Dragonflies and Damselflies +

Yesterday was the perfect day to take my first walk to Carolina Beach Lake.  I was pretty sure it was too early to see any birds plus the Lake is very high right now (must have been a lot of rain as it is very green down here).  So instead of birds, I will concentrate on butterflies and dragonflies for a bit.  I have always been amazed by the sheer number of dragon or damselflies that I see when sitting on the porch so it's time to identify them thanks to my lovely Stokes Beginner's Guide to Dragonflies which has the most common varieties.  This is an Eastern Amberwing that was sitting on some algae in the pond.  I used my small point and shoot to take this picture.  I thought the background looked like a picture of a coastal swamp.  The biggest problem with the small camera is that I find it very difficult to see the image whereas it seems so easy with my slr.

This is a Common Spreadwing which was also on the algae.  I wasn't sure I even would get this shot.  These flies are very flitty!!

 Lastly, these next two shots are of  a dragonfly called the Black Saddlebags.  Took me a bit to identify this as I thought that very dark area on the wings was the body but it is the "saddlebag".  In the afternoon light, the wings looked blue but this morning they looked clear as this dragonfly hangs around a lot on the end of a twig in our neighbor's yard.  I know I have seen some other varieties as well but in flight they are impossible to photograph.  

 A sideview of the above Saddlebags.

My tufted domestic duck was down by the lake and a new domestic visitor was there as well -- this brown and white duck.  I am not sure whether this is a cross of a mallard and domestic duck or another variety of plain domestic duck.  Will have to do a little research.  Even the mallards were out of the water today and I didn't see any males at all.

This is the view from my porch using the telephoto on my small camera.  Think I will be able to get some pictures that I couldn't before.  It is so bright down here, I get suntanned sitting in the shade on my porch so even a poorer lens lets in enough light to get some good shots.  

My youngest daughter, her husband and my granddaughter are flying in tonight from the West Coast and my other daughter is coming from Charlotte  so my next blog will be dedicated to them!!