The Big Ones

There are two species of dragonflies in my region of The Netherlands that really stand out because of their size. Let's start with the smaller one, the blue hawker (Aeshna cyanea):

^{Olympus XZ-1, 112mm, ISO100, f4, 1/125s}

It is about 75mm (3") long, and it was big enough to startle me when I was picking blackberries. They don't usually sit still; this one was taking shelter from the rain.

They look different when they are young, less colourful and better camouflaged:

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 300mm, ISO200, f8, 1/125s}

Impressive beasts, but this one rules them all, the emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator). It is up to 84mm long (3.3") and strongly built, and it knows it: it flies patrols a lot and chases away all other dragonflies, except for the smaller ones; it eats those:

^{Olympus XZ-1, 112mm, ISO100, f5.6, 1/160s}

A very impressive beast, that.

Thanks for watching!