This morning the rain had stopped, and still feeling inspired from joining the photo blog, I went out in search of more statues. Funny how you look at things differently through the eye of the camera. (Some things you may not even notice until afterwards, when you see the picture.) Most of the statues in one's home town are always there (although we happen to have some extra on loan just now for temporary exhibition) but you don't usually put on tourist behaviour and walk all round them and take pictures from different angles.
On my way home, I got an additional treat of a different kind, and much harder to catch with the camera. In the park, close to the water, I came upon two dragonflies in courtship. Quite literally very attached to one another, both in the air and when temporarily landing on the ground or on a leaf in the tree. I don't have a very powerful zoom on my camera, but I did manage to get close enough on a few occasions to use the makro close-up. Aterwards I also used the cropping function in the camera before I transferred these pictures to the computer.
Notice the shadows on the leaves!
8 comments:
I love the last two. Putting the pair in 'context' in the last one and the great contrast between the blue wings and the dark background.
What great photos. And I'm glad you said to look at the shadows. Excellent :)
Dawntreader...
I agree...great photos! I can't believe they gave you this opportunity to shoot so many pictures before they flew away! I especially like the 2nd to last...the glowing blue green of the tail is amazing!
Dan
the blue color is extraordinary!
Did you ever see GB's photo of the two dragonfly's mating? In there unison, they formed a heart shape...it's beautiful. I was wondering if these were going to do the same. GB is also a member on our sharing of photos blog, and Scriptor's brother :) and a dear friend of mine. If you get the chance, pop over there to see his photo.
And...I just wanted to let you know that we're all enjoying your photos.
Yes, they gave me quite a show, these two! I actually got several more shots of them than those I've shared above. I'm not sure I've ever seen even one dragonfly up close in real life before, and certainly not two together like this. When I first caught sight of them they were on the ground in the shadow under the tree with their wings closed and I didn't understand at first what it was that I saw. It wasn't until they spread their wings and flew off, still locked together in "tandem position" that I understood that they were both dragonflies, one male and one female. They kept fluttering about like that for several minutes, chained together; sometimes landing on the riverbank again or on a leaf in the chestnut tree, and lifting again without letting go. While I had them in sight they were never in the heart shape position (the actual mating). I read up on it when I got home. It seems they sometimes stay in the tandem position afterwards too, while the female lays her eggs. Some lay their eggs in water lilies; and there were water lilies in bloom in the river by which I saw them.
I have not seen GB's photo, which of his blogs is it on and was it recently?
GB's posting was on http://galenote.blogspot.com/2009/07/canal-wildlife-mayflies.html
My daughter also has a complete blog about dragonflies!
http://dragonflies-and-damselflies.blogspot.com/
We're a bit nuts about them in our family.
Thanks so much for the links, Scriptor! I've paid them each a visit.
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