dart photos on Flickr

Moving away from the backyard theme, this one is a shot of a Darter. Was driving by some inundated paddy fields when I saw this bird perched on a very slender branch of a dead plant. It seemed to have problems balancing itself properly. So I parked the car close to the field and clicked some shots without getting out. As I was clicking the bird suddenly opened its mouth wide for a few seconds. No idea what it was up to but it made things interesting.

Common Darter by John Davis

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Sympetrum striolatum

Mersey Vale Nature Park

Common Darter by Peanut1371

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Common Darter - Cleethorpes.

Common Darter. by Lutra56

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Common Darter...Sympetrum striolatum

Chambers Farm Wood, Lincolnshire, England.

Best viewed large.

Ruddy Darter by Pete Rose

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Ruddy Darter...Sympetrum sanguineum.

Chambers Farm Wood, Lincolnshire, England.

More darter dragonfly shots #6 by Brian Valentine

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More darter dragonfly shots. Focus stacked using zerene

River Dart by Dave_S.

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The River Dart near its source on Dartmoor, still more of a babbling brook than the mighty river it will become before it meets the sea at Dartmouth.

Common Darter by Martin Cooper

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This male Common Darter Dragonfly (Sympetrum striolatum) was resting on the bird bath, patiently waiting while I fiddled with the camera. Later he got bored and decided to sit on my head. When I took this shot I didn't realise that the yellow stripes on the legs were the key to determine the species. There have been lots of these insects around this summer, though this is the first time one has settled for long enough for me to take a photo of it.

Black Darter (female) by Barry Forbes

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A close up of a female Black darter at Charlottetown.

Dart & Merc by Ryan

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Big Lemon Dennis Dart X551 FBB is seen with Mercedes P224 LKK in the depot this afternoon shortly before 224 departure.

Female Common Darter by Jan

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Apologies for the sporadic commenting, I've had quite a lot of time away with work lately. :/

Never enough time for the fun stuff!!!!!

www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/common-darter

Darter - Heidelibelle by Kris K

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Genus sympetrum

Dragonfly #3 by Brian Valentine

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Darter dragonfly. Natural light

common darter by Yvonne Alderson 2

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female common Darter

australasian darter by Chris Burns

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Thank you very much for the visits, faves and comments. Cheers.

Australasian Darter

Anhinga novaehollandiae

Anhingidae

Description: The Darter is a large, slim water bird with a long snake-like neck, sharp pointed bill, and long, rounded tail. Male birds are dark brownish black with glossy black upperwings, streaked and spotted white, silver-grey and brown. The strongly kinked neck has a white or pale brown stripe from the bill to where the neck kinks and the breast is chestnut brown. Females and immatures are grey-brown above, pale grey to white below, with a white neck stripe that is less distinct in young birds. The Darter is often seen swimming with only the snake-like neck visible above the water, or drying its wings while perched on a tree or stump over water. While its gait is clumsy on land, it can soar gracefully to great heights on thermals, gliding from updraft to updraft. It has a cross-shaped silhouette when flying.

Distribution: In Australia, the Darter is found from Adelaide, South Australia, to Tennant Creek, Northern Territory and then to Broome, Western Australia. it is also found in south-western Australia, from Perth to Esperance. Worldwide, it has been thought of as one of two mainAnhinga species (the other, A. anhinga, is found in North America), found in the southern half of Africa, Madagascar, Iraq, Pakistan, India, south-east Asia, Indonesia and New Guinea. However, A. melanogaster is now considered to be further divided into three species, with rufa being found in Africa, melanogaster in south Asia and novaehollandiae in New Guinea and Australia (the Australasian Darter).

Habitat: The Darter is found in wetlands and sheltered coastal waters, mainly in the Tropics and Subtropics. It prefers smooth, open waters, for feeding, with tree trunks, branches, stumps or posts fringing the water, for resting and drying its wings. Most often seen inland, around permanent and temporary water bodies at least half a metre deep, but may be seen in calm seas near shore, fishing. The Darter is not affected by salinity or murky waters, but does require waters with sparse vegetation that allow it to swim and dive easily. It builds its nests in trees standing in water, and will move to deeper waters if the waters begin to dry up.

Feeding: The Darter catches fish with its sharp bill partly open while diving in water deeper than 60 cm. The fish is pierced from underneath, flicked onto the water's surface and then swallowed head first. Smaller items are eaten underwater and large items may be carried to a convenient perch and then swallowed. Insects and other aquatic animals, including tortoises, may also be eaten, as well as some vegetable matter. In hot weather, adult birds may pour water from their bills into the gullets of their young chicks when they are still in the nest.

Breeding: The Darter is usually a solitary bird, forming pairs only while breeding. Breeding is erratic, happening whenever water levels and food supplies are suitable, but most often occurs in spring and summer. Nests are usually solitary, but Darters may nest within loose colonies with other water birds that nest in trees, such as cormorants, spoonbills and ibis. The male decorates a nest-site with green leafy twigs and displays to attract a mate, with elaborate wing-waving and twig-grasping movements. The male carries most of the nest material to the nest-site, which is normally in the fork of a tree standing in water, usually about 3.5 m above the water's surface. Both sexes complete the nest, incubate the eggs and raise the young. Chicks are kept warm by brooding continously (or cooled down by shading with spread wings) for up to a week after hatching and both adults stay in the nest with the chicks overnight. In hot weather, the adults will even shake water over the chicks after a swim. Chicks can swim after about four weeks in the nest and start to fly at about 50 days.

(Source: www.birdlife.org.au)

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This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.

Mid-October Darter! by Linda Peall

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It was lovely to see this Darter still out, about and active. It came and perched on a log where I had been searching for fungi! About as olibging as they come!

Dart Frogs Terrarium! by Corwin Lacourte

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Coming to The Epiphany! April 15! 10PM

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Epiphany/87/133/1006

Red-veined darter by David Martín López

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Red-veined darter (Sympetrum Fonscolombii Male)

Shots from the archives #103 In the pink #2 by Brian Valentine

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Darter dragonfly on hydrangea.

Stuck in the middle of a storm ATM so more 2006 photo sorting. Taken with 200mm lens with ext tubes.

Dart Valley Railway by nedjetwave