Poised

If you have the impression from this photo that it was a bit dark and gloomy in Trench Wood this afternoon, you're correct - in fact it was starting to spit with rain by the time I got there. Luckily, or not, I knew that I didn't have long to get my photo and leave: it was already half past three, and due to recent "antisocial incidents" the Trust is currently only allowing access to the car park between 9am and 4.30pm. (The antisocial incidents being car crime and flashing, though whether the same culprits were responsible for both, I wouldn't care to speculate.)

There were several beautiful Southern Hawkers around, but I was pushing my luck in this light trying to get flight shots of the males - I did manage some, but they wouldn't enhance my reputation if I posted them - and though I did get some shots of the ovipositing female, she was working in quite thick undergrowth, to try to avoid catching the males' attention, so they're rather untidy images. Luckily this little Ruddy Darter stopped for me a couple of times, once on a seed head and once on this leaf, and there's something about the intensity of this pose that I rather like. In cropping it I've left some space for him to fly into, because that's exactly what was about to happen.

I had completely forgotten that I'm hosting Tiny Tuesday this month - so thank you to Freyjad for mentioning me in her blip today (and to me for hosting, of course, in my usual highly organised fashion). There are no themes - please just show me your most interesting macro or close/up images of small things, and tag them accordingly. The tags for the month are:
 
3 Sept - tt223
10 Sept - tt224
17 Sept - tt225
24 Sept - tt226
 
I will try to post the results on Thursdays, except for next week, when I won't be able to get to it till the weekend because I'm going on a little road trip.