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Home > Blogs > Birds and Butterflies > Archives > 2011 > August > 22 > Entry
Pretty Ponds!
While taking a stroll on the Blue Trail at Germantown MetroPark, I decided to take a break by the little pond in the clearing and see what was there. Well, there was a little Field Sparrow with a cute little pink beak that would not hold still long enough for me to snap a picture. I also encountered two very different dragonflies. One was blue and I’m unsure of the species, while the other was a beautiful, bright red. I’m pretty sure it was a Ruby Meadowhawk.
Dragonflies are predators and they are very skilled at catching their prey on the wing. Anyone who has ever tried to catch a dragonfly will tell you it is very difficult! They are very fast fliers that can zigzag in midair. Watching them can sometimes make your head spin. They are such strong fliers, they can even go backward.
Dragonfly lifecycles are interesting to observe. Females lay their eggs on the stems of plants just above the water. Once then young hatch, they drop into the water and are aquatic until their adult stage. The young, aquatic dragonflies are called nymphs since they do not go through a larval stage like many other insects with which we are familiar. These nymphs go through a series of molts, getting bigger and bigger until their final molt, at which point they emerge as the dragonflies we know and love!
So, take some time to relax by a pond or stream and see if you can find some beautiful dragonflies!
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