Nature Through My Eyes

There are so many amazing things in nature that we seldom really pay attention to and I’ve decided to highlight one each Tuesday.  Please let me know if you enjoy this kind of post! 
While going through my photographs today, I stopped at my folder of dragonflies and damselflies.  They fascinate me with their fast wings that are so sheer.  There are so many kinds and so many colors.  And even though the general shape is the same, there are many differences. 
Dragonflies have multi-faceted eyes and two sets of wings with an elongated body.  They hold their wings away from and perpendicular to their bodies when they are resting.
Damselflies (doesn’t that remind you of fairy tales?) hold their wings close to their bodies when at rest and they are generally smaller than dragonflies.  Another difference is in the eyes.  The damselfly eyes are set apart and the dragonfly eyes touch.  Who would have thought you had to look that closely to see the difference?

Gray Sanddragon



Blue-eyed Darner

When I reviewed the history of the dragonfly, I was surprised by the diversity that various cultures attached to this insect.  Many European cultures thought they were instruments of the devil – weighing people’s soul (Swedish), a Devil’s Darning Needle (English), and Eye Snatcher (Portuguese).  For the Navajo the dragonfly symbolizes pure water.  For the Japanese they represent courage, strength and happiness.  And if you are a dragonfly and damselfly watcher, you are ‘oding’ – similar to birding!
I’ve taken pictures of these beautiful creatures everywhere I have visited and I thought you might enjoy seeing them.  And there are so many more for me to see and photograph!
Widow Skimmer


Blue Dasher




Flame Skimmer

Roseate Skimmer




Mexican Amberwing



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  1. John Wakefield/Artistry in GlassSeptember 15, 2011 at 9:41 PM

    Great pictures Linda - did you use a telephoto lens? My lasting impression of dragonflies is their restlessness, apparently never happy to hover for more than a moment before whizzing off at high speed to find another transient hovering spot. They remind me of my own peripatetic personality - one moment delving into a la recherche du temps perdu while simultaneously finishing off my latest website: http://tucsonterrariums.com, trying to figure out the guitar chords for "This old heart of mine (keeps breakin' all the time)", delivering a massive conference table to Willcox and, of course, redecorating our showroom using the sensational color palette masterminded by you. I'm determined to become more focused and less dragonflied.

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