Common Darter - Sympetrum striolatum

This is a female Common Darter - Sympetrum striolatum - which is prevalent throughout Europe. They breed in still or slow moving water of all types from lakes to ponds and rivers to ditches and can be seen from June to November. As their name suggests, Common Darters are ambush predators, waiting on a perch such as a fence, a leaf or the top of a stick or reed and then having spotted their insect prey, they will follow it then dart forward suddenly from a hovering position to catch it. They then take their catch to a favoured perch to eat it. I watched this one flying around until it fortunately landed on the top of a high perch at Pennington Flash, Leigh, Wigan.
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