Camera Critters #283

From what I have read on the internet, this dragonfly, the Variegated Meadowhawk, or Sympetrum corruptum, has been on a migratory move.

I guess I was lucky to capture this possible female of the species as it stopped by Fireman’s Pond.



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Camera Critters #220

One of the many critters I have been waiting to photograph is the dragonfly.

Although I have seen several dragonflies, until a couple of days ago, I wasn’t able to get a picture of any.  But a trip to Fireman’s Pond changed all that.

I first noticed several darners patrolling the area.  As I watched and hoped one would land so I could create an image of it, this Eight-spotted Skimmer flew by and landed about six feet in front of me.



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Camera Critters #167

It has been a cool spring in the Pacific northwest.  We have yet to reach 80 degrees this year, and the last time the temperature was that high, was in mid October.

Because of the coolness, the dragonfly population has been slow to make an appearance. 

However, Tuesday (June 14), I made my fifth trip to the sewage ponds north of town and found my first-of-the-year dragonflies, along with some damselflies.

The damselflies, were the typical Tule Damselfly found in vast numbers at the ponds last year.  The dragonflies were also residents of the sewage ponds.  The first I saw were male and female Band-winged Meadowhawk.  Unfortunately, I was unable to image them.

Then, while photographing a juvenile Robin, I noticed another dragonfly land nearby.  Stepping across the rocks, I was able to get my first dragonfly photo of the year…a male Variegated Meadowhawk.

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Camera Critters #149

Western Meadowhawks are a common dragonfly in my area.  I guess they like the hot, dryness of the high desert as much as I do.

However, when I shot this guy this past summer, I didn’t know the hitchhiker on the tail end.  Looks like mites will latch on to anything.

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Camera Critter #81

A little more than a month ago, I was wandering one of my favorite places when I came across a spreadwing. I made a number of images of the odonata and when it flew away, thanked it and continued on my way.

That evening, I worked on post processing the image and when I finished, put it aside while I worked on the other images of the day. A couple of days later, I began trying to identify the critter.

My first thought on its ID was that of a Northern Spreadwing. I still believe the creature is a of that species. However, a week later, I was in the same area and again noticed a spreadwing flying about.

After making a number of images of it, I moved on and later that evening, processed the images. When I looked at the shots of the spreadwing, I thought, "It must be the same Northern Spreadwing."

But the other day while looking at the images again, I began to notice slight differences. In the second image, at the bottom of the main portion of the body, there is one large and one small dark spot. Those spots are not present on the body of the critter in the first image.

Looking closer at the two, I saw that along the portion of the leading edge of the wing, one of the bugs has a single vein producing two large long cells. The other bug has two veins, dividing that same portion of the wing into two large cells and one central smaller cell.

I knew then that I was looking at two different species of female spreadwings. One is the Northern Spreadwing and the other a Spotted Spreadwing.

Northern Spreadwing

Spotted Spreadwing

Had I not started to look closer at the two creatures, I might have never realized they were in fact, two different species. As much as I think I know, I am still learning every day.

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Camera Critter Meme #32

I've mentioned many times how much I enjoyed my time in Texas in April of 2007. I saw many critters I don't see in central Oregon and a few I do see in the high desert.

However, it was the damselflies of Texas which puzzled me the most. The prettier the odonata, the easier it was to identify. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to ID all of them. Below are some of the shots of the damselflies of Texas I was able to acquire.

Unidentified

Unidentified

Unidentified

Variable Dancer

Rambur's Forktail - female

Rambur's Forktail - male

Variable Dancer

Double-striped Bluet

Powdered Dancer

Variable Dancer

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