There are hundreds of dragonflies in our backyard right now. Hundreds. The wall of our garden shed and the kids' play structure are coated in them, and if you walk too close, the all take flight in a massive swarm overhead.
Oh, the wonders of nature!
Of course I had to do a Google search to find out why, and I came across this really interesting website --- www.thedragonflywoman.com.
Apparently, there are two reasons dragonflies swarm. The first is a feeding swarm, where multiple dragonflies fly over a specific area close to the ground, catching and eating small insects.
The second is a migratory swarm. I'm guessing this is what's happening in my backyard, since the dragonflies appear to be "resting" mid migration.
Whatever the reason for their visit, we'll enjoy it while it lasts.
Note: These photos were taken with an iPhone 5, which made it difficult to get a close up shot of the dragonflies in flight. I used some filters to sharpen and brighten the images.
Hey @redhens, I like the details and colors in that top closeup picture. If they are still around at sunset, try to get another closeup with the sunset sky behind it, or just green grass. The colors will pop. I just posted a great closeup picture of a brown stripped dragonfly in my silhouette post.
Definitely keep them around, they hunt in swarms and eat mosquitoes, so they are good to have around.
Thanks for the tips! I'll give it a try tonight. 🙂
The close up picture is really cool, love how you can see the datails :) keep it up!
i dont want to restem this post but I love to buy a nikon your photo look very great
Wow great photos from Iphone 5! Congrats
Thanks! The filters helped. The originals weren't as crisp, but I wanted to make sure the details were visible.
Dragonflies are amazing! Love this blog alot :)
Very nice pics, the first one is amazing. :)
Thanks! It took quite a few tries before I was able to get close enough for a good shot, but I'm happy with how this one turned out.
That close up picture is pretty awesome!
I do like dragonflies, I've always been fascinated by them.
Dragonflies scare me. They are meat eating beasties from the dinosaur age!! Evolution has been kind to them ... or they are very clever??!