Hmmm, how will I endure the long months of winter that still lie ahead?
It is that time of year again – mid January and a few days removed the first big snowstorm of the year. The sun is on hiatus, aside from an occasional glimpse, and the temperature yo-yoing up and down every other day. Alas, there is at least as much winter ahead of us as behind us.
The January blues have taken hold. The only way I know to beat the funk, short of escaping south for a vacation which my bank account precludes, is to delve into my treasure trove of winged wonder photos from summers past. I like to think of it as a virtual vacation financed by my imagination and miles traversed through field and forest.
Today I am highlighting mating dragonflies. These winged dragons link up briefly in a makeshift loop when instinct tells them the time is right.
Clubtails are notoriously difficult to definitively ID. I will confess that I cannot determine which of the many Clubtails these two are. But that only adds another layer of mystery to their ritual which was carried out in the shelter of verdant greenery in early June.
In this photograph, we can see how the suspended Clubtail has wrapped its filament legs around its mate’s abdomen to do its part in completing the loop. Their pose appears laboured but graceful at the same time as their bodies become one for the time it takes to do what nature demands.
It was already September when these Canada Darners responded to the call. At first glance, it appears they are suspended in air in a leafy bower. But a closer look reveals that one is doing the heavy lifting by clinging to a bushy twig by its slender black legs that look too fragile for the purpose.
Their impressive, translucent angel wings, adorned with checkered black markings, are on full display – perhaps to stabilize them in their precarious perch. The pose will last only a few minutes after which they will separate and flit away.
I really should steer clear of the cliché that presents itself. But I am unable to resist. Dragonflies interlaced in their mating loop personify the circle of life in all things great and small.
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Tags: Canada Darner · circle of life · Clubtail · dragonfly · metaphor · Michael Robert DyetNo Comments