There are hundreds of dragonflies in our backyard right now. Hundreds. The wall of our garden shed and the kids' play structure are coated in them, and if you walk too close, the all take flight in a massive swarm overhead.
Oh, the wonders of nature!
Of course I had to do a Google search to find out why, and I came across this really interesting website --- www.thedragonflywoman.com.
Apparently, there are two reasons dragonflies swarm. The first is a feeding swarm, where multiple dragonflies fly over a specific area close to the ground, catching and eating small insects.
The second is a migratory swarm. I'm guessing this is what's happening in my backyard, since the dragonflies appear to be "resting" mid migration.
Whatever the reason for their visit, we'll enjoy it while it lasts.
Note: These photos were taken with an iPhone 5, which made it difficult to get a close up shot of the dragonflies in flight. I used some filters to sharpen and brighten the images.