Watching Dragonflies today reminded me of the 1969 film The Battle of Britain with those airmen engaged in aerial combat in the blue sky over Southern England. There were no Spitfire flights over the Solent today. In flight, combat was taking place, an “Emperor Dragonfly” was on the hunt on the wing chasing and then catching a smaller dragonfly a “Common Darter”. Taking it to a nearby perching stick first killing it by removing its head then eating the contents of the darter’s insides Nature is both cruel and fascinating at the same time. I have witnessed this hunting and killing before of wasps and bees but this was the first dragonfly catching another dragonfly observation for me.






