Black Darter (Sympetrum danae)

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The Black Darter

The Black Darter is basically a northern species with a few areas of habitation in the south and the west. It is absent from large parts of the midlands.

As with all darters in the southern half of the United Kingdom, this is a mid to late season dragonfly. It can be seen from early July until mid to late September. It is at its best however in late July and August having reached full maturity.

As its name suggests the mature male is virtually completely black with only a few yellow patches on its flanks. The female is predominently yellow in colour with black underparts.

They tend to prefer boggy and shallow sites with plenty of dense low emergent vegetation on which they like to bask in the sun's warmth. Open heath is ideal for this dragonfly where there is little or no shade.

The Black Darter is a very active little dragonfly. It is fond of perching on top of long grassy stems or similar vegetation. If disturbed it will fly a short distance before settling again nearby.

As with all darters and skimmers when at rest it perches with its wings pushed forwards at about 45 degrees. This can create problems for the photographer which are discussed more fully below.

Photographic Overview - The Black Darter

All of my images are taken in handheld mode without the use of any camera support and this overview is written with that in mind. In addition my primary aim is to achieve the whole of the subject in focus, which includes the wing tips; however with this species and in fact all darters some compromise may have to be made.

Darter dragonflies tend to perch with their wings pushed forwards at 45 degrees, a trait they share with the Skimmers. This has the effect of making the traditional top down shots largely ineffective. Therefore the approach is to tackle them from the side; however the span across their wings can be as much as 4 to 5 cms. This is where some compromise will have to be made in that it is not possible to get both wing tips in focus. It's best to sacrifice focus on the rear wing which is concealed behind the body.

Try to get the subject on a lone perch with little or no background vegetation, in that way you can use the widest depth of field setting possible. One final tip, darters often return to the same perch even when distubed. On landing there are a few seconds when they rest with their wings in the cruxifix position before pushing then forward. If you wait by the perch and are lightning quick an open wing shot is possible.

If you want to know more about this species, then follow this link - To Narrative

Like to see further images of this dragonfly, then follow this link - To Further Images

If you want to see the best of these images, then follow this link - To Slide Show

These images were obtained by stealth and patience alone, no other non photographic techniques were used. I hope you have enjoyed browsing my website and that you'll return again soon.

Page Updated 08/11
 

All of these photographs were taken by and remain the property of Chris Brooks

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