Friday, October 21, 2016

Eastern Dragonflies

What a beautiful breezy day we've had today!  
Signs of autumn are finally beginning to settle in.

There were hundreds and hundreds of dragonflies at the St. Catherine Creek NWR when my husband and I visited a few weeks ago.  I love dragonflies, always have.  Watching them dart around wildflowers and the lake was fun.  However, they move much too fast for me to capture decent shots of them in flight.  

I managed to sneak in a few shots of a couple dragonflies while they rested.  The first three photos are that of an adult male Eastern Pondhawk, also called a Common Pondhawk or Green Jacket. Females and young males of this species are green with square blackish spots on the abdomen. While browsing through my photos, my grandson pointed out that "he looks like he's smiling!".  Sure enough, he does.  The last group of photos are that of an Eastern Amberwing.  The Eastern Amberwing flies low, just above the water's surface, feeding on small insects.  These small dragonflies were quite numerous around the lake and many of them were either mating or seeking a mate.  


 Thank you for viewing this series of photos of these amazing creatures.  
Have a pleasant weekend!


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