Yesterday was a cool gray (heavy overcast) day which usually means low activity for odonates. Nevertheless, I donned my green wellies, added a layer of woodsman’s cologne and headed down to the beaver swamp behind the house about 3:30 PM.
When I arrived a spent some time at the edge of the woods watching both the small patch of open water and the large patch of wet grassy marsh without seeing any activity. Eventually, I spied a dragonfly patrolling the open water. Deciding to brave the swamp proper, I headed off into the grassed and sedges lying between me and the open water.
As I moved though the waist- to chest-high grasses, I stirred up all sorts of insects that must have been just “hanging out” conserving energy. There were at least three species of damselflies present. I also stirred up two teneral meadow hawks (I only got photos of one though).
Lesson learned… observation form a distance tells only a small part of the story; one needs to immerse oneself in the environment to get the “complete” story.
There were also two different type of moths present — a small orange one and an even smaller cream colored one — no photos of the latter as they pretty much stayed down near the ground where the tangle of vegetation makes it impossible to get a clear line of sight.
After photographing critters among the grasses, I finally arrived at the edge of the open water where I spent some time watching two or three dragonflies (all the same species I think, but exactly which one, I can not say!) patrolling and hunting. Not once did I see any of them perch so there was no possibility of photographs.
As the afternoon wore on, the ode activity diminished. It was about six o’clock when I called it quits.
So here are the “keepers”:
[nggallery id=65]
The first image is one of those “accidents” where I pushed the shutter release just as the critter took off… most of the time I get a frame containing a wonderful study of a twig or blade of grass (which I promptly delete)! This time my timing luck was better. What do folks think? Is it interesting enough to keep?
Once again – incredible! Looks like North Country is the perfect fir for you – how many more days until retirement???
Comment by Just Joe — 9 July 2011 @ 6:53 PM
The lucky shot is the most interesting. Please keep it!
Comment by Abbey — 11 July 2011 @ 6:36 PM