Is this a dragonfly?? It was very friendly and photogenic. Just wondering. Our yard is covered in damselflys but have never seen this one before. Thanks for looking, Kim
What is this?
Yes. It is a dragonfly. They are VERY photogenic. You will often find them sitting on a hunting perch around the edge of the yard waiting for a mosquito to come by. We get about 4 or 5 kinds here that I have been able to get pictures of. But there are many other kinds which never seem to perch or come to rest where one can get a shot.
Thanks, I was curious. I walked right up to it and took this picture. It fluttered around some and came back.
I haven't learned yet why they sit on poles. When they are in my garden, they always find the pole, stick, limb etc. to pose on.
The pole is a hunting perch for them. They can sit without expending energy and watch for movement. When a mosquito comes within range, they can dart off and capture it. Then they return to the same spot and wait for another. They like and will use any relatively high spot but seem to prefer old dead weeds or dead looking sticks. I had one that kept coming back to the corky stemmed part of the passion flower vine as a hunting perch. Some species prefer to sit on top of the perches and others to hang on the side of the perch. If they find a perch they especially like they will keep coming back to it. I have a shrub rose bush in my front yard which has long arching canes which seem to be favored by one type of dragonfly here. I can go out there anytime and find him/her cruising about and eventually it will come to rest on the rose bush canes. A friend had some driftwood near her pond which was used continually by the dragonflies (or snake doctors as they used to call them back home). If you like taking pictures of them, set yourself up some woody/dead looking sticks in a sunny spot slightly above the regular foliage (some place easy to approach with your camera). It won't be long until you will see them using it for a hunting perch. They even use the green plastic stakes that I use to stake my tall plants.
Thanks, Ed! Good to know that.
Yes, thanks Ed! I guess that I am glad they are perching then, since they are hunting. I do love them too.