Happy St. George's Day!
In honour of England's (amongst others) Patron saint, I've trawled RSPB Images in search of images of dragon slaying. Amongst the thousands of stunning wildlife shots I couldn't find any actual dragons, but I did find something that I think is way cooler.
Take a look at Mike Lane's superb image of a hobby eating a dragonfly in mid-air! The skill involved to hold its foot up to its bill and munch on the dragonfly, all whilst keeping itself from falling out of the sky simply astounds me. Eat your heart out St George! It's also a tough shot to capture whilst the hobby is zooming through the sky.Hobbies are another one of our spring migrants that ought to be gracing our presence soon. They're perfectly evolved for catching insects on the wing, as this image clearly shows!
One of the best places I know to see both hobbies and their dragonfly prey is Lakenheath Fen in Suffolk. Why not go and find out for yourself?
For more on our science, check out the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science web pages.