Return to the Honey-hole

In one lovely visit to my two favorite ponds, these friends flew: Blue Corporals, Carolina Saddlebags, Common Green Darners, Fragile Forktails, Citrine Forktails, and Southern Spreadwings. The sky, and the grasses, and the bare limbs, and the just visible beginnings of leaves, and . . . so much to love. I could spend the day there and come home happy, even if the ode photos are all terrible.

Two More New Arrivals

Sometimes, they appear singly.

Double-ringed Pennant (first appearance)

Sometimes, in threes.

male Citrine Forktail

Female Citrine Forktail

Immature Female Citrine Forktail

(first appearance of Citrine Forktail)

Sometimes, two by two.

Calico Pennants

I'll take them any way they come and be thankful.

Walking with Friends

J and B joined me for a walk at Lake Dimmick, where one had been and the other not. He carried a strainer and on occasion scooped the pond or lake bottom for Odonate larvae and other signs of life.

Even though we walked from about 11:30 to 1:15, the temp was still cool and the wind strong. As a result, only the brave were visible: a couple of Swamp Spreadwings, a couple of Calico Pennants, one male and one female Citrine Forktail, several Autumn Meadowhawks (included a mated pair ovipositing), and a number of Common Green Darners.

I didn't get to see the Clamp-tipped Emerald, which I longed to show off, but just as I despaired, four darners appeared (three males, one female), and one hung from sumac, providing just the right seasonally striking contrast.

I had forgotten how enjoyable it is to be in good company!

That Kind of Day

when sky is so blue you remember if only a moment that it's only blue for us on Earth and not black and this blue is ultramarine and sun so bright it casts hard shadows all day sparkling water and burning fall leaves and grasses like dry ice, cool and hot colors all at once so creatures slip in and our like beach bathers only in search of heat not a tan, and my camera lens can't determine if there's too much light or not enough, and everything looks beautiful, especially the two Clamp-tipped Emeralds, those big dragonflies I see up close and personal for the very first time:

that's the kind of day it was.

Weekly Roundup

WARNING: Do not read unless you're curious about my life as Robley the Odonate Hunter.

Taking a cue from a friend who became interested in Odonates last year, I am trying to keep a better record of what I see and when. Every Sunday (unless something extraordinary happens), I plan on composing a weekly roundup.

I saw my first Odonate (a brand new male Fragile Forktail) on the woods path below the pavilion. I also saw my first emergence on Tuesday, quite by accident. I stuttered up the dam when I saw a snake racing so fast under a rock that I couldn't identify it. The better part of safety meant a new route, right to the area when a Springtime Darner was still warming up prior to first flight. Last year's Springtime Darner (the only one I saw emerge) began the process at noon, so it appears that their habit is to fly by mid-afternoon.

On Wednesday, I saw three Blue Corporals (just emerged) whiz by me opposite the beach, and then I came upon several Fragile Forktails (male and female) as well as two Citrine Forktails. I had forgotten just how difficult both are to photograph because of their tiny size: the fragile's length ranges from 1.2 to 1.5 inches while the Citrine runs from .8 to 1.1 inch. Either would easily fit between the first and second knuckles of my index finger. Briefly two Common Green Darners patrolled the beach, but disappeared when the Tree Swallows arrived, diving and swooping.

Cool temperatures and rain on Thursday meant all quiet at Lake Cheston, but on Friday I spied one nymph (Stream Cruiser) on a rock and by Saturday, Blue Corporals were popping out on both sides of the beach shoreline, Forktails flitted in the grasses, and one nymph swam and parked himself on a grass.

Today, again, rain and cool temperatures resulted in no sightings. Just like spring, the Odonate season is slow, but my joy is great.

Blue Corporal

Female Fragile Forktail

Male Fragile Forktail