Hopper

Standing with one foot in the bidet, (isn't that what bidets are for ? ;)) balanced precariously on the window ledge of the bathroom, hanging out at a very dodgy angle I lent into the most fabulous of sunsets this evening. The sky had suddenly turned a deep rolling crimson! The sunset tonight was to die for - utterly magnificent...yet again. I had written my blip but just not pressed the 'go' button but am sticking with my hopper of this afternoon.

This little hopper could have been easily overlooked sitting disguised against the sandy, dirty track of the forest floor but Hubs' eagle eye spotted it while I was looking at higher levels for non-existent butterflies and dragons!

We'd done this same walk through the forest about a month ago and were positively chased by dragons but wouldn't you know it I had the wrong lens at the time. The aim today was two-fold: to give the dogs a good walk and to get an in-flight dragon shot; both were achieved but the dragons needed far more time.

Starting the walk through the trees in the Forest of Dean there seemed to be very little about so dropping down to Mallard Lake's idyllic banks we moseyed round the shore in the sunshine. The scenery was just fabulous - almost like being beside a Swiss lake with the tall conifers stretching into the sky and dipping into the water - patterning on the surface like a painting with their reflections. Beautiful!

There were a couple of dragons mating over the water but they flew way high into the branches but I did manage to get a couple of shots of a Southern Hawker scooting past.

Five more of today I rather like the tiny pink flower shot - a plant called Centaury, which interestingly enough is used in making vermouth.