With bonus Great Blue Heron hunting sequence!
There's a very small pond near my home, covered with water lilies in season, dragonflies flying around the edges. At first glance, it doesn't seem like much. But a few weeks ago I walked to its edges for the first time. What I found was unexpected beauty.
Male Blue Dasher dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis)
A bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana). I was stalking dragonflies with my camera, sitting as still as possible at the edge of the pond when I heard a gentle sploosh. I looked left and saw this friendly face.
It's a miniature ecosystem, my little pond; one where dragonflies are near the top of the food chain, and frogs and turtles are apex predators.
I've had pretty good luck capturing the frogs in the pond. Here's another one, lurking behind the grass at pond's edge. The turtles are another story. I see them, but only as they disappear back under the surface.
I guess it works as abstract art; I've named it "Where The Turtle Was".
The water lily pads along the edge of the pond are ground zero for the life I found. As we'll see they play host to all manner of activities, acting as hiding places, courting locations and egg depositories.
Damselfly and unidentified bug enjoying the beauty of the water lily flowers.
The pond is less than 100 feet across, but I've been astonished at the biodiversity to be found here. I've found three different species of dragonflies alone, and even more kinds of damselflies.
The first creature that caught my eye was a colorful Blue Dasher; these are the most common species of dragonfly at my pond.
A Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) dragonfly (there's another above the fold). Notice the characteristic way this dragonfly folds its wings forward when at rest.
The same day I found what I thought was a different species of dragonfly. However, in identifying my finds I learned that dragonflies, like birds often have much more dramatic coloration in the males.
Female Blue Dasher: not blue at all! Notice again the characteristic wing position.
I found this Blue Dasher female hovering above the pond. Periodically she'd dip her torso down to lay eggs on the leaf below (the white spots right beneath her). Unfortunately, to misquote Thomas Hobbes the life of dragonflies is "solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short." As she hovered there, I heard another sploosh and, like a flash, she was gone. I was right in the area where I'd seen the first bullfrog pictured above.
Then, a smaller brown dragonfly with a friendly face caught my eye...
Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera) dragonfly. This is a male; until yesterday, the draft of this caption read "I've never seen a female". Females of many dragonfly species are elusive; they don't hang around at the edges of the pond. But then, yesterday afternoon...
Female Eastern Amberwing - the only shot I got of her before she flew off.
There's one more species of dragonfly at the pond, much larger than the other two, but only represented as far as I can tell by a lone couple. I've seen the female once, hovering over the pond laying her eggs while the male supervised. She's a brown color.
Male Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) dragonfly
Males of most species are fairly easy to photograph: They have a preferred spot to survey their territory. If you startle one and he flies off, you can just plant yourself in position; he'll be back, to the same spot and in virtually the same position. If you spot a female, however, get your shot now...when she's gone, she's gone.
There are a few species, however, where the males are very hard to get. They fly their territory almost constantly, and rarely light for more than an instant.
Prince Baskettail (Epitheca princeps). I saw this dragonfly for the first time just this afternoon. I watched him fly for nearly an hour, waiting for him to light; he never did.
Next, I spotted a stunning silver damselfly. I've not located a really good source for damselfly identification. If you know one, please let me know in the comments.
A silver damselfly. The head shape and very thin body profile distinguish damselflies (Order Odonata, Suborder Zygoptera) from dragonflies (Suborder Anisoptera).
Dragonflies and damselflies are carnivores; they eat small insects for the most part, though some dragonflies will eat damselflies and one species of dragonfly, the Dragonhunter, will prey on other dragonflies.
Eastern Forktail (Ischnura verticalis) damselfly with dinner.
A few other damselflies seen at the pond:
Blue Fronted Dancer (Argia apicalis)
And now, let's say goodbye to my little pond, and see some of the dragonflies and damselflies I've met this long holiday weekend.
Occoquan National Wildlife Refuge:
Great Spreadwing damselfly (Archilestes grandis)
Male Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta) dragonfly
Female Slaty Skimmer (tentative ID)
Female Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) dragonfly. I never saw a male, which is unusual. Typically it's the females who are elusive.
Juvenile male Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia). I was so excited when I saw this dragonfly, thinking I'd spotted a female. However, the females have a distinctly different wing pattern. My book did say, however, that juvenile males have the same body type as females but with the male wing pattern. What a let-down.
But I did see pink water lilies. Had never seen such a thing before.
Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal Towpath:
Pictured below are an adult male, female and juvenile male Widow Skimmer. Notice that the juvenile has body marking similar to the female (he's just starting to turn white) but wings like the mature male.
Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) mature male
Widow Skimmer female
Widow Skimmer juvenile male
Male Dragonhunter (Hagenius brevistylus). This species preys on other dragonfly species (as well as smaller insects).
Female Dragonhunter. I loved her brilliant green eyes.
We were actually walking the towpath to reach the Diersson Wildlife Management Area, a small 40 acre preserve operated by the state of Maryland; the public can only get there via the towpath. No dragonflies, but a set of off-topic bonus shots.
A Heron Tale
On the lookout
Acquiring Target
Prepare to strike
Gotcha!
Crayfish are so tasty!
How do I open this thing, anyway?
I hope you've learned a little, and enjoyed the photos along the way. If you liked this diary, you might also enjoy the butterflies in my previous diary Keep an eye out for bear.