I have wondered, often, why, with so many dragon and damselflies in residence at Quest Pond, there are not more birds. Of course maybe I just answered my own question, in reverse. Maybe there are so many dragon and damselflies at Quest Pond because there are few birds there. ?? Still, I was not surprised to see a couple of largish birds swooping over the far end of the pond the other day…I was more surprised to see what they were when they came up to the end of the pond where I was. Cedar Waxwings.

There were three, and they set up in an exposed medium-sized ornamental maple at the edge of the pond, and flew out to take bugs just off the ground, then up to the overhanging branches at the edge of the forest that starts 250 feet from the pond’s edge on that side. Then back again. Back and forth, taking insects on about every other swoop. On the perch they were on high alert all the time, watching air above the grass for prey.

Cedar Waxwings are fascinating, and beautiful birds. The silky feathers, the bright colors, the black mask, the big bold eye…what is not to like? Several times as I maneuvered around to get photographs, the Waxwings came within inches of me on the wing. It was exciting. I now realize that my passage through the grass was stirring up the prey, and facilitating their hunt.

What they were catching were Powdered Dancers. I had noticed, and even photographed, these strange damselflies over my days at the pond. They are everywhere in the grass and trees around the pond…by far the most numerous single species. They flutter…they stumble…through the air in weak flights of a few yards at a time. When you compare their flight to, say, a Familiar Bluet…which flies like a high powered, laser guided, helicopter…wings a blur, forward, backward, up, down…effortlessly moving in perfectly straight lines to its goal…you could be forgiven for thinking the Dancers are not damselflies at all. If you get close enough for a photograph (or even a good look) though, you see that they are unmistakably damsels…if rather dull ones.

Most of what I see are the females, and all of them are Powdered Dancers. I have only found a few males. They seem to keep closer to the water, low in the vegetation right at the edge, and I have not see a single one in flight.

Which, of course, is just as well for them when the Cedar Waxwings are in attendance.

There are, in fact, so many Powdered Dancer females around the pond that I do not fear the health of their population if the Cedar Waxwings take a few…on every other pass. It looks to be hard work for the Waxwings for minimum reward (the Dancers are not very big). In fact, I have not seen the Waxwings since that day, so very likely they decided there were easier pickings else where…some fruit tree or berry bush coming into season maybe. Still the drama was very interesting to watch while it was on…and both the Cedar Waxwings and the Dancers have their own unique attractions.

Canon SX40HS. Program with iContrast and –1 EV exposure compensation.  Processed in Lightroom for intensity, clarity, and sharpness.