#blue skimmers

[whatnext10]

This Great Blue Skimmer is a Throwback to Summer

This Great Blue Skimmer is a Throwback to Summer shows readers an image from early August and explains the basic process that took it from its original state to this state.

Blue Dragon I took this photo of a male great blue skimmer (Libellula vibrans) back in the beginning of August, and I loved the patterns of the veins visible in the wings, but it definitely needed some work to help bring out the pattern. It took a while to get it to where I wanted it. I’d work on it, think it was okay and then go back the next day and see more that needed to be done. I think…

[onenicebugperday]

@captain-cargoshorts submitted: Saved this guy from my mom's pool in [removed] (please remove)

It rested for a while on the bench in the third picture them flew off just fine

What a pretty friend! I'm glad you saved it from the pool. Looks like a great blue skimmer :)

[ljsbugblog]

a beautiful Blue Skimmer, either a female or a male who has yet to develop his signature dusty-blue colouring.

Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum caledonicum).

[existencebringsonlypain]

thought you guys could appreciate this

[bone-pile-rp]

Ryotaro has appeared! What to do?

[critter-creature-or-beast]

Submitted for classification by @kindly-whisper-norbury

[alcnfr]

A Great Blue Skimmer (Libellula vibrans) dragonfly hanging around the Bluebird House this morning...

[sandpaperoctopi]

dragons and damsels

[mylittlestims]

Sky Skimmer Stimboard

(X) (X) (X)

(X) (X) (X)

(X) (X) (X)

[admiralgiggles]

The Blue Dasher

[thiscountry]

tiny blue skimmer

[jonnysinsectcatalogue]

Dragonflies of Ontario - Order Odonata

In honor of the Lunar New Year - which this year is the Year of the Dragon - I have a compilation post showcasing some of the Dragonflies that call Ontario their home and hunting grounds! Just like the New Year's Post, the pictures found here haven't been uploaded to the blog before. Although similar in shape and form, these Odonates differ vastly across sizes, color and ferocity. Some even have patterned wings which can be different whether male or female and how old they are! Most of them in the wilderness, in close proximity to (un-pictured) water sources; it's far easier to photograph when they are close, rather than darting across a lake in pursuit of another insect. The specimens here consist of many familiar species across the many families within the Infraorder known as Anisoptera. Any guesses on the exact number of family classifications featured in this post? To answer that question: look closely at, no...behold these colorful, powerful and majestic Dragonflies:

Autumn Meadowhawk - Sympetrum vicinum (Sept 18, 2018)

Twelve-Spotted Skimmer - Libellula pulchella (June 30th, 2019)

Lancet Clubtail - Phanogomphus exilis (June 25th, 2022)

Common Whitetail (female) - Plathemis lydia (May 25th, 2021)

Common Whitetail (immature male) - Plathemis lydia (June 16th, 2021)

Common Whitetail (male) - Plathemis lydia (August 9th, 2023)

Green Darner - Anax junius (September 27th, 2019)

Ruby Meadowhawk - Sympetrum rubicundulum (August 29, 2019)

Blue Dasher ("tween" male) - Pachydiplax longipennis (July 30th, 2020)

Blue Dasher (female) - Pachydiplax longipennis (August 2nd, 2020)

Pictures taken prior to 2020 were made with a Samsung Galaxy S4, except for the Green Darner which was photographed with an iPhone 8 by a near and dear friend. Pictures taken during 2020 onward were captured with a Google Pixel 4.

Have a Happy Year of the Dragon and continue to enjoy an amazing 2024! Now, let's see what new Dragon-related insects will join the blog next! For all bug-hunters out there, take extra care not to confuse the Dragons in Pictures 2 and 4.

[dansnaturepictures]

02/08/24-Feral Pigeons, beautiful views including nice sky, fleabane, Great Crested Grebes and blackberries at Lakeside Country Park and sky at home.

Excellent views of Southern Hawker, Migrant Hawker and possibly Emperor, Black-tailed Skimmer, Common Darter, Azure or Common Blue Damselfly and Blue-tailed Damselfly were captivating to see dashing around in a dazzling dragonfly and damselfly fest on my lunch time and evening Lakeside walks. Other highlights today were House Martin, Moorhen, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Green Woodpecker heard, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Common Blue, a fair few Speckled Woods, Peacock, Comma and Red Admiral butterflies, burdock, nightshade, St. John's-wort, plantain, bird's-foot trefoil, red clover and knapweed.

[ljsbugblog]

Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum caledonicum).

[axe-trio-commanders]

I'm curious about Olirus! What's their Deal(tm)? (Also I would like to hug Zori. Not because of any particular reason but because I think she needs one)

- @fractal-quadrilioquy

Yesyes Olirus!! (sorry this took a lil, needed to get screenshots and also. Awakeness) So- Olirus Quickshot is one of my newer cats, and sort of like... I dunno, my most lowkey, normal-ish character...? Which is. Completely relative considering the nonsense everyone else gets up to, but here's the gist;

Olirus was, originally, just a pretty darned good sniper, originally working under Iron before joining the Vigil, primarily because she thought Almorra was just really, really cool the first time she heard about her, and Olirus really wanted to go all-in and fight dragons. She was pretty renowned for taking shots with pretty good accuracy for how many shots she could take, and how quickly- she's not an assassin, really, but she's good at taking out a large number of pretty long-range targets. So she joins the vigil, climbs a few rungs up the ladder, everything's going great! They actually defeated Zhaitan! Woo!! ....And then Maguuma happens, and- pending probably another post and a heavy TW- Olirus is suddenly Much Less Jazzed about the Vigil. Not that she things the Vigil is wrong, just... wrong for her. And her continued mental health. So, after taking the airship to Elona, Olirus just kinda... bounces, trying to just. Disappear in the chaos. She eventually finds a job as a guard for this exotic raptor racing facility, which is... well, it pays money, even if she doesn't like her boss very much. ....Until a group raids the place, she gets shot in the arm with a necromantic-energy-packed ammunition that is now attempting to slowly rot away her arm, and instead of, say, doing anything to help with that, her boss just fires her instead. So now she's slowly losing an arm, and doesn't have a job. So she does what any reasonable charr would do, which is steal her favorite raptor (Her name is Cherry) and book it again. (This is Cherry)

Eventually, she recieves help with the arm from... (admittedly I have this part less decided, so some necromancer/scientist someone who decides to be nice without immediate payment)- which stops the decay even if it won't heal the arm. It's still functional, though it is pretty smelly and she's worried it'll be more fragile than normal, so she's made a special glove to fit around it. At this point, she decides she's honestly done with any job involving having to use violence, and you know what she figures is the furthest possible thing from her prior occupation in the Vigil? Candy-making. She's going to make a candy store. And run it. And use the proceeds to take care of Cherry. And anyone who threatens her candy store, or the children who come to buy from it? ...Well, she does still have a rifle, and she isn't half bad with a pair of daggers, either. They just have fun themes, now.

(.....this character was at least partially inspired by the fact i thought you could flavor the azure railgun skin as mint-chocolate themed. Also I wanted a character I could just kinda fit into any au or rp space...)

[thegreatlandone]

Fountain Pool Dallas Example of a mid-sized transitional backyard stone and custom-shaped pool fountain design