Mating antics of the Common Blue Damselfly

After a blood test at the surgery today, I couldn't resist going back into their garden. A beautiful purple poppy attracted me but and I did get some shots but while I was doing so I noticed some blue dragonflies flitting around me. I spent a lot more time following them about and even went down to the pond to see them there which seemed to be there natural habitat on the irises and other water plants.

I will sort out the many different shots I got and add them to a Flickr gallery later. But this seems to be my choice as a blip at the moment, although it may change when I look more carefully at the other images. I was amazed by the two dragonflies hooked together. Then suddenly they rose in the air still coupled and then as they returned to land on the iris leaf again, they uncoupled and another dragonfly seemed ready to take over. I liked this view of them in aerial mode and was pleased to be able to record it. I'm sure I can get better but this is a good start.

Soon after a red dragonfly appeared and was both attracted to the blue ones and attracted them, and they seemed ready to mate with it. I must learn more about their behaviour. There seemed to be hundreds of them today.

The Common Blue Damselfly (male) – Enallagma cyathigerum