Saturday, February 28, 2009

Dragons and Damsels Part 1






Currently my feed is down as I switched to feedburner, good idea not too sure about it.

I just love to find these dragonflies and damselflies in the natural habitat. I have found 42 species of them here at my little pond. Here are some samples from my pond and a small ( I do mean small) bonus!

At top right is a pair of Amber-winged Spreadwings in tandem. The female is ovapositing eggs into the plant stem. The male holds her head so she can mate with him. This photo was taken from waders in 2 foot of water in my pond with a tripod. I sweat ed and waited out this photos for over an hour. They were never even slightly disturbed.

Next we have a Common Green Darner that was emerging in my pond at about 11 pm. Too hard to shoot outside so I brought it in and shot a series of photos as it emerged, using a blue sheet for a background.

The Common Green Darner is pumping up its wings, not quite ready to fly off.

Now for your bonus! These sprites (damselflies) are so tiny I'm sure I spent years wading through them without ever noticing them. They are about 3/4 inches long and blend into the grass very well.

The first one is a female Southern Sprite perched on a reed.

The last one is a pair of Sphagnum Sprites in a "wheel" mated. Telling these sprites apart is not the easiest thing to do. Also to photograph these sprites like this one has to nearly lay down in a bog to shoot them.

10 comments:

Rob (ourfrenchgarden) said...

I see these down by the river in Summer. They are such a nice blue. Almost azure.

Rob

spookydragonfly said...

Hi Randy...Thanks for stopping by my woods. I have to tell you, I am so jealous that you have your dragons at this time. I'm still anxiously waiting. Your captures are stunning!! I'm going to attempt to get an accurate count this year on my dragons. I sure could use your offer of help with I.D. Love, Love, Love your captures!

Jan said...

I've never seen dragonflies this clearly and up-close. You worked very hard to get these gorgeous and intriguing shots...you are an amazing photographer:) It is interesting to learn about the different types, as well--stunning!

Unknown said...

Amazing photos! To be able to get these shots...wow! I've never seen a damsel in that beautiful blue.A s for the photos....I've run out of words...!!

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

These pictures remind me of my childhood when we spent hours at the pond swimming and watching dragonflies. Good post, mezmerizing pictures. Thanks!

Heather said...

Hello Randy! Amazing shots of the dragon flies and I love the sun. That ought to brighten up any garden. Sorry about the snow in your forecast.
The feedburner stuff confused me for a while. Wish I knew how to make it work for you. When I checked your blog spot on Blotanical there is not longer an error but I see what you mean about it not picking up your posts. I also tried to subscribe to feeds here on your blog but got an error. Hope it resolves fast.
-Heather

Just Jenn said...

I like that they make a heart shape in the last picture. <3

Dragonchaser said...

Hi Randy & Meg,
Thanks for leaving a comment on my dragonfly blog.

You guys have a really amazing blog and stunning photos. Your garden is a paradise indeed! Though I've been taking photos of dragonflies for a few years now I've still not photographed an emergence yet! Unlucky or just too lazy to go out and look for them (usually happen at night or near dawn here)!

Cheers.

Joe

Randy said...

Wow,
What an interesting post! Great photos!--Randy

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