Evening Dragonfly

Fluttering around the back yard last week was a yellow-orange dragonfly. I first noticed it in the evening because its wings sparkled and almost appeared to glow in the sunlight.

I wasn’t sure if it would look as spectacular in photographs (just as sunsets are never done complete justice with a camera), but the images came out surprisingly close to real life.

I think the main difference is that photos don’t capture the glittering of the wings due to the slight movements of the tree it was resting on.

Occasionally the dragonfly would take off, fly around for a few seconds, and then land back on the tree. I’m not sure what it was doing, unless it was choosing random times to get startled by my presence.

I think it’s quite interesting how each wing has a tiny patch of color near the tip. Are they blinkers for courteous flying?

There’s also a yellowish tint near the base of the wings, which is what made the wings look like they were glowing.

Good thing dragonflies don’t weigh very much, otherwise this would seem like an uncomfortable position for sitting. I think it’s hanging on with its front legs and pushing with its back legs to support itself.

I was going to leave you with this nice photo of the dragonfly where it looks elegant and fragile, perched in front of the setting sun. But after a little research, I was reminded that dragonflies are predators of many other insects, including bees, butterflies, and even other dragonflies, and I didn’t want to neglect providing that information. So now that nice photo is a bit ominous instead. It’s funny how context affects perception. Okay, go back to thinking about a beautiful dragonfly that only rarely preys on those larger insects and mostly eats the smaller annoying ones like gnats and mosquitoes. Go, dragonfly!

Here’s the answer to last week’s shiny macro mystery – aluminum foil!