19 April 2011

Dragonfly's lucky escape

Yesterday I walked into a spiders web strung between the entrance to an outdoors (garden) room.  I should've been more cautious, there's often one there, but my mind was intent on sweeping instead.  Strong sticky strands to pull from my top and hair, and then I noticed ....
oh dear!  I wasn't sure if the dragonfly was even still alive at first
then I could see a leg moving, so I tried ever so carefully to pull some web away from it.
I didn't want to pull a wing off, and doing this with my left hand ...it wasn't easy
Even had time to walk indoors and get my camera....again, to get these photos was a miracle, aiming haphazardly and clicking the button with my left hand.  Not the best of shots, but a record of the event at least. 

I'd hoped the dragonfly might've fluttered onto a nearby plant where I could have taken another photo, but instead it just silently lifted off and jetset into the air; off off and away.....

Looking over the photos I'm not sure all legs are intact, but I'm sure it's fate in the spider-web would have meant a worse scenario. 
Read more from my article on Helium  (if you wish), about 'the lifespan of a dragonfly' here .

3 comments:

Bonnie Belk said...

What a neat experience - and only you would have thought to go get the camera! I'm sure the dragonfly is grateful, extravagantly grateful to you for enabling the escape - but watch out for that spider!!!!!
;-)

Laure Ferlita said...

What a wonderful uplifting story! I'm often retrieving ladybugs and beetles from the dog's water dish and I always wonder about it when I do....does it matter in the overall scheme of things?

I can't answer that, but I know it made a difference to that one little bugglie!!

Jan Castle said...

Will you become a Vet???? LOL! How sweet of you to rescue the little dragonfly!!!!
Hugs,
Jan