Friday Night Photos Damsels and Dragons Edition

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 5:00pm

Happy Friday everyone. I hope everybody is doing well. Post any photos, memes, or music you like.

It's been a little toasty the last few days with temps in the mid 90s. Yesterday the Nation Weather Service issued a heat advisory that will be in effect until tomorrow night and temps will remain high until Tuesday before it starts to cool off.
Filled up the car yesterday, $5.85 for a gal of regular. It was $6.09 at the Shell station just down the street from where I filled up. So glad I ditched my gas guzzler for a hybrid last year.

This time of year the Damselflies and Dragonflies are out in numbers so I've made three visits to Santee Lakes in the last week to photograph them. So far I've only seen one species of Damselfly, the Rambur's Forktail. Most of those have been blue but I did see a few orange ones. I saw five different species of Dragonflies and managed to get shots of three of them. I spotted both the Black Saddlebags and Western Pondhawk but wasn't able to get any shots of them, but I did get shots of the Blue-eyed Darner, Common Green Darner, and Female Variable Darner.

Blue-eyed Darner
01NZ9_4402_47261.1

Rambur's Forktail
02NZ9_4313_47172.2

Female Variable Darner
03NZ9_4146_47007.2

Common Green Darner
04NZ9_4238_47097.3

Female Variable Darner
05NZ9_4131_46992.1

Blue-eyed Darner
06NZ9_4388_47247.1

Rambur's Forktail
07NZ9_4268_47127.1

Female Variable Darner
08NZ9_4142_47003.3

Blue-eyed Darner
09NZ9_4376_47235.1

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Submitted by QMS on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 5:49pm
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With the colorful fuselage, they look like psychedelic helicopters.
That should confuse the enemy!

YmvNgpBCPY.png

Which begs the question, how do you get a dragon to fly?

Not to be confused with Helicopsyche, genus of Trichoptera, the caddisflies.

Great shots social. Thanks and stay cool.

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Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 6:24pm
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@QMS
Humm. How do you get a dragon to fly? First thing I'd do is give it some wings. Smile

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I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by janis b on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 7:14pm
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@Socialprogressive

are a great team ; )))

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Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 7:48pm
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@janis b
Try the Veal. Don't forget to tip the waitstaff.

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Submitted by janis b on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 10:57pm
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@Socialprogressive

Please save me a front row seat ; ).

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Submitted by humphrey on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 6:43pm

How close are you able to get with your camera before disturbing the insect ?

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Submitted by janis b on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 7:21pm
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@humphrey

The insects are such small, flying, fluttering, and darting creatures.

Social, do you quietly wait for someone to come within your frame?

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Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 7:58pm
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@janis b
where they're flying around and get as close as I can and then sit still and wait for them to come into camera range.

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Submitted by janis b on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 8:05pm
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@Socialprogressive

for your patience and photography.

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Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 7:42pm
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@humphrey
If I'm really lucky I can get within 3-4 ft. More often than not 6-8 ft is more the norm before they get skittish and fly away.

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Submitted by janis b on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 7:17pm
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Such wonderful art in nature, that you so expertly reveal. They are so fanciful. I know it’s corny, but your photos are darn good!

Thank you

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Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 8:09pm
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@janis b

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Submitted by janis b on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 7:32pm
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I hope your weekend is the beginning of something nice.

For the past month I have been enjoying the flower explosion of a Manuka by my front door.

It is a prostrate cultivar of Manuka, that is in now in full bloom. It flowers for a good part of the year, just more subtly.

https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-plants/manuka-kahikatoa-and-kanuka/

Here are some interesting facts about why the honey from it’s flowers have such strong antibacterial properties.
https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/1702-how-honey-heals-wounds

Be well all

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Submitted by QMS on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 7:41pm
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@janis b

Also like the idea of healing honey. Clever bees.

Thanks for sharing!

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Submitted by janis b on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 8:07pm
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@QMS

My neighbour keeps me entertained and informed about the cleverness of bees.

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Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 8:19pm
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@janis b
The Manuka in bloom is beautiful. I wouldn't mind having one out my front door. Thanks for the links.

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Submitted by lotlizard on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 10:17pm
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http://hawaiianforest.com/wp/native-dragonflies-and-damselflies-of-hawaii/

Harder to find now due to loss of habitat.

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Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 10:33pm
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@lotlizard
Thanks for the link for Hawaiian damsels and dragons.

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Submitted by janis b on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 10:55pm
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@lotlizard

for the gorgeous photos.

I couldn't be more delighted to see the delicacy of insect life on Hawaii, especially on white ginger and taro. Both plants keep me company in NZ.

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Submitted by janis b on Sat, 10/07/2023 - 1:23am
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the more I am reminded of drones. Odd, no?

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Submitted by orlbucfan on Sat, 10/07/2023 - 7:00am
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Always appreciated and thanks! Smile Rec'd!!

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Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Sat, 10/07/2023 - 11:50am
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@orlbucfan

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Submitted by dystopian on Sat, 10/07/2023 - 9:35am
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Hi SP... Outstanding ode photos! Love those Blue-eyed Darner, and Rambur's Forktail is a beauty too. Often emergent aquatic vegetation is a good place to look. Some sit all the time, others seemingly never do. Variety of habitat is good for diversity too, there are stream types, river types, pond types, ephemeral marsh types, etc. Often their names reflect that: Boghunter, Pondhawk, River Cruiser, Swamp Darner, Slough Amberwing, and so on.

About 400 species of dragonflies in the U.S., and a little over 100 sps. in California. There are a few single counties in Texas with 100 species of dragons and damsels. There is a site of about a mile of a not even always running river near the town of Uvalde, that has a 100 sps. list. I have about 60 sps. on my local park list now.

The old wives tale they told kids was that if you told a lie, Darners darned your eyes shut.

Was too busy yesterday to get by...

Thanks for the great pics!

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Sat, 10/07/2023 - 11:52am
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@dystopian
Thanks for the ode info.

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Submitted by janis b on Mon, 10/09/2023 - 11:14pm
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@dystopian

Your mention of the old wives tale reminded me of a generational family story that I will never forget. My father’s older sister, took out the chewing gum from her mouth and stuck it on his eyes while he was asleep in the cradle. It sounds like a classic act of a young child who is unhappy about losing the sole attention of their parents. Funny, but my father’s eyesight was always strong, and he never wore glasses. I also wonder, if in her imaginary child’s brain, she thought if he couldn’t see then he wouldn’t exist. How do you explain wives tales and childhood fantasies ;).

Thank you for always adding another layer to the knowledge of nature and the treasures it possesses.

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