Late yesterday afternoon I walked the half-mile to Castor Lane (the road through the Harris Center Chenoa property) to look for odes. The temperature was in the upper 70s F and the skies were partly cloudy.
Heading down Castor Lane, the first ode I spotted was a female common pondhawk in the old log yard. I was able to make two exposures (see the first photo) before it flew off. As I went to stand I flushed two other odes (a spangled skimmer and a male common pondhawk) that had been perched within a couple of feet of where I was kneeling.
This time of year, downstream of the culvert draining the beaver-made wetland is usually a good spot for ebony jewelwings. Their preferred habitat is “shallow forested streams”, a description that fits this site exactly. This trip there were a dozen or two individuals of both sexes present, with females in the majority. Upstream of the culvert, there were a few spreadwings down at water level amongst the grasses and a few slaty skimmers, mostly on the wing patrolling the edge of the pond.
After about two hours, the mosquitoes began to become irksome and I headed home slapping all the way.
Hi Frank. Great to be connected to your Odes photos again. I found your posts going to the “other” folder and discovered your amazing photos again. Still amazing to me the clarity of the photos. I just can’t get mine to come out that sharp. Have to zoom in on the last abdominal segment to get a shot at an ID on the male spreadwing. Hope you are well. Would love to chase an American Rubyspot someday.