Damselfly
Today, as we were repairing one of the statues of Buddha that serenely contemplates our garden fish pond, I walked down the garden to the pond. It was a fine warm sunny Saturday in late May. On one of the small slate slabs I was arranging with other rocks around the pond (work in progress!), I noticed a most colourful exquisite flying insect soaking up the sun on the slate.
Luckily, I was holding my trusty Nikon Coolpix camera, which has a decent macro lens. I like to wander the garden with it, hoping to catch the flora and fauna that resides and visits our oasis of calm.
I carefully set the camera and moved slowly towards the insect, I balanced precariously on some rocks, nearly stepping on a fern which Jean was frowning about as she watched me manoeuvre nearer the insect. The insect took flight and hovered with it’s wonderful gossamer like wings. Luckily it landed in the same place and appeared unperturbed as I edged closer.
I managed to get a few close up photos as it seemingly posed for me 😉
We seemed to stare at each other (me through the camera lens).
When I viewed the photos and ‘Googled’ for flying insects common to the UK. I thought that it might have been a May Fly appropriate for the month!
In fact it was a delightful Damselfly ( genus Zygoptera), a fairly rare visitor to our pond. Maybe if we are lucky there maybe damselfly nymphs hatching in our pond?
Jean & I have seen dragonflies in the summer too, around our pond which plays host to wild birds, frogs, newts and off course our pond fish, who seem to put up with the occasional guest to their watery abode 🙂
It was wonderful and a privilege to see such a beautiful creäture close up and I hope more such visitors come during the approaching summer.
Damsel fly – Photo by PH Morton
Damselfly -photo by PH Morton
