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Southern Hawker


Southern Hawker
Photo Information
Copyright: Bente Feldballe (milloup) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 483 W: 41 N: 618] (1706)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-07-29
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon EOS 300D, Tamron 28-300XR
Exposure: f/13.0, 1/160 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2004-07-29 17:12
Viewed: 1623
Points: 24
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I caught this fellow this afternoon, the first time I've seen one this year, so it was quite a delightful surprise to meet him ;-) He's a male Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea, one of the big dragonflies. Body length about 71-74 mm and wingspan 97-110 mm. Quite a large cruiser compared to the small damselflies or darters of 40-50 mm.. The Southern Hawkers are pretty territorial, so you don't see many of them at the same spot. They keep rather big territories, and they defend their territories vigorously. The only time I've ever seen two at a time, I didn't get any shot of it, because every time one landed, the other came along immediately to chase him off again.
Unlike most other dragonflies the Southern Hawker will also fly rather late in the evening, and you may come across them in cloudy weather, too, and are even capable of hunting in rainy weather. It can catch and eat rather large prey like e.g. Pieris butterflies (garden whites) and they'll happily eat their smaller relatives the damselflies, should they get a chance. This species is a very good flier and sometimes hard to approach. Actually, this particular Hawker approached me. He landed on a withered stinging nettle almost next to me, with just a clump of fresh and *very* stinging nettles between us. I had to hold the camera between the nettles to reach him with the camera, so you could say there was a price to pay for the privilege of getting the shot ;-))
Treatment: Crop, brightness +5, contrast +10, saturation +10, USM and resize.
PDP, mogens-j, Robbrown, carper, ellis49, Esox, Callie, nwoehnl, gerhardt, danbachmann, Luc has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Callie: Gripper - Claspersmilloup 2 07-31 14:25
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 2821 W: 344 N: 3779] (11769)
  • [2004-07-29 17:26]

Bente! You've really done it this time, that is a brilliant, gorgeous picture. All I can say is thanks for posting it.

Very nice capture indeed Bente. Perfect dof, excellent sharpness and very nice colours.

I saw several Aeshna grandis tuesday on a location near Silkeborg but they are always flying around and almost never resting so I got no pictures;-(.

Bente he sits very nicely in the frame on the angled stingging nettle, some slight over brightness on the thorax but that is very minnor. The note too is spot on and really the sort of thing TN needs more of.
Ps Ive got a teneral but not good enough to post (((

Very nice capture.
Good sharpness , colors and DOF.
A good note too
Well done.

Great capture, I have never seen this one in the Netherlands, but I am just starting. Good composition, nice colours too, and that between the nettles. Very good job

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2241 W: 47 N: 3167] (10926)
  • [2004-07-30 10:57]

Great macro with good detail and beatifull colors !

  • Great 
  • Esox Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 239 W: 20 N: 344] (972)
  • [2004-07-30 12:28]

Superb macro shot!
Perfect sharpness, great colors and DOF.
Fabulous.
Congratulations.

Bente, This is one sweet image, the end of his tail is great, nice detail on "what do you call the end" his gripper?

Amazing detail in your photo, Bente, and the dragonfly makes a fine diagonal in this frame. In dragonfly photos I'm always fascinated by the intricate detail in their wings, but here the colors and shapes on the body are even more impressive. Beautiful shot, very rich in colors, and of course the note is perfect.

Excellent Bente, One of the best I've seen. Everything is perfect. Nice note too. One of my favourites. Thanx for sharing.

It was worth the sacrifice in the nettles - THIS IS GREAT! Such detail, DOF, etc. I especially like the blue tones on the eye and your note is good too

  • Great 
  • Luc Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1873 W: 304 N: 4300] (14729)
  • [2004-09-27 14:51]

Belle image. Bonne mise au point. Jolies couleurs. Bon recadrage. Bravo!

Beautiful image. Good DOF. Pretty colors. Good croping.
Cheers!

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