The Flame skimmer is back

The female Flame skimmer Libellula saturata is back!

Here she is perched on a dried up stalk of an orange sulphur Klondike cosmos plant in a pot on the patio.

She is patiently waiting for prey to pass by - moths, flies or ants.

And how do I know that this is a female?

Because she is medium brown, unlike the males who have entirely red or dark orange bodies, which is why these skimmers are also called Firecracker skimmers.