The Dragonhunter

 


I was walking along the banks of Beaver Creek at Kirby Preserve and saw something perched in some brush at the creek's edge. Pausing before I approached too close, I snapped a few shots and realized that it was a Dragonhunter.....a dragonfly that I'd been actively seeking for a couple of years. 
    This huge dragonfly (3.5 inches long) feeds on insects, including other dragonflies...thus the name. 
    Since that time, I've found several Dragonhunters and have been fortunate to be able to get some images of them. Most of them have been at Kirby Preserve, but a couple were at the Snyder Park Arboretum.
    Yesterday, Gracie and I were walking along Beaver Creek in about the same location where I saw my first Dragonhunter. I large dragonfly popped up from the brush and perched a short distance away....it was another Dragonhunter.
    Surprisingly cooperative, it allowed me to approach and shoot many (way too many) images. I shot several in-camera stacked focus-bracketed images in order to get maximum depth of field for this big dragon.
    In the images below, you'll note differences in the backgrounds. When shooting a long telephoto lens (I was shooting the Olympus Zuiko 100-400mm at 400mm) the angle of view is quite narrow. Because of the narrow angle, moving only a few inches one way or another can markedly vary the background. 

Cedar Bog Visit

 It's starting to feel like fall at Cedar Bog. The meadows are filling with colors...the vivid purples and yellows of early autumn. 

Cedar Bog Meadow

Clamp-Tipped Emerald Dragonfly

Clamp-Tipped Emerald Dragonfly

Five-Lined Skink

Somebody lost a skin....

One of the Cuckoo Bees

Meadowhawk

Monarch Butterfly

Red-Spotted Purple Butterfly

Red-Spotted Purple Butterfly

Full Sturgeon Moon

The Full Sturgeon Moon was this weekend, and we caught some lovely views. 
The first views were taken at the CJ Brown Reservoir Visitor's Center Point on Sunday evening. 

These shots were taken from our upstairs windows on Friday evening. 
 

Summer Evening at the CJ Brown Beach

 A few snaps from the CJ Brown Beach last evening. 
Our Jack Russell mix, Gracie loves her evenings on the beach. 

Heatwave Relief!

Yesterday was a lovely day for walkng....Gracie and I walked at the CJ Brown Prairieview area, Kirby Preserve and Old Reid.
Here's a few of our sights.

Twin fawns enjoying the lovely day at CJ Brown

 Silvery Checkerspot Butterflies

       Cabbage White Butterfly                                      Siver Spotted Skipper                

Black Swallowtail                                                         Viceroy            

Everybody obelisk!

Everybody obelisk! Dragonflies utilize a posture called obelisking to prevent overheating during our summer heatwave. By pointing their abdomens straight upward, they minimize the amount of body surface area absorbing the sun's rays. A few snaps from these hot days. Names in captions.

White-Faced Meadowhawk                                   Blue Dasher 

    

Elfin Skimmer (male)                                            Elfin Skimmer (female)

Elfin Skimmer (male)                                          Eastern Pondhawk   

Blue Dasher                                        Eastern Amberwing

Cicada Time!

 Cicada emerging a few nights ago. These guys will soon fill the summer days with sound. As they emerge, I'm reminded of the colors of an intricate enameled brooch. This is not the "periodic cicada" that emerges every 17 years.... it's the "annual" cicada.... meaning it appears every summer. Even so, this one still lives underground in its nymph stage for 2-5 years, emerging as an adult and then spending only a few weeks mating and laying eggs before dying.

A Unique Micrathena Spider

 Yesterday, while exploring George Rogers Clark Park, I saw and photographed a very unique Spined Micrathena Spider. These spiders are normally black and white in various patterns. This one was a vivid blueberry color. 

A Bold Jumping Spider Family

 A female Bold Jumping Spider made her nest and laid her eggs under our deck railing. It's been fun watching her raise her brood of spiderlings. "
If I get too close, she doesn't hesitate to "throw hands" until I back off. Such a good momma. 

Momma Bold Jumping Spider under the deck railing

The spiderlings 

Momma and spiderlings. They are starting to explore.

Momma threatening to "throw hands" if I get too close.

A spiderling

Momma close-up

Momma feasting on a Lacewing

American White Pelicans

 Let's talk Pelicans....they put on a real show over the weekend along Lake Erie! We love watching their antics as they use their huge bills to slap and chomp at each other. The American White Pelican is a large aquatic soaring bird. It breeds in interior North America, moving south and to the coasts, as far as Costa Rica, in winter. In recent years, their nesting territory has been expanding, particularly into the Great Lakes region. They have been observed nesting in areas previously not considered part of their breeding range, like Lake Erie in Ohio. This expansion is likely due to several factors, including the availability of suitable nesting islands and changing environmental conditions. While these were observed along Lake Erie, there's an almost year-round population now at Grand Lake St. Mary's in central Ohio. Within driving distance for a nice daytrip! Here's some looks from the Magee Marsh Estuary trail on Monday morning.