Great Blue Skimmer “poses” for pictures.

This great blue skimmer caught my eye when I walked out of the house to check my mailbox . It perched on the tip of a hibiscus leaf and tilted its head as if to look at me when I approached it. It was not alarmed at my presence so I took advantage of this opportunity to photograph it and observe its behavior. This skimmer tilted its head and flew up to snatch a smaller insect from the air. It returned to the same leaf, and ate the tiny bug. It continued to “pose” for me as I snapped one picture after another at various settings. I marveled at the geometric shapes on its wings that formed chain-like patterns. Again it lifted off the leaf, but I think it missed its prey because it returned to its perch without a tasty morsel. It remained still, only tilting its head from time to time; I assume something caught its compound eyes. I thanked this beautiful creature for eating pesky bugs and for posing for me.