A walk along the Rio at Torre-del-Mar revealed many more dragonflies than birds, perhaps due to the very hot and dry weather for the time of year. I therefore fitted extension tubes to my 400mm lens for some close-up work when a sudden whoosh announced the arrival of a hungry Hobby which swooped past me, whirled and plucked a dragonfly from the air just a few metres away. Anyone who uses extension tubes may know the frustration of a sudden photo opportunity which is now out of range. I removed the tubes as quickly as possible and as luck would have it managed a few distant shots of the bird with its prey, here is the best of the bunch.
Hobby - falco subbuteo
Red-veined Darters - crocothemis erythraea I am not sure which dragonfly species provided the hobby´s snack but there were plenty to choose from. Common, red-veined, scarlet and desert darters, epaulet skimmers, orange-winged and violet dropwings, blue and lesser emperors, and some dainty little Iberian bluetail damselflies.
 Epaulet Skimmer female - orthetrum chrysostigma  Scarlet Darter male - crocothemis erythraea |  Epaulet Skimmer male - orthetrum chrysostigma  Lesser Emperors - anax parthenope |
While I had extension tubes fitted I photographed this tiny African Grass Blue butterfly, and later a Speckled Wood perched with open-wings in the sunshine.
 African Grass Blue - zizeeria knysna |  Speckled Wood - pararge aegeria |
