Day 60 - it is a dragonfly-eat-dragonfly world

 I wrote about the migrating dragonflies about a month ago.

I know they eat their own, but I witnessed this for the first time. They are aerial predators with superb vision and reflexes. Sometimes, instead of just catching mosquitoes or flies, they’ll chase and eat smaller or even same-sized dragonflies.

This scene played out mid-afternoon.  See how quickly the larger Green Hawk demolishes the smaller Chalky Percher.

1: 44PM - the Green Hawk came and settled with its kill.  It had probably caught its prey mid-air, with its 6 legs forming a basket around the prey.  It perched to feed. It had probably bitten the head of the Chalky percher and killed it instantaneously, 

It was hanging on to the leaf with one pair of legs.  Dragonflies nicely chew and eat - they have powerful jaws, I read.  And this is the first time I witnessed this.  Thankfully, the prey seemed well and truly dead - it exhibited no sign of life.

1:47 PM - the dragonfly being eaten had become much smaller, as our predator methodically went through head and thorax. 

1:52 pm - seems like it is all eaten - only the wings remaining in grasp.

At this point, the dragonfly took off, and I lost sight of it for a while.  I wondered what happened to the wings - I could not find them anywhere - maybe it ate that as well.  

2:02 pm - and it came and sat on a hibiscus branch, and cleaned its mouth with its forelegs.  Seemed quite satisfied with its meal.  All done.

15 minutes from start to finish.

Sometimes "wild" action takes place under our noses.  Another predator-prey moment.  Big or small, it is the same story, the cycle of life.  For all you know, this very same Green Mash Hawk ended up being food for the neighbourhood drongo or bee eater. Or an even bigger dragonfly.  

On that philosophical note, I shall end my 60th daily post.  Two months done.  Just another 12 days, dear readers, of daily torture.  😅