One of the first dragonflies I photographed around the pond was this one. They are quite prolific and being relatively 
large they are easy to spot even from a distance. Each one tends to stay in a territory, but they will often take long flights far across the pond. They are very fast and their flights tend to be longer in a straight line before making the typical dragonfly quick turns.
As with many of the larger dragonflies this one seems to prefer a higher perch along the edges of the pond. You can almost always find one on the alder bush. I don't think it has anything to do with the type of bush as I have never seen them land on the other alder bush further along the bank. 
Their preferred bush is in the sun more often and has a few bare branches that point toward the pond. I presume this gives them a commanding view of their territory.
I will also see them from time to time away from the pond, but I have not yet been able to capture them in a decent photograph in other settings. I understand that individual dragongflies will often leave the pond maybe 4 or 5 times a day. Even at their small size it is not difficult for them to travel up to a mile or so quickly to find a good hunting spot for prey.
By the way, I just ran across an interesting article in the Houston Chroncicle about installing a dragonfly pond for mosquito control. You might want to check it out.
1 month ago
.jpg)