Oh, the Irony

More than two hours at the lake, almost 500 pictures including a number of 4K burst photos. 

Joy . . . and frustration. 

Learning a new camera is such hard work. 

Blue Corporal emerging

Took the best picture with the old one, of course.

Gus waits patiently for his family to walk around the lake.

 Back to the 403-page user's manual. 

(Now I need a rainy day, dadgummit!)

Other Selves

Watch a dragonfly emergence, and it's easy to understand why the insect is a symbol of metamorphosis and transformation:

it leaves its other selves behind in the process of becoming its final self.

Lancet Clubtail emergence

The Fittest (while wishing I still had the rental camera with macro lens)

Last year, when I first saw a dragonfly exuvia (think "shell" or discarded "skin") on a daisy about fifteen feet from the water, I was surprised.

Today I was astonished.

At least twenty feet from the water -- over mud and dirt and stones and rocks, up a hill, and under a tree -- a Common Baskettail scuttled and then latched onto a grass stem to begin the arduous, tenuous task of becoming an adult.

No wonder, I thought, these insects have lived for millions of years, and I watched, and watched, and watched.

the dragonfly is below the evergreen in the shade

 the dragonfly is in the first row of grass below the tree

Call in the Help

I
My first 2015 Common Baskettail disaster-in-the-making. As I told my friend C while strolling around the lake, Baskettails experience more emergence failures (I don't know why) that any other Odonate I see.

Witness.

I apologize for the orientation.
I cannot figure out how to re-orient the video, alas.

There was nothing I could do. Nothing. I hope someone will have eaten him by tomorrow morning.

II
My friend J had a hip replaced, so my small contribution consists of kitty litter pan duty (and a clean sweep of the porch while I'm at it). She loves cats as much as I (and has more than twice my number), so it's no big deal. 

"How can I repay you?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it. I'll need help some day," I said.

III
I just hope it won't be as awful as what the Baskettail suffered today.

Easter Emergence

Scenes from a Springtime Darner's emergence from water to land and air and into its final form: a laborsome, dangerous, and fascinating process.

Lake Cheston ABCedarian Day 10: K

K for Knowledge

A slow walk around the lake today finally offered one reward: an emerging Springtime Darner (Basieaeshna janata). Unlike last year, and the year before, and the year before, and the year before, I knew its name and sex, and I knew how to look for one. Knowledge is power.