Dragonflies and Butterflies

While my photo supply of new birds is dwindling, I hope to correct that early next week. Nevertheless, my hard drive is laden with pictures accumulated during my many bird watching expeditions. Today, I decided to feature a few of the insects seen last summer.

You see, it is impossible to walk by the simple sights of nature without wanting to capture them and view them over the months. Just when it feels like the 10' mounds of snow in my front yard will never dissolve, I find these pictures a great reminder that the cycle will prevail ... it always does.








Samuel Taylor Coleridge summed it up so nicely in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner when he wrote:   



"He Prayeth best, who loveth best; All things great and small; For the dear God who loveth us; He made and loveth all."

Most of us stop and look at butterflies as they flutter their bold and colorful wings in a never-ending attempt to find just the right flowers. Watching butterflies is just as engaging as bird watching for some - the varieties are many and the colors are stunning.

There are even those who are taken with watching and studying dragonflies. Is it any wonder? Look at the faces of each of these different species. They are so unique, individual and interesting that the faces of dragonflies could be integrated into cartoons, science fiction or video games.

I never really looked at the face of a dragonfly until I photographed one. They move about quickly and their face is quite small compared to the rest of the body. It is very easy to focus on the long wings or tail and miss the character of their faces.  In this photo array look closely at the third picture of the blue/green dragonfly sitting on the rocks.  It just seems that he should have a pet name. I will never miss the opportunity to photograph and study the face of all dragonflies that cross my path this summer.

Note: The tools on the posting page of this blog were not working right today. At first the pictures wouldn't upload and then the text wouldn't align properly with the pictures. Hopefully, this problem will be worked out soon.