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Lacking variety of species, I've been going for background and perches with skimmers and dashers. To get gray, I've looked for rock rather than water behind the subject (though much of the swamp's water is green). I usually have to go to different parts of the large pond than I would for damselflies, and that was the case here where, after a few years of paying attention, I find that the Blue Dasher loves horsetail grass as a perch. It had been almost 10 days since seeing one, but here he was, spanking new from the looks and color of him.
The blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) is a dragonfly of the skimmer family. It is the only species in the genus Pachydiplax. It is very common and widely distributed through North America, and certainly loves this part of northern California. Blue dashers live near still, calm bodies of water, such as ponds, marshes, slow-moving waterways, and ditches, in warm areas typically at low elevations. The adults roost in trees at night.
These dragonflies, like others of their infraorder, are carnivorous, and are capable of eating hundreds of insects every day, including mosquito and mayfly larvae. The adult dragonfly will eat nearly any flying insect, such as a moth or fly. Nymphs have a diet that includes other aquatic larvae, small fish, and tadpoles.These dragonflies are known to be voracious predators, consuming up to 10% of their body weight each day in food. I know this is some old information, but as old and interesting as Odonates are, I'm limited in information and my personal memory may be reaching the point where I have to pay Mother Nature for a continued subscription (as seems to be the case with everything else nowadays).
I went out today looking specifically for a Black Saddlebags Dragonfly in flight. Saw not a one. But there must be 50,000 Blue Dashers and Darners at the lake. Identification was still problematic but ... this is Fred.
Norfolk Southern AC44C6M 4642 plus two Union Pacific GE's head eastbound stacks on an April evening in Cove, PA. NS 4246 was built in January of 1997 and rebuilt at NS Juniata Shops in October of 2019. The original NS 8114 heritage with a manifest train is holding for higher-priority traffic to pass.
Two former Santa Fe 4-axle Dash 8s rest at the BNSF engine facility in Denver. The 573 is a standard cab B40-8, at the time one of the last ones left on the BNSF roster. The 521 is a B40-8W wearing the unusual large BNSF lettering over its Warbonnet paint. In the background, a loaded coal train makes its way south on the Joint Line.
A buck decides that two is too crowded in the Madera Open Space, El Cerrito
Briefly in Explore for 01-09-15
A Blue Dasher in subdued light. He would dash in and out to this branch tip. Slow exposure for a moody effect.
Wildwood Lake, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
I am grateful for your continued support and appreciate every view, fave, and comment!
A Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis sp.) sitting on a branch. This was taken at the Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, which is a terrific place to see (and photograph) dragonflies and damselflies in Washington, DC.
Enjoy!
After a brief respite of two non-dragon/damsel images, we return to a favorite, the male Blue Dasher. Sometimes called a "dragonlet" because of its small size, it's one of the most numerous dragons here. (California only has some 46 species of dragonflies, and I'm still enthralled with them, so bear with me.)
Dashers (sometimes called Chasers in Canada) usually perch with wings extended forward and downward. Skimmers have wings extended out to the sides, and then we get into damsels... Anyway, to get a good shot of the wings, it's best to be above and pointing downward - us, not the dragon.
The season is on the downslope, and will be over in about five weeks. There may be a few male dragonflies patrolling, but they haven't a notion about what happened to the females which have either died of old age (at two weeks to six months) or have fallen prey to herons, flycatchers, fish, frogs (who jump after lying in ambush), and even another dragonfly though that is unusual in adults.
I'll be posting some wildflowers and a few birds that are showing up in between Odonates. The season is short and I have to make the most of these jewels. At the same time, I'd like to further introduce you to my various "swamps" frequented by dragons and arenas (twenty square feet of bubbling, rotting vegetation) by damselflies. So much to see, so little time...
The Nashville & Eastern operates a fleet of Dash 8 locomotives across it's 137 miles of track east of Nashville. This one of rather clear heritage switches the east end of N&E's main yard at Southern Junction in Nashville.
Points for creativity in reusing the N from BNSF.
N&E Yard Job
NERR 8-40BW #574 "City of Lebanon"
Nashville, TN
April 18th, 2022
The blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) is a dragonfly of the skimmer family. It is common and widely distributed in the United States.[1]
Mature males develop a bluish-white pruinescence on the back of the abdomen and, in western individuals, on the thorax. They display this pruinescence to other males as a threat while defending territories at the edge of the water.[2]
Mature male with blue-white abdomen and thorax
Although the species name longipennis means "long wings", the wings are not substantially longer than those of related species. Females do, however, have a short abdomen that makes the wings appear longer in comparison.[1] The blue dasher grows up to 25–43 mm long. Juvenile males will show female coloration before they turn blue. Females are paired with yellow stripes on the dorsal side of the first 8 abdominal segments, the part of the body that lies between the thorax and the pelvis and encloses the stomach, intestines, liver, spleen, and pancreas; more commonly known as the belly. Females are also reported to turn blue, but at a slower rate then the males
Source: Wikipedia
Blue Dasher at the Ponds in Kardon Park.
It is wonderful to break out the macro gear for my photography walks
2019_05_18_EOS 7D Mark II_9324_V1
Dropped into the pond for a quick drink, splash & dash. I'm assuming a female house-sparrow but I'm probably wrong. Lots of juveniles about at the moment.
One of many daily Amtrak Hiawatha’s roll out of Milwaukee through the Menominee control point on the way to many repeated trips to and from Chicago. On point are two GE P32-8BWH locomotives.
This shot is with flash. The next is without and I can't decide which I like better. It looks like he is smiling in a smug sort of way.
Minério carregado liderado por duas Dash 9 aguardando cruzamento com outro trem na antiga Locação 02 em Pedrinhas que fica nas proximidades do seu destino em São LuÃs, MA.
18/07/2008.
Loaded iron ore train led by two Dash 9s waiting for a meeting at the former Siding 02 in Pedrinhas, located near it's final destination in São LuÃs, MA.
July 18th, 2008.
Power shortages caused by the early 2010's shale oil boom led to the last stand for the Dash 8's. Here, a trio of them head south at Tower 26 with a manifest headed for the Angleton Sub.
Southbound UP Manifest
UP C41-8W #9500
UP C40-8 #9343
UP C41-8W #9476
Houston, TX
September 6th, 2014
Pulled from storage for one last hurrah, a pair of aging C40-8Ws chug up the hill near Fox with L302 from Detroit.
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