Author Koh Lin ◦
There are times in your life when you can do something good. It may not be earth shattering or monumental, but it can leave you feeling good… and that cannot be bad…
So it was that I was doing my usual morning duties around the garden at work, when I noticed (and I must admit, at the time I felt sad as soon as I saw it), a dragonfly floating in the dog bowl.
The water in the bowl was very still and the dragonfly was not moving, and I felt sad, as I had only recently been given the privilege of watching and photographing other dragonflies in the garden, including the Blue Skimmer and the Scarlet Percher.
I went to scoop the dragonfly out, and was startled. The dragonfly had moved its legs and then attempted a feeble movement with its wings. I had dropped the dragonfly on to the ground, and it was stuck upside down with the wet wings gluing it to the paving. I moved my hand down and the dragonfly’s legs, attempted to grasp my finger.
I very gently lifted the dragonfly up and walked over near the pond and try to lift the dragonfly onto the reeds, but it could not grip and fell off.
I scooped the dragonfly up again and then gently placed the dragonfly onto the leaves of the nearby jasmine hedge. This seemed to work, as the dragonfly held on.
The dragonfly then shook its gossamer wings and it was only then I really had a good look at the dragonfly. The morning sun was just hitting the hedge, and I was wowed!! The dragonfly appeared to be made from gold.
Now I have seen many different coloured dragonflies before, but I had never seen a dragonfly as golden as this one. So just because I can, here are seven more images of this beautiful dragonfly.
I continued with my gardening duties, and checking back on the dragonfly every now and then. The final time I came to look, I saw it fly further along and higher on the hedge. I had to stretch my arms up for the final photo, which showed the colour had taken on the hues from its surrounding.
With many thanks from our local Alice Springs Field Naturalists Club Facebook group and member Robert Read, who identified the dragonfly as a female Orthetrum caledonicum.