into the sunlight apart from crazy wildlife photographers and Dragonflies ! Arriving on the scene around 300 million years ago, dragonflies are one of the first insects to inhabit this planet. They've had a long time to perfect the art of flying, hunting and just being amazing. Male Common Darter Dragonflies are to be avoided if you're a gnat, mosquito or other small bug. They don't simply chase down their prey. Instead, they snag them from the air with calculated aerial ambushes. Dragonflies can judge the speed and trajectory of a prey target and adjust their flight to intercept prey. They're so skilled that they have up to a 95 percent success rate when hunting.

I am fortunate to have a resident family of Little Owls, local to my home. I know which tree they are nesting in, but it is so covered in ivy, that I am unable at the moment to capture them entering, or leaving their nest.  They are a fascinating bird about the size of a Blackbird, which makes photographing them at close quarters a challenge, especially, in fading light at the end of the day, which is their favourite time to hunt.  However, over the past few days, I have been able to photograph the male whilst hunting.  Returning to the female (who is sitting on eggs) with a beetle The Little Owl is most active at dusk, but also partly active by day, and at night. It often roosts by day in dense foliage or openings of holes. Sometimes perches in exposed sites such as fence posts, telephone poles, bare branches or mounds of earth or rocks. When disturbed at roost, it adopts a slim, upright position, then bobs its body up and down. If still threatened, it will fly away, or wit