The Big Picture (#3) and the Big Dragonfly

My "Big Picture" posts were supposed to be a 'series'.  Somehow time flew by, because I just checked and the last one was published on January 10th.  (click here if you want to read it, but be warned...the photos contain a lot of snow!).  Or, if you want to read the "Big Picture and the Big Owl" which was the first one in the series (no snow involved) you can click here. 


There's no snow here now, as it's the beginning of September and we're in the middle of a heat wave.  My suggestion is to enjoy it while we can.  Early morning and late evening walks are best in these warm temperatures.   

Here are some views from where I walk...

These two photos were taken about 3 weeks ago, when I was already thinking about this post.

It doesn't look too much different now.  The grass is a little drier (we haven't had any rain for awhile) and the trees are beginning to show some fall color.  

Now, moving on to this morning...you can see a touch of color in one of my favorite maple trees down by the swamp.

There was light fog over the water.

It lifted while I watched, and it created some eerie effects.

But then the sun came up over the mountain and changed the atmosphere, literally and figuratively.

It's going to be another hot and sunny day.  A good day for dragonflies!

This one was basking in the sun on our deck.  He's a Spatterdock Darner, according to my brother.  And by the way, I updated my last post with the names of the moths we saw when he came to visit, thanks to him as well.  

After the dragonfly flew away, I measured the board to see what its wingspan was.  3 1/2" !  That's in the same range as our Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.  Dragonflies have 4 wings (in the photo you can see their shadow so at first glance it looks like double that).  Each wing can move independently of the others.  No wonder they are master fliers.  They can reach speeds of 30 miles an hour.

Last night after dinner, I walked down by the swamp and there were a number of these same dragonflies nearby.  They were amazing to watch... they can fly like hummingbirds, too -- straight up and down, and hovering in one spot.  Also like hummers, they chase each other around.  I've read that some will protect a territory (for their food supply as well as egg masses).

I attempted to take some photos of the ones by the swamp.  You'd think, since they occasionally hover that would be easy, right?  Well, not really!  These are the best shots I was able to get.  Of course, the sun was going down, too, so that didn't help.

They are said to like bodies of water with Spatterdock growing in them.  Our swamp has no Spatterdock, but I took a walk up by the pond this morning because there is one plant there.  (No dragonflies though!)

This also gave me the opportunity to show you an up-to-date 'big picture' of that area.

The sun had risen a bit more since the photo of it coming up over the mountain above the swamp.

Goldenrod was glowing in the early sunlight, and more color showing on the trees.

A little bit of Chicory provided some 'sky blue' in with the gold.  

Then, in just a short while, the early morning fog was completely gone and the 'big picture' included this beautiful blue sky.