Emperor Dragonfly in Flight at Warnham Local Nature Reserve

Welcome to my wildlife photography journal! Warnham Local Nature Reserve is one of my favourite places to photograph wildlife, and on 25th July 2026 I spent some time trying to capture an Emperor Dragonfly in flight. With warm summer conditions and plenty of activity around the reserve, it was a great opportunity to concentrate on one of the more challenging subjects to photograph.

Photographing dragonflies on the wing is never easy. Their speed, agility, and unpredictable changes of direction make it difficult to keep them in the frame, let alone capture a sharp image at the right moment. The Emperor Dragonfly was particularly active during this session, continually patrolling the area and providing plenty of opportunities to practise tracking its movements.

As it moved through the air, I was able to capture a variety of different flight shots. Some moments showed the dragonfly hovering almost perfectly in one position, while others caught it changing direction or making fast passes through the air. Each movement created a slightly different photographic opportunity, making the session both challenging and rewarding.

Sessions like this are a great reminder that wildlife photography isn't always about finding a subject sitting perfectly still. Photographing fast-moving wildlife requires patience, timing, and plenty of practice, and tracking the Emperor Dragonfly gave me a great opportunity to work on all three.

The excellent summer conditions also made it an enjoyable morning at Warnham Local Nature Reserve. Watching an Emperor Dragonfly patrol its territory while trying to anticipate where it would appear next made for a fascinating wildlife photography session and resulted in a varied collection of flight images.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to explore my other wildlife photography adventures from Warnham Local Nature Reserve and beyond. Every visit brings a different subject, a different challenge, and another opportunity to capture the wildlife around us.