Came across this by the pond today; from a distance it looked small enough to be a damselfly but on closer inspection it became clear it was a dragonfly, the Common Darter.
At rest, dragonflies hold their four wings spread out, unlike the damsel which has them together over their back, like a butterfly.
The dragonfly is a fabulous flier, backwards or forwards, out-manoeuvring any other insect as it hunts them down. Hoverflies, wasps, butterflies, etc. no insect is safe when the dragonfly is in hunting mode. The same can be said for its larva which can live for 3 or 4 years at the bottom of the pond hunting down tadpoles, small fish and other insects before emerging as this magnificent creature.