Advice on photographing dragonflies

[xSarahx]

there has been a fantastic dragonfly flying over my garden for days now, but it wont land, and i cant photograph it!!!!

It teases me on purpose, i'm sure of it! It keeps darting over my head, inches from my face and then darting off again!!!!! ....grrrr....

Im sure its a male migrant hawker, as i have seen (and photographed 2 female migrant hawkers this summer), and it seems to have black, blue and yellow on it when its darting near me. I've tried sneaking up on it, hiding from and even following it.....BUT IT WONT LAND!!!!!!

any tips?

[harasseddad]

MIgrant's are a common sight in streets and gardens in the afternoon: they're feeding up after a hard day defending a territory somewhere. Unfortunately they're unlikely to land unless they catch something too big to eat on the wing. If they do need to land and eat it will be on a bush or hedge - so all I can suggest is to keep the camera handy and hope. But you're best chance is to find out where their territories are - you're much more likely to find a landed male there, as they queue up waiting to challenge who evers holding territory.

[squishy]

short of making a small garden pond to temp it - i cant think of much.

just have your camera at hand so you can go shoot it* should it land


*i do of course mean with your camera

[Ollie]

Patience in rather large doses. As said it may land if it catches something large to eat.

The other alternative is to see if you can find it perched up somewhere early morning before the day has warmed up.

[ron1863]

As Roger says, lots patience is required. On my local moorland lochs I find that the dragonflies have favourite perches to rest or eat and just sitting and watching where they land, saves time and energy spent running around after them, plus you can set up the camera and wait for them landing.

[xSarahx]

its odd, as 2 females migrants have landed and ive photographed them, but not the male

about building a garden pond - i live right next door to a dyke!!!