After the disappointing weather of the last couple of weeks, this weekend was a cracker, especially for those of us who like photographing insects.

The warm start to Sunday morning had all sorts of bug life out enjoying the sunshine, warming up their bodies, and going about their daily tasks.

For instance, there was an abundance of Gatekeeper butterflies (Pyronia tithonus), which seemed to be enjoying collecting pollen from a small patch of ragwort, a weed I'm happy to let grow in the garden as it is usually frequented by swarms of hoverflies!

The star of the day though was undoubtedly this Migrant Hawker dragonfly (Aeshna mixta), which I first spotted buzzing around the sky, way above a tree.

After following it for about five minutes, it eventually descended and landed in this hedge, where it remained for a good fifteen minutes.

I was lucky enough to be able to spend this time shooting while my muse obliged by striking a number of photogenic poses.

So, for being such a good subject, and because it was the first time I've seen a Migrant Hawker dragonfly, I'm making it my Image of the Week...