I went to the Lotus pond again this year. It no longer has any pink or red Lotus, and now every flower is white. While taking pictures of the flowers, I noticed many dragonflies fluttering about and switched to photographing them.
As usual, there were many Blue Darters.
Then a couple of dragonflies with a reddish orange tail flew by. I am going to call it a Red-tailed Darter, but if you know the correct name, be sure to let me know. It is about 30% larger than the Blue Darter, and I did not see them land on any plant or anything else.
Then as I was taking a shot of a Lotus flower, a rare Hummingbird Moth flew toward it.
Finally, a couple more shots of the dragonflies.
bluebrightly said:
Wonderful pictures – you have been enjoying the summer, haven’t you? I used to see Hummingbird moths in gardens around NY. They’re so surprising when you first see them. As you must know, it’s fun for me to visit your blog and see so many birds, insects, flowers, etc. that I don’t see these days. Thank you!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Lynn! I am glad you can see the insects, birds, and flowers that you were used to back East.
Since my retirement this year, I’ve taken my time to go around familiar sites and also to try and discover new ones. However, this hot and rainy summer has not been helpful.
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bluebrightly said:
So many places are dealing with fierce heat this summer…but the good news is that you’re retired, and you can run out just about anytime you please. 🙂
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neihtn2012 said:
That’s true! One of the benefits of retirement , and one that you can now enjoy also.
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nesfelicio said:
Fantastic macro shots!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Nes!
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Julie@frogpondfarm said:
These are all fabulous … I don’t have a favourite!
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neihtn2012 said:
Glad you like them, Julie!
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DG MARYOGA said:
Fantastic macros of Dragonflies and Damselflies,Hien.We call them Zygoptera as well and it has to do with the wings.I think Damselflies are the female ones.It’s really hard to photo them as they are hovering in the air.Your white Lotus flower shot with the Hummingbird Moth resting on its delicate,diaphanous petal is exceptionally beautiful.
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Doida! The moth shot was a total surprise for me.
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sidilbradipo1 said:
Dragonflies are wonderful, the moth is stunning 😊
Ciao
Sid
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neihtn2012 said:
Thanks Sid! I fixed the typo. 🙂
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quietsolopursuits said:
The images of the flying dragonfly and hummingbird moth are extra special, I know how hard it is to shoot them! I loved the rest of the dragonflies as well, they’re very colorful, and their wings are amazing.
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neihtn2012 said:
Thanks Jerry! The Red-tailed Dragonfly and the Hummingbird Moth were total surprises for me. The moth in particular flew by so fast that I only had the time to press the shutter before it disappeared.
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Irene said:
Great job capturing the dragonflies! 😉
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Irene!
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Emma Cownie said:
Its got to said that I’d probably run away if I came across these these beauties in real life but they are stunning!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Emma! Dragonflies are not so bad, but that Hummingbird Moth is bigger and makes a loud humming sound as it flies by.
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blondie63 said:
Incredible photos!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you so much!
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de Wets Wild said:
Incredible shots, Hien!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Dries!
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RV John said:
Nice jobs on the dragonflies!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you John!
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dvukhac said:
Dear Hien; Incredible photography! You can probably seek a new career as photographer with National Geographic. Dung
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you! I would love to work for them and have access to all that fancy and costly equipment. 🙂
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Nick Hunter said:
Beautiful series on pond life. The first action shot is a jaw-dropper!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Nick!
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Meta said:
I am always so amazed to see how large the heads are on dragonflies. Just seems so out of scale to the rest of the body.
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neihtn2012 said:
Their heads are so big because of their compound eyes.
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sandyjwhite said:
Wow…great dragonfly images!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Sandy!
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sandyjwhite said:
My pleasure.
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Berna said:
Amazing photographs! Thank you for posting! Dragonflies are magic!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you for visiting and commenting!
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Eliza Waters said:
Nice shots, Hien. I like seeing the hummingbird moths, but less so their horned, voracious larva! 😉
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Eliza! Haven’t seen that kind of larva yet, or maybe I didn’t recognize them.
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Eliza Waters said:
They camouflage well with the greenery, ever seen a tomato hornworm?
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