Dragon Flies

[Jackie Ramo]

I just love dragon flies and have tried to capture a few that visit our pond The first one is the only one I know the name of: 12 spotted skimmer. Got a favourite share it with us.

http://jackieramo.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10001/normal_DSCN3656.JPG

http://jackieramo.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10001/normal_DSCN3677.JPG

[marla]

Fantastic pictures Jackie, do you carry that camera around your neck??? Everytime I want a pic, by the time I go in and come out with it, the moment is gone. The dragonfiles here, seem to come by skimm the water quick and move on.

[Cinnamon]

Jackie great shots!! We have a lot of them hanging around the pond. I will try to snap some pics as well. :)

[Charla]

I love dragonflies, that skimmer is beautiful! The other looks like a darner with it's pointed tail.

[Jackie Ramo]

I think that 'darner' was trying to attract a mate as it was standing with its tail up in the air while the other one flew around. Terri was here the other day and we watched the skimmers mate. interesting that the female lacks the turquoise spots and is bigger.

Charla I have the camera on the patio table waiting for shots sometimes :roll: I keep missing shots of course. the baby robin bathing in the waterfall was priceless but no picture to show what a good time it had. The batteries were dead yet again... took the silly camera with us today and managed two pic of my BIL's new place and the battery died...

I still have to get a pic of the big ones that come by but that is usally at dusk, a hard time to snap a pic and they are hunting not resting.

[Charla]

I keep my camera there too ...great minds...Oh well. I haven't forgotten about the Japanese Iris, I even went to the post office and got a box and the priorty mail thingy. However, I have returned to work after being off for 4 1/2 months and I'm just tooooo pooped to do anything lately. I know you aren't anxious I'm just letting you know I remember.

[Jackie Ramo]

Charla, that is too funny as just this morning I was wondering if you thought I was rude for not thanking you for something that had not yet arrived but I didn't want to say as I didn't want to nag! :lol: Shows you great minds think alike!!

Hope you are not working too hard. Bad timing returning to work in the nice weather although I suppose in California the weather is always nice.

[marla]

While vacuming the pond earlier this week I had those same two dragonflies, dancing all around me, the larger one with the spotted wings did land and Wow I managed to get a pic, but not nearly as good as yours Jackie so I won't embarrass myself posting it. But I did get a good shot of this real big one, maybe you know the name. :grin:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/grandmavis/2003_0101feet20008.jpg

[Jackie Ramo]

:lol: Maybe its name is Hummer!!!

[Terri]

OMG Marla the other bugs in your yard must run for cover when they see that "Hummer" !! LOL

I really should bring my camera out when I'm by the pond, we have (I guess) about 4 different kinds of dragonflies that visit us. My favourite are the large(approx 5inch body) ones with blue heads and army-green bodies... they actually sound like a helicopter when they fly by! LOL We have these really neat red ones too, they are tiny, maybe 2 inch bodies with clear wings.

I saw a huge water spider of some kind in the water garden last week... went to get the camera and he disappeared. It wasn't a "dock" spider, never seen this kind before.

[Cinnamon]

I sure am glad we are back :) Okay I did manage to get a couple of pics of the dragonflies around the pond. We have about 8 that hang out now. Here they are!

[Jackie Ramo]

Is that a water poppy Pam?

Funny that you and I have the same type of dragon fly hanging around.

[Cinnamon]

Yes Jackie that is a water poppy. It has grown so much!! It covers almost half of the shallow end of the pond now :) The most blooms I have had was 26 in one day.

[Jackie Ramo]

I must try that again. I bought one a few years ago and it up and died right away so I've never bothered again. Looks very very pretty there. Right now the pond is trashed from the spawning. Of course the one lily I am nursing has been totalled. I can only hope that it sends up shoots again. Bonnie is going to think I'm a bad plant mom if I can't keep this alive.

[Rembrandt]

Great pic Cinn!
Jackie, that's a "10-Spot Dragonfly". I had one of those in my old insect collection.
Rembrandt

It's good to have the board back up!
....back to work here. :-x

[Jackie Ramo]

REM, you are right I counted the spots and it is a 10 spot, last year they were 12 spots, I also have 4 spots. I guess there are more kinds than we know about. After finding the 12 spot I've referred to all of them by ther 12 spotted skimmer which is what the book called them... darn things, why can't they be more like lepards...

[Terri]

This little fellow has taken to perching on the bamboo stakes we use to keep herons away... believe it or not I was only a couple inches away from him when I took these this afternoon. It's amazing how beautiful a "bug" can be...

[Jackie Ramo]

See now that is the 12 spotted skimmer!!! I had a 4 spot in the yard recently but he didn't stay for pictures.

[marla]

See, that is awsome, the ones here dance around all day but if they land it is only for a fleeting second and then when I try to get a quick pic they're off.

[Jackie Ramo]

Thought I'd bump this thread up again since I saw the first damsel flies skimming the water today, dragon flies can't be too far behind. Be sure to share a pic of ours.