nightdog_barks: (Bee Flower by Jilian Tamaki)
nightdog_barks ([personal profile] nightdog_barks) wrote2010-06-11 02:35 pm
Entry tags:

And Now for Something Completely Different

Chango brought me a tennis ball, and when I went out on the deck I saw this handsome fellow.



He was sitting on the top of a plant hanger ...
Dragonfly 1

... and he pretty much ignored me as I tried to get as close as possible.
Dragonfly 2

And closer ...
Dragonfly 3

View from the back, sunlight on his wings.
Dragonfly 4

And one last view, a better shot of the tracery on the wings.
Dragonfly 5

So. It was about 3 - 4 inches long, and it would turn its head occasionally to watch me. I put my hand out to see if it would land there, but all that happened was Chango coming over to see if I had a treat for her. LOL.

[identity profile] perspi.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 08:04 pm (UTC)(link)
HOLY SHIT THAT IS A BIG FUCKING BUG

AND YOUR PICTURES ARE FUCKING AWESOME
ext_25882: (Red Devil)

[identity profile] nightdog-barks.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 08:12 pm (UTC)(link)
HAH, IT REALLY WASN'T THAT BIG, BUT IT WAS A GOOD SIZE!

I was glad to see it -- I learned just the other day that they eat mosquitoes, which is A GOOD THING.

[identity profile] blackmare-9.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 11:48 pm (UTC)(link)
First thought:

This is why I adore you, Nightdog.

Second thought:

*bafflement*

You ... grew up in the South and didn't know that mosquito-hawks dragonflies eat mosquitoes?
ext_25882: (Child)

[identity profile] nightdog-barks.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 11:54 pm (UTC)(link)
*g*

Never heard 'em called mosquito hawks when I was growing up. Or snake doctors, or anything other than dragonflies.

[identity profile] blackmare-9.livejournal.com 2010-06-12 12:01 am (UTC)(link)
I sure never heard "snake doctors," but "mosquito hawks" was common, at least with Dad's side of the family.

I guess I'm just surprised that someone who loves both nature and reading as much as you do, missed that particular bit of information.

If you see a few of those big dragonflies in the yard -- they gather when the lawn gets mowed, sometimes, because the mower makes the bugs fly out of the grass and the dragonflies catch them -- you can stand out there like an idiot and raise one finger in the air above your head, and sometimes they'll perch on it. It's really nifty, as long as you don't care what the neighbors think. Heh.
ext_25882: (Red Devil)

[identity profile] nightdog-barks.livejournal.com 2010-06-12 12:10 am (UTC)(link)
I guess I'm just surprised that someone who loves both nature and reading as much as you do, missed that particular bit of information.

LOL! DUDE, I CAN'T KNOW EVERYTHING. Hee!

[identity profile] srsly-yes.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 08:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Stunning, and what excellent images. It's been a long time since I saw dragonflies.
ext_25882: (Flower Red Daylily by Mary Delany)

[identity profile] nightdog-barks.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)
*g*

Thanks! Dragonflies are so cool -- we get big ones during the height of summer that are chalk-white with black bars on their wings. In the spring sometimes I see little ones that are a gorgeous iridescent blue or red.

[identity profile] blackmare-9.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 11:50 pm (UTC)(link)
The other morning, out walking, I saw a big one -- bright cobalt blue with black wing-bands. It made me so happy.

[identity profile] pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 08:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, how beautiful! The colors they make in sunlight are always so amazing.

When you were growing up, did you ever hear people call dragonflies "snake doctors"? We heard that a lot.
ext_25882: (Looking West)

[identity profile] nightdog-barks.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 09:02 pm (UTC)(link)
I'd never seen one that was black and yellow like this -- so striking!

I never heard anyone call them snake doctors until I was grown -- a guy that I used to work with who was very "country" would call them that sometimes, but I never heard it as a kid.

[identity profile] felis-nocturna.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 08:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, these are great pictures! We have a little pond in our backyard at home and get quite a lot of big dragonflies there, usually blue or green ones, sometimes with blue wings. (Sorry, I don't know the proper names right now.)

Does Chango just ignore dragonflies? Unfortunately our cats have the bad habit of hunting and eating them...
ext_25882: (Leash Dog)

[identity profile] nightdog-barks.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 09:09 pm (UTC)(link)
*g*

I have no idea what the real name of any dragonfly is -- apparently there are about a zillion different kinds, of all sizes and colors.

Chango, I have to say, is sometimes pretty clueless unless something is actually moving right under her nose. I've seen her watch butterflies fluttering around the yard, but she's not very interested in trying to catch them.

[identity profile] felis-nocturna.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 09:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, as you can see, I don't know any names either, but sometimes I look them up, just so that I can forget again... Just now, I was looking for the one with the blue wings, which would be here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banded_Demoiselle) - interestingly enough this technically isn't a dragonfly but a damselfly. (I do find that name a little bit funny. *g*)
ext_25882: (Open Book)

[identity profile] nightdog-barks.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 09:45 pm (UTC)(link)
After some Googling, it looks like this guy might be a female Blue Dasher (http://bugguide.net/node/view/113894/bgimage).

That blue damselfly is gorgeous!
ext_31769: To Wong Foo pic (Mini-Mee)

[identity profile] takes-a-fairy.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 10:15 pm (UTC)(link)
I love your pix. Dragonflies rock! They may be bugs, but they're so kool! =D

I may snag these for drawing references...is that okay?
ext_25882: (Grail Bird)

[identity profile] nightdog-barks.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 10:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Dragonflies are very cool!

I may snag these for drawing references...is that okay?

No problem! :-D

ext_31769: To Wong Foo pic (Default)

[identity profile] takes-a-fairy.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 10:53 pm (UTC)(link)
*glomps you in a hug*
Thanks!! =D

[identity profile] bethbetter.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 10:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Gorgeous close-ups!!

(P.S. Did you see my hawks (http://bethctg2.livejournal.com/249591.html)? *g*)
ext_25882: (Nancy D.)

[identity profile] nightdog-barks.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 10:44 pm (UTC)(link)
I did see your hawks! I meant to go back and comment but I failed. *g* The hawks were awesome!

[identity profile] bethbetter.livejournal.com 2010-06-11 10:49 pm (UTC)(link)
but I failed
Bah! ;D
I'm just glad you saw them! xx

[identity profile] taiga13.livejournal.com 2010-06-12 12:49 am (UTC)(link)
Lovely!
In wildlife class our instructor, an entymologist, told us that dragonfly larvae breathe through their butts (his word). They swim by taking a breathe and blowing it out their butts, propelling themselves through the water. One of my classmates was a smartass and asked "do we have to know that for the test?" and he enthusiastically said "you have to know that just for LIFE!".
ext_25882: (Grail Bird)

[identity profile] nightdog-barks.livejournal.com 2010-06-12 01:22 am (UTC)(link)
Wow. Your wildlife instructor sounds amazing!