Pond Watch

We took a break after packing up our May decorations
and walked to Cave Springs

 for our weekly Pond Watch.
We were greeted by lots of Dragonflies.
This is a male Widow Skimmer.

I have yet to be able to identify

this Dragonfly for sure.

This is a new to us Dragonfly.
I do believe he is the Spangled Skimmer.

The female Eastern Pondhawk perched for her photograph!

This dragonfly is the Blue Dasher.

A male Eastern Pondhawk finally landed.

My husband saw a female Ebony Jewelwing.
I went to where he had seen her but she was gone.
I am so happy they are nearby.

We heard some splashing.
On the shore a Green Heron was fishing.
His crest was raised when we first spotted him.

We saw a Black Saddlebags but he never stopped flying.

Pond Watch

At last we were able to to get a photograph
of the male Twelve Spotted Skimmer.

The Yellow-Sided Skimmer has found a mate.
A Blue Dasher perched on a leaf.

A Pond Hawk perched on his log.

 We did not see any Green Darners today.
But we did see lots of Common White Tails, males and females.
They are very friendly dragonflies.

We saw a few butterflies.

The Angel Wing Question Marks
are lovely butterflies.

Hackberry Emperors are common in our woods.

We watched a Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

We keep trying to get photographs of the
 Blue-gray Gnat Catcher.
Maybe next week.

Pond Watch

After much debating we have decided to call
this dragonfly a Yellow-sided Skimmer.
It is the only yellow thorax and blue tail dragonfly
in my field guide.

We watched male Common Whitetails patrol

and female Common Whitetails laying eggs.

Many Bluets were perching 

and catching mosquitoes.

It is always delightful to see

 the damselflies mating.

Not as many butterflies this week.

This  Gray Hairstreak is fading.

The Snouts seem to like the wood mulch

that is on the trails.

We saw a few more turtles this week.

A large turtle was sunning

at the end of a the path near the water.

Yellow Flag is still in bloom.

I found an Orange Sulphur

 on the sidewalk while walking back home.

I picked her up by her shoulders and turned her upside down.

It is calming for a butterfly to turn upside down.

She seem stunned, as if she had just missed being hit by a car.

I found a sweet pincushion flower in the fig garden 

for her to recoup on.

She was fine in a few minutes.

It was 85 degrees with a northeasterly wind

 of 8-10 mph.

A gentle breeze for pond watch.

Pond Watch

An Eastern Pond Hawk dragonfly landed for just a minute.
He was patrolling in a wooded area.

I think this is a male Familiar Bluet damselfly At least 35 species of Bluets are known from North America, making identification
a challenge.

I think this damselfly is a female Familiar Bluet.

We saw a few butterflies while hiking.
The Question Mark made a lovely shadow!

Summer Azures were flying.

Skippers are also difficult to identify.
I think this is a Zabulon Skipper.

Invasive Honeysuckle covers much of the woods.
The bees and butterflies have adapted.
We saw one male Green Darner and lots of White Tailed
dragonflies male and female.

Pond Watch

It has been too many years since I last saw a
 Mourning Cloak butterfly. I was thrilled to see one today
when we went to Cave Springs.

There is a flower bed in the circle drive.
 We stopped to watch butterflies. Painted Ladies,

Red Admirals,

Common Buckeyes,

Orange Sulphurs and

Checkered Whites were out in abundance.

We did see a few dragonflies.
I took notes.