"exuberance and preposterousness"
August 30th, 2013
A selection of beautiful dragonflies and damselflies I've photographed lately, and a little about them.
1680x1050 wallpaper
Some dragonflies you see everywhere when they're in season (maybe even from your front porch!) Others are a little more selective about their habitat. Slaty Skimmer seems to be one of the selective types. I seldom see them in general, but on the shores of Pink Lake in the Gatineau, they were perched on every other bush and flower.
1680x1050 wallpaper
The Halloween Pennants I photographed at Bill Mason Centre were females or immature males. This one is a mature male, or close to it. I found him at Andrew Haydon Park of all places. He was perched by one of the small ponds, and as if he needed the help, a bright late-afternoon sun shone behind me as I pointed the camera at him.
The male Halloween Pennnant is the inspiration for the title quote of this post, borrowed from here.
Another view of him.
Twelve-Spotted Skimmer. Findable pretty much anywhere! Unlike darners, skimmers tend to perch out in the open and make themselves easy to see.
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Violet Dancer. Like Slaty Skimmer, this damselfly is abundant at Pink Lake; I've also seen them elsewhere in the Gatineau such as at Chelsea Creek. I love how his thorax looks like a chunk of amethyst.
1680x1050 wallpaper
A mating pair of bluets, exact species unknown. Bluets are the tiny cerulean blue damselflies you see in summer, often teeming in the grass and underbrush near pond shores.
August 30th, 2013
A selection of beautiful dragonflies and damselflies I've photographed lately, and a little about them.
1680x1050 wallpaper
Some dragonflies you see everywhere when they're in season (maybe even from your front porch!) Others are a little more selective about their habitat. Slaty Skimmer seems to be one of the selective types. I seldom see them in general, but on the shores of Pink Lake in the Gatineau, they were perched on every other bush and flower.
1680x1050 wallpaper
The Halloween Pennants I photographed at Bill Mason Centre were females or immature males. This one is a mature male, or close to it. I found him at Andrew Haydon Park of all places. He was perched by one of the small ponds, and as if he needed the help, a bright late-afternoon sun shone behind me as I pointed the camera at him.
The male Halloween Pennnant is the inspiration for the title quote of this post, borrowed from here.
Another view of him.
Twelve-Spotted Skimmer. Findable pretty much anywhere! Unlike darners, skimmers tend to perch out in the open and make themselves easy to see.
1680x1050 wallpaper
Violet Dancer. Like Slaty Skimmer, this damselfly is abundant at Pink Lake; I've also seen them elsewhere in the Gatineau such as at Chelsea Creek. I love how his thorax looks like a chunk of amethyst.
1680x1050 wallpaper
A mating pair of bluets, exact species unknown. Bluets are the tiny cerulean blue damselflies you see in summer, often teeming in the grass and underbrush near pond shores.
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Gillian
August 30th, 2013 at 8:15 pm
Gorgeous photos, Suzanne! While all of them are lovely, the last two are my favourite. Violet Dancers are such an amazing hue of purple, and I tend to see them on the ground rather than on vegetation. It's lovely to see them on the green blade of grass! I also like the colours of the last photo - the bluets really stand out!
Suzanne
August 31st, 2013 at 5:08 pm
Thank you! It was indeed a rare opportunity with the Violet Dancer. At Pink Lake they usually rest on the boardwalk.
Mike
August 30th, 2013 at 9:56 pm
Very nice... really like the colors in the last two, and the red veins in the pennant wings are very neat!