Seeing Beneath the Surface
I came to Isa Lake to look for tiger salamanders. But, as I sit on the shore, my eye is instead drawn to the dragonflies and damselflies that flit about, inches above the surface of the pond. These elongated jewels move with a precision and efficiency that far surpasses any aircraft built by human hands: one cruises steadily with ruthless prowess in pursuit of prey, then pauses to hover, motionless, in defiance of wind and gravity. The plump, rounded body of a flame skimmer passes by, succeeded by the slender blue needle of a dainty damselfly. A single dragonfly may eat three hundred mosquitoes in a single day. Read more