Cool Dragonflies

Well, we're nearing the end of dragonfly season. The days are getting shorter and colder, but there are still a few dragonflies out there. Yesterday, Betsy and I went to Little Cranberry Lake here in Anacortes to check out the action, and we saw quite a bit. Here's the lakeshore:



The temperature was 44 ˚F the entire time we were there, which was approximately from noon to 1:00 pm.

First, we saw quite a few Autumn Meadowhawks; mostly males, but a few females as well. We didn't see any egg laying activity, however.  Here are a few male Autumn Meadowhawks sitting on the bench near the shore:



This is a great place for them to bask in the sun. On the fence nearby a pair was in the wheel position:



Here are a couple males that at first glance appear to be in tandem, but in fact are just resting in close proximity:



Here's another male resting in the bushes just back from the shore:



We also saw darners, both Paddle-tailed Darners (Mr. Happy Face) and Shadow Darners. Here's a male Paddle-tailed Darner perched in the bushes:



For a size comparison, notice the small housefly at the 10 o'clock position.

Here's a close up of this individual, showing the happy face:



It's always wonderful to see this in person.

Finally, here's a female Shadow Darner:



A close-up look shows a bit of a happy face for her as well:



What a lovely November day at the lake.