First stop around the Dandenongs was a track along Silvan Reservoir.
Although I came here for the dragonflies, I stayed for the flies.
I visited yesterday as well (a couple of insect photos there too)
but today I managed to get some reasonable fly photos.
There were quite a few of the little flies pictured in image 0403.
When disturbed they would fly swiftly up.
They would then go in to land again by hovering in many stages, gradually getting closer to the ground.
Its as if they were ensuring their landing spot was all clear.
The next interesting fly species was a funny orange one with amazing orange patterns.
The side view shows many small, brown dots on the large orange eyes.
The top view shows stripes on the shoulders and blotches on the abdomen.
Next stop was a reserve in Belgrave South where I was checking out how the summer orchids were progressing
and maybe get some more insect photos.
I found a very friendly Australian Emperor dragonfly (Hemianax papuensis).
There was nothing I could do (within reason) to make it fly away.
Had I not seen it land I would have thought it dead.
I even managed a little convolution to make a self portrait.
It involved holding the camera away, but facing me, and guessing that the dragonfly and myself were in frame.
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