Pond Life

Shedding a Tear

Shedding a Tear

Lickity-Split

A female dragonfly moves to her left just in time to avoid a slimy death.

Waiting for Lunch to Drop By

Wide Opening, Narrow Escape

This pair of mating dragonflies narrowly escaped the green frog's gaping mouth and big front legs, cupped inward to help catch its prey.

Danger Lurks

A Little Tongue Action

After this mating pair of red dragonflies began tapping the water, two green frogs quickly maneuvered into the scene. I was hoping they'd both jump at the same time, but they must not have their watches synchronized. Today I spent nearly four hours at the pond to get only a handful of shots, but it was worth it.

Yellow Eyes on a Blue Prize

The sneaky frog eventually leaped at the blue damselfly and landed sitting on the branch. Not sure if he came away satisfied. A red dragonfly soars overhead. The frog eventually left the log and headed towards shore where large dragonflies and other insects flittered about.

Waspy Treat

From across the pond I could not see the wasp on the rock. The larger prey, a male dragonfly (seen in the upper left) seemed to be the more filling choice. After the strike, insect parts were not to be found hanging out of the frog's mouth, so I'm uncertain as to the wasp's demise.

Hello, My Baby

Hello, My Honey

The Red Menace

This red dragonfly is not happy with the larger, light purple male dragonfly who has taken over the red dragonfly's stick.

Die Another Day

A female dragonfly is unaware of the danger below. She's been taking sips of water within inches of the concealed green frog, who would seconds later make a nice leap out of the water at her, but the dragonfly would live another day and the frog would have to dine on someone slower. I've gone back several times, and I believe this same frog hangs out at this very spot because she's not afraid of me. Se's allowed me a three foot buffer while every other frog squeaks at me before lunging to the bottom of the pond and then resurfacing out in the middle.

Lovers' Getaway in Kirkland

Mating dragonflies narrowly escape this frogs gaping mouth and front legs. Waiting for mating dragonflies to arrive, hookup, and then begin tapping the water to lay eggs requires a great deal of patience. There will be long stretches of just males chasing each other around the breeding site. During mating the male latches onto the female and they begin hovering up and down, tapping the water. Unbeknownst to the dragonflies, who are locked together, tapping the water is nature's way of ringing the dinner bell for the pond frogs. Sensing the cavorting dragonflies will cause a frog to quickly jettison into place in hopes of getting a two for one meal on one jump.

Snapped in Two

A green frog successfully snaps a red dragonfly in two. His tongue is wrapped around the dragonfly and the stick, and the head is floating in the water behind the right leg. You have to watch the frogs carefully to see when they decide to go after prey. Dragonflies had been touching down on this stick all afternoon and the frog seemed to pay no attention. Suddenly he glided towards the prey, as though he were a piece of floating debris, and within seconds leaped out of the water. Mounted on a tripod, high speed shutter release, and a cable release. I'm was about eight feet away. The pond is near my home along Forbes Creek, Kirkland, WA.

Male dragonfly warms itself in the sun on a small branch sticking out of a pond.

Female dragonfly tapping the water to deposit eggs.

Give us a kiss

Red Dragonfly in Flight