Sunday, August 22, 2010

Blue-fronted Dancer, Argia apicalis, Eats


This afternoon I headed to Kenney Park to see if any of the late season clubtails were flying.  Two years ago I photographed both the arrow and russet-tipped clubtails here- and both observations were county records.  This afternoon the light was fantastic, but I didn't see any dragonflies.  The usual damselflies abounded along the shore of the Olentangy, so I turned my camera towards them.  This is a blue form female blue-fronted dancer, Argia apicalis. It isn't hard to catch a damsel with a meal- now that I have my sigma 180 mm lens and I can get high magnification images without scaring them away, I'd say that about half the time I look at them through this lens, they're gobbling up an insect.

Tom

6 comments:

  1. Tom you never fail to amaze me with you photos!!
    This guy is just great..up close and personal!! : }
    You sure have a great lens there!!

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  2. Stunning image. What distance from the Dancer would you have been using your 180?

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  3. Thanks Grammie-

    Glen- I was at the minimum working distance, so with the Sigma 180 and the hood attached, that gives me about 6 inches (15.9 cm to be exact) of working space between the end of the hood on the lens and the insect.

    Tom

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  4. WOW Tom! That is an awesome close up!

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  5. The "ruby" ocellus embedded in the apex of her head is the crowing touch for this image. Thanks for sharing.

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