Stunned Dragonfly

So today we’re out enjoying the pond at the White Tanks, taking a few photos and listening to the wildlife, when we hear a loud “clang!” and the Missus jumps.  It seems a dragonfly was preoccupied with chasing a female dragonfly (I’m assuming here, I’m really not too clear how to identify the difference on the fly) and wasn’t watching where he was going.  The “clang!” was the sound of him flying into the railing made out of steel pipe meant to keep people out of the habitat.  I learned today that an insect can indeed knock itself unconscious. This guy lay there twitching for a couple of minutes – literally – his hind wings would twitch.  Finally he came back to life and resumed his pursuit of the female who was no doubt thinking “Idiot…”