Back in love on Valentine's Day ...

Location: Khon Kaen environs 
Date: Friday, 14 February 2014 
Areas visited:Small-medium sized ponds

Roses are red, violets are blue .... finally my Macro Ringflash came through ... on Valentine's Day. Though 12,000 baht (almost 500 quid) lighter in my pocket, I had FINALLY got my flash back from Canon in Bangkok after 2 months of waiting ... and how I had missed it. With my girlfriend fast asleep, I decided to head out to give it a trial, especially as it was a very dull morning (I didn't want to leave it until the season began and it failed me. It was only a quick session, but it now trust it again and can;t wait to get out there again properly ... with Nam Pong NP, Khon Kaen and Chaiyaphum being my main two targets this time round. Here's a few shots from my little trip:

 

A Trip to New Sections of the River Chi

Location: Khon Kaen environs

Date: Saturday, 7 December 2013 

Areas visited: River Chi (new sections) and several small - large ponds

Now armed with a new mobile (thanks, Paul!) with gps and Google Maps, I was able to locate new sections of the River Chi that earlier I couldn't get to - I found tiny roads that helped me no end. It was extremely quiet but Prodasineura coerulescens seemed to be at every location, though in small numbers. I also saw a solitary female Lestes elatus and female Rhodothemis rufa. Other than that, it was tough going - extremely steep banking and difficult terrain. Finally, I searched a few new ponds/lakes. I was surprised to find decent numbers of Pseudagrion australasiae - I had only ever spotted a solitary male in Khon Kaen before. So, all in all, a quiet, but OK day .... which may be my last for a few weeks. The strobe on my Canon Macro Ring lite has stopped, so I will need to get that fixed before I set off on my travels again. Probably not so bad as everywhere is very quiet now anyway ... roll on next year!

My best photos of the day:

 

Seemingly more common than I first thought ...

Rarely seen 'blue' male - almost always green in KK.

 

This poor female was riddled with parasites ... so many that she seemed to lean to one side.

 Nest trip: Whenever my ring flash is fixed.

Odonata of the province of Khon Kaen

I have finally got round to collating the species I have photographed in Khon Kaen province (my hometown) over the past five years. I am rather surprised to have found exactly 70 species .... not bad for a flat, boring cultivated landscape. I hope to add more next year (I saw a Gomphidae at Phu Wiang a few years back and MUST find it). 

Here are my findings between 2008 and 2013, mainly within the city boundaries, The River Chi, Phu Pha Man National Park and Phu Wiang National Park:

Family: Calopterygidae

1. Vestalis gracilis [U]

 Family: Coenagrionidae

2. Aciagrion borneense [C]

3. Aciagrion pallidum [C]

4. Agriocnemis minima [C]

5. Agriocnemis pygmaea [C]

6. Cercion malayanum [U]

7. Ceriagrion auranticum [C]

8. Ceriagrion cerinorubellum [R]

9. Ceriagrion indochinense [C]

10. Ceriagrion praetermissum [C]

11. Ischnura senegalensis [C]

12. Onychargia atrocyana [C]

13. Pseudagrion australasiae [R]

14. Pseudagrion microcephalum [C]

15. Pseudagrion rubriceps [C]

  Family: Chlorocyphidae

16. Libellago lineata [C]

   Family: Lestidae

17. Lestes concinnus [C]

18. Lestes elatus [C]

19. Lestes thoracicus [ER]

20. Orolestes octomaculata [R]

   Family: Platycnemididae

21. Copera chantaburii [C]

22. Copera ciliata [C]

23. Copera marginipes [C]

Family: Protoneuridae

24. Prodasineura autumnalis [C]

25. Prodasineura coerulescens [R]

   Family: Aeshnidae

26. Anax sp. (poss A. guttatus) [U]

27. Gynacantha saltatrix [U]

28. Gynacantha subinterrupta [C]

29. Heliaeschna uninervulata [ER]

   Family: Corduliidae

30. Epophthalmia frontalis [C]

   Family: Gomphidae

31. Ictinogomphus decoratus [C]

   Family: Libellulidae

32. Acisoma panorpoides [C]

33. Aethriamanta aethra [C]

34. Aethriamanta brevipennis [C]

35. Aethriamanta gracilis [ER]

36. Brachydiplax chalybea [C]

37. Brachydiplax farinosa [U]

38. Brachydiplax sobrina [R]

39. Brachythemis contaminata [C]

40. Camacinia gigantea [ER]

41. Cratilla lineata calverti [C]

42. Crocothemis servilia servilia [C]

43. Diplacodes nebulosa [C]

44. Diplacodes trivialis [C]

45. Hydrobasileus croceus [R]

46. Lathrecista asiatica [U]

47. Macrodiplax cora [U]

48. Neurothemis fulvia [C]

49. Neurothemis intermedia atalanta [C]

50. Neurothemis tullia [C]

51. Orthetrum chrysis [C]

52. Orthetrum glaucum [C]

53. Orthetrum pruinosum neglectum [C]

54. Orthetrum sabina [C]

55. Pantala flavescens [C]

56. Potamarcha congener [C]

57. Pseudothemis jorina [U]

58. Rhodothemis rufa [C]

59. Rhyothemis phyllis [C]

60. Rhyothemis plutonia [U]

61. Rhyothemis triangularis [R]

62. Rhyothemis variegata [C]

63. Tetrathemis platyptera [U]

64. Tholymis tillarga [C]

65. Tramea transmarina euryale [ER]

66. Trithemis aurora [C]

67. Trithemis festiva [C]

68. Trithemis pallidinervis [C]

69. Urothemis s. signata [C]

70. Zyxomma petiolatum [U]

Rareness based on my personal findings within the province

C = Common

U = Uncommon

R = Rare

ER = Extremely Rare