Dragonfly Dramas

 

Common Green Darner

A hefty dragonfly called the Common Green Darner makes its home around the Halibut Point ponds, those small quarrying excavations (motions) filled by spring water. Although they are frequently visible patrolling especially the perimeters of the wetlands, I'm reluctant to call anything so aeronautically and colorfully spectacular, 'common.'

Green Darner in flight

In their realm the Green Darners are lords of the air. They dominate  (from the Latin root dominat- ‘ruled, governed’, and dominus ‘lord, master’.) Compared to other dragonflies near the pond they tend to fly in assertive, purposeful loops rather than the inquisitive, tentative patterns of lesser species. 

Blue Dasher in flight

By comparison, Blue Dashers - well, not they're lesser, but smaller - dart about in their search for prey and in their social interactions.

Blue Dasher at rest

When a Green Darner zooms by the Blue Dashers get out of the way. They might take to perches during the turbulence.

Slaty Skimmer and Twelve-spotted Skimmer in initial reconnaissance

Dragonfly encounters are not always so one-sided. These two more evenly matched species jockeyed over boundaries and rights to a promontory.

The parties deliver terms

Initially the Twelve-spotted Skimmer displaced the Slaty Skimmer.

The Slaty Skimmer returns from retreat

The contest was not decided in one sally, and may have continued after I left the arena. Though fateful, the resolution did not appear to be fatal. Possibly they would find separate but equal opportunities.