Frampton Natural History Pages
Dragonflies & Damselflies
plus one or two other water creatures
all photographs by DS mostly in Frampton Park except as labelled
Banded Demoiselles
Blue males far outnumbered the green females who were very cautious. These photographs were taken in 2003
Common Darter
red male and brown female
the reds were numerous, active & obliging, this was the only female I saw
Common Blue Damselfly male
June 2 2008
Broadbodied Chaser female
Dorchester Road 2004
Large Red Damselfly male June 2 2008
Southern Hawker
female, & egg laying

I was photographing something else when this female Hawker decided the basket beside me was good territory.  I was facing directly into the sun and far too close for the camera I was using but I couldn't miss the opportunity to take the photograph
The female took off as a male flew by and I managed to photograph them seconds later behind the seat she was poised on
young toad ~1cm
fish fry - the dark outlines are their shadows above which you can, with care, see the fish. taken from Sandway Bridge
A trout in a deep pool but the sun was on him and this was a very lucky shot as I walked  the lower path in Harry's wood.
Caddisfly cases
This, of course, is a leech. It was on a lump of chalk fetched out of the river by my dog Scout. I returned it once photographed
Click on his photo
for more of Scout
Dorchester Road
I photographed the left hand cases on a large flint some years ago out in Southover water meadows.  The right hand ones were on a piece of metal which Scout obligingly also brought me out of the river at Peacock Bridge.  It was quite a big piece and obviously very popular as a base as there were dozens of cases fixed to it.  I dropped it back in when Scout wasn't watching or he would only have fetched it out again.
Beautiful Demoiselle female
May 08

I took this photograph years ago on the river bank. I think it is the Common Darter with the background colour confusing the identification
The background photo is from the River Frome at Peacock Bridge Frampton May 2008
June 5th 2008 Banded Demoiselle (male) left Southover, right Frampton Park again far more males than females who kept further out from the water margins
Brown Trout
frog Sheridan Close 2010