We get quite a few things wandering into our conservatory in fine weather, because OH likes to sit out there with the door open. Some of those things are welcome and some are not – I can usually tell if a wasp or bee has bumbled in, for instance, because of the air turning faintly blue.
Yesterday two things honoured us with a visit. One was a small bird whose presence remained undetected until it startled OH by flying OUT from just above his head. I’m not sure what colour the air turned. It wasn’t blue, but there was most definitely a change in hue .. perhaps it was pink from embarrassment.
The other was this interesting little fellow. He’s a Large Red Damselfly, otherwise known as Pyrrhosoma Nymphula, and is one of the earliest to be seen on the wing. Later we’ll get a lot of those electric blue ones that go from a static hover to about three million miles an hour in a split second, but for now, I’m happy to see this rather slower and less aerobatic fellow, because he’s a sign of spring having well and truly sprung.
That’s a pretty nifty looking bug. It looks a bit like the Alien, making it even cooler.
RYC: It’s pretty sad that two of the most powerful/successful women in the world don’t have enough brain cells to admit they were mistresses no matter how you slice it.
Angis last blog post..Choices.
Did you know that some damselfly males have little appendages on the tip of the abdomen that they can insert into a female’s most private of places and hook out any sperm already deposited in there? They can also lock onto the female and guard her to try and ensure no other males try to mate with her. The pressure to be a father…..
Don’t Bug Me!s last blog post..Scents of the Past
whoa, that’s a great looking picture. macro setting?
Naturals last blog post..More of the Ugly
Yes, Valerie – macro, but hand-held and without extra lighting – not only that, but I was holding subject in one hand and camera in the other! Not bad huh? My lovely new digital has an image stabiliser! Woo hoo!
DBM – Wow – no, I didn’t know that! I wonder if that feels good or bad to the female?
Nice shot, Jay!!!
And that’s one we don’t have here! (We do hvae the electric blue ones with the black wings… I love those!)
I’ve got a new camera now (still a point & shoot but a very nice one!) and I LOVE the macro setting!
What’s the camera, J? This one’s just a point and shoot too. I have the Canon for more serious stuff, but the newer snapshot cameras are just so good, aren’t they?
We see quite a lot of dragonflies and damselflies out here in the fens … must be all that water!
Aw, that’s a lovely photo, and she looks like she’s smiling with a big happy grin.
Coastal Aussies last blog post..The lake series, photo 1
I suspect that I would feel rather violated – I don’t think that I would enjoy having someone rumaging around in there!
Don’t Bug Me!s last blog post..Scents of the Past
Ah, but you’re not a damselfly, DBM! ROFL!