Wednesday, July 11, 2007

The magic of dragonflies

Over the weekend, we decided to go to the visitor's center of a nature reserve located near the village of Dwingeloo. It is a really pretty area that has been set up so nicely for visitors to come and linger for a while. We watched a family with two very young and excited boys catching tadpoles and putting them in a bucket only later to put them back in the pond. One had an easier time of catching snails since he was very young and not as coordinated with his net. He was so cute trying to get the third snail from the net into the bucket.

I love dragonflies and I get the greatest kick when I get a good photo of one. I stopped to make a couple more photos as we walked back to our car since there was noone around at that moment on the water's edge. I was photographing small dragonflies pairing in the reeds when a large dragonfly landed very close to me on the wooden walk over the water. I was thrilled he sat long enough for me to get a good photo. They are like little helicopters buzzing above the pond. Click on the photos to see the detail as the photos enlarge.

"Silent Noon"

Your hands lie open in the long fresh grass--
The finger-points look through like rosy blooms:
Your eyes smile peace.
The pasture gleams and glooms
'Neath billowing skies that scatter and amass.
All round our nest, far as the eye can pass,
Are golden kingcup-fields with silver edge
Where the cow-parsley skirts the hawthorn-hedge.
'Tis visible silence, still as the hour-glass.
Deep in the sun-searched growths the dragonfly
Hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky:
So this winged hour is dropt to us from above.
Oh! clasp we to our hearts, for deathless dower,
This close-companioned inarticulate hour
When twofold silence was the song of love.

~~ Dante Gabriel Rossetti ~~

6 comments:

Nancy said...

Beautiful photos Heidi! Dragonflies are one of my favorite bugs! Sorry, I just had to say that.

Take care,
Nancy

Suzann said...

Heidi - such amazing photographs. Dragonflies kinda scare me though. LOL.
Suzann

Anonymous said...

I love the pictures and the poem goes so well. Ponds, streams and dragonflys on a lazy, warm afternoon DO evoke a feeling of peace!! thank you for sharing!

Ragged Roses said...

Dragonflies are just magical aren't they. We took our daughters boating along a river one day last summer and they had dragonflies sitting on their shoulders, they were entranced!
Kim x
Just noticed your cloud photo, it is amazing what you can see up in the sky!

Janice said...

Wonderful pictures! I love the dragonfly up close! :o). The place you visited looks lovely and relaxing.

Anonymous said...

Dragonflies are frequent visitors to our garden as we live steps away from a pond. The often rest on our brick walls to bask in the sun. I love watching them too! ♥