The Blue-eyed Darners are out flying at Little Cranberry Lake—in fact, they're the only darners flying there right now. They're also perching in the bushes, posing for pictures. Here's a male, showing off his unique forked appendages. That, plus his intense blue eyes and side stripes, make identification very easy.
Here's a side view of a Four-spotted Skimmer perched near the shore of Little Cranberry Lake. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the colors of this dragonfly were on full display.
Usually when you see a Four-spotted Skimmer its from above and behind. This is because you're standing on the shore, and the skimmer is below you on some low vegetation looking out over the water. This time, however, I had a nice side view of the skimmer on a bulrush stem, giving a detailed look at the complex pattern on the side of its thorax.
Lots of activity at Little Cranberry Lake, including Western Pondhawks, which are not normally seen at this location.
This male is looking right at me, and has a "bug-eyed" appearance due to its pseudopupils being so large at the top of the eyes, at the dorsal fovea. We can also see the bold, black "Groucho Marx" mustache across the front of the green face.
Yesterday was very active at Little Cranberry Lake. Lots of dragonflies and damselflies flying constantly. The Eight-spotted Skimmers were especially prominent.
