I have seen dragonflies much earlier this year than the last few. Last year’s post Dragonfly, First of the Season was May 9th. In the comments of that post fellow blogger and dragonfly enthusiast Mike Powell (https://michaelqpowell.com/) thought that insect “looks to be a female Eastern Pondhawk ” and I am thinking this one might be also.
Several of them were flitting ahead of me on a wooded path and I was pleased to get the image of this one hanging onto a blade of grass.
Boynton Trail, Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
March 26, 2020
Nice shot, Ellen. I am still waiting for my first dragonfly of the season. That indeed looks to me to be a young male Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis), judging from the blue/green coloration and the elongated white cerci (the parts at the very tip of the addomen, i.e. the “tail”). Adult males are a more uniform blue in color and females are green with black stripes on the abdomen. For more info on the Eastern Pondhawk, check out this page from the Dragonflies of Northern Virginia website. http://dragonfliesnva.com/My%20Documents/KevinPDF/pdf/identify/species/EasternPondhawk-FINAL.pdf
Mike, you may have created a monster ! Every few steps down this marsh trail Ellen was focusing on a Dragonfly… even with a flock of Wood Storks in plain sight LOL.
What great news! Dragonflies are cool in their own ways. Once she begins to recognize the different species, she will be able to figure out which ones are less common and therefore give greater attention to some of them.
😁
Oh yes…and make me stop in my tracks as I stalk my birds LOL.
Truth is we often hit a marsh and go in different directions after a bit 🙂
Thanks, Mike. You can’t be too far off, although with the weather’s ups and downs, who knows what nature will bring. We are feeling like summer the last few days up to 90, but that is coming to an end. Just spring would be ok for a bit.
Thanks for the link, I will check it out.
I actually saw a couple of dragonflies today but was not able to get a shot. Unfortunately the Governor of Virginia has just issued an order saying we can only leave home for essential business. Searching for dragonflies, I’m afraid, doesn’t qualify as “essential.” The are also reminding folks that a violation counts as a misdemeanor, punishable by up to $2500 in fines and a year in prison. Yikes!
Well you’ll know they are out there when these orders are rescinded. Scary times, for sure. Here access to all public water, boat ramps, beaches is closed as of today. Our governor was holding out, sure that the populace would do the right thing; evidently he was wrong.
Our governor said he was prompted in part by what he had seen this past weekend–to many people in close proximity at parks and beaches. It messes with my normal routine, but I will comply with the rules as well as I can.
All we can do, Mike.
What a beauty!