Tag Archives: Insect

Early Dragonfly

March 29, 2020 Ellen Jennings 9 Comments

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

Insects

Pearl Crescent Butterfly

March 29, 2020 Ellen Jennings 4 Comments

I’ve used the ButterfliesandMoths.org website to help identify this butterfly where the Pearl Crescent description starts off:

Identification: Quite variable.

The other factors of size (Wing Span: 1 1/4 – 1 3/4 inches (3.2 – 4.5 cm), habitat and range seem to fit, so I give this as a probably ID.

I regret that I didn’t notice the water drops on the blade of grass at the time and get a better composition. However, I had just narrowly avoided stepping on a large black snake and I wasn’t keen on moving into the tall grass.

March 26, 2020
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC

Insects

Black Swallowtail Butterfly on Thistle

March 26, 2020 Ellen Jennings 4 Comments

The four or five Swallowtails flitting around these thistle plants flew off when I drove by. I had room to stop, walked back and waited.

After a few minutes one returned and continued probing the thistle.

These butterflies were competing with some other flying insects, the tail end of one can be seen here sticking up out of the flower.

Insects

Dragonfly Season Begins

March 19, 2020 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

And there it was, hovering right in front of me over the pond. My shutter speed was only 1/800 but I took it any way as this was the first dragonfly I’ve seen this year. He stayed around a bit but my subsequent efforts at a higher speed weren’t as good as this one.

Nearby a second dragonfly, perhaps an Eastern Pondhawk, kept returning to this log, looking like he’s not quite ready for action.

With spring just beginning there will be ample opportunity for some better images of these curious creatures.

Just to round out the scene, here’s the log with the dragonfly about 2/3 of the way back.

March 18, 2020

Nature

Wintertime Cloudless Sulfur

February 3, 2020 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

We had a glorious, if not quite right for the middle of winter, weather day today. It was sunny and temps were in the low 70s (21C). I spotted several Cloudless Sulfur butterflies zipping around the swamp this afternoon.

Brightly colored Camellias, which bloom all winter here, were popular feeding spots.

This nearly gone by Jonquil didn’t look like much but the butterfly spent some time working it over.

This dandelion bloom hardly made it through the fallen leaves, making a perfect low spot for the butterfly.

Flowers, Insects

Pink Rose and Bee

December 4, 2019 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

In downtown Charleston, SC on the last day of November many of the gardens had blooming roses despite the recent overnight freezing temps.

One lone bee was industriously working this large blossom.

There are several more buds in waiting to occupy the bee if they and he survive this week’s chill.

Insects

Late Season Gulf Fritillary

November 27, 2019 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

We had frost Sunday and Monday night so I was surprised to see a Gulf Fritillary out and about today.

It was warmer, but windy, and he was working hard to stay on the flowers at the top of the Lantana.

Insects

Late Season Dragonflies

November 3, 2019 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

I spotted these Dragonflies over a week ago, perching on the edge of a pond, then taking forays out over the water and returning.

The weather has taken a much cooler turn in the last few days and we’ll be flirting with frost at the end of the week. These may have been the last of the season.

Insects

Brown Dragonfly

October 27, 2019 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

On our photography tour at the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center I saw a few dragonflies, that mostly eluded me as they fed at high speed.

This one took a rest on a nicely placed reed. Just as I was getting in place with a good angle for the background I felt a sharp bite on my leg. Ants! Needless to say that was the end of those pictures as I spent five minutes getting the little buggers off me and out of my shoes.

Flowers, Insects

Wildflowers and Guests

October 19, 2019 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

South Carolina’s Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center is composed of 31 square miles on two barrier islands and include some open fields where these wildflowers were blooming earlier this month.

The field was surrounded by a wet ditch so I didn’t get real close, but a few plants were growing on edge of the dirt roadway.

It was very breezy that day and only a few tenacious insects were flying around. This was good for keeping mosquitoes away but not so good for photographing bouncing blossoms.

An unknown caterpillar was munching his way to the top of this plant.