My driveway is full of dragonflies (belonging to the order Odonata). The love the ponds and have made my garden their home. Given that they eat mosquitoes, it seems like the perfect arrangement. With the relocating of the pond from the driveway into the garden, they are working hard to keep up with the moves.
While you may want to duck when you see them coming, you don’t really need to. They dart around you with a precision of flight that a helicopter pilot could only dream of. The ability to stop in mid flight, change direction and move so quickly makes them very agile. While I keep thinking I am bound to get hit in the head by one, they incredibly miss me everytime. They are trusting and friendly. If you move slowly enough, you can get up close to them easily. Yesterday, I was able to touch the tip of my sundial, which was just an 1/8 of an inch from a perched green dragonfly. I could actually see his eyes moving.
This brown dragonfly posed for some pictures and allowed me to get close.
Valeri says
Lovely pictures of dragonflies. I wish I saw dragonflies in my garden more often but once a year is about it! Val
tina says
Great shots! These are insects that never sit still for me, but that’s okay as they are always welcomed.
Charlotte says
Absolutely amazing shots!
Mary Delle says
Love your photos. The lack of flight plan for dragonflies is part of their charm. Nice post.
Tatyana says
What a wonderful turquoise head on the second one! Good shots!
Frances says
Hi Jacqueline, these are super captures of these fascinating creatures! How wonderful you were able to get so close. Cool that they don’t crash into you too! 🙂
Frances
Meredith/Great Stems says
Gorgeous dragonfly pics, Jacqueline!
Miss Daisy says
Holy moly! Look how fabulous these are up close! You’ve got an amazing camera and eye! Love the photos.