Since I was a kid, the Skeeters/Skaters fascinated me.
These are tiny <less than 1cm> and very fast <+60km/h> water surface insects.
Only today I learned their official name, and I reported it in the title.
You see them zooming around crazily, in the washing basins, in the fountain bowls, and in the calmest stream's pools.
Straight trajectories, zippy changes of directions, 180° turnbacks, and always chasing each other..
.. today I also discovered..
they communicate by vibrating the water at high frequency, as we humans vibrate the air !!
Today there is a lot of hot, still, humid, air.
I decide to go by the pond, despite the usual place being already in full sun.
It's as well out of my usual time and therefore I know no swallows or waders.
Oh well, we hope for some dragonflies ...
Nearly arrived I see two beautiful giant dragonflies pass 40cm in front of me... Oooohhhh!
30 seconds later I'm seated on a bench shaded by a huge tree.
A little too further away from the water, maybe. But that will have to do.
I mount the equipment and stay seated ... tripod in front of me. When I look around...
Well, speaking of dragonflies: not even a piece of a small wing.
As subjects, my camera and me have to wait patiently to see if something will appear.
I take a couple of pics of the fisherman standing on the other side of the pond ...
It's more than warm, it's very hot, and also very humid. A lot of still air, very still.
A lot of sun on the pond, and a lot of light around, it's a summer's five afternoon.
I observe the new Nymphaea leaves,
they are starting to sprout ... after 40 days of rain, the pond is finally full.
An old guy of my age arrives by me with his dog.
The dog stops behind me, gasping.
And it was so nice and so quiet, 'til a few minutes ago...
The dog looks at me, destroyed, the tongue lolling out. It sits and ignores me.
The owner doesn't get it from the dog,
and seeing the desolation in front of my camera, asks "Are you taking pictures of fish?"
Despite everything ...
...I have found something that I had never thought to shoot so far ...
I reply "NO" , abruptly truncating his communication attempt.
The dog turns to him with a look full of comprehension:
§ between beasts there is a great understanding §
I stay quiet without moving, seated on this shaded bench, sweating.
While the guy leaves, the dog follows him and doesn't look back.
I occupy myself with the task at hand
.
Not bad my Sigma 150-600c
This shot is more than 2 meters on a 1.2cm subject
The little predator just caught a snack.
( some larvae from the bottom - Gerridae dive as well )
