The first good rains of the year fell last week on the 4th of December when an unusual weather system reached Ongava. The winds and rain brought with them a variety of dragonflies, three of which are shown in this photo. The largest one is a Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger), the red one a Twister (Tholymis tillarga), and the smaller blue one is a Banded Skimmer (Orthetrum brachiale).

Beyond their grace and beauty, large numbers of dragonflies, together with termites and other emerging insects, provide a sudden energy injection into the drought-stricken ecosystem. This nutritional boost is critically important to a range of birds, reptiles, amphibians and other animals, figuratively allowing them to re-charge their batteries after a very long dry famine.