dragonfly

All posts tagged dragonfly

Sunday at Schoepfle

Posted by Photonstopper on June 27, 2011
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
Photo: Tiny Eastern Amberwing red dragonfly rests on a bright green leaf. Photo by James Guilford.

A tiny Eastern Amberwing dragonfly rests on a bright green leaf.

Don’t worry, I’m not sure how to pronounce it either! I believe it’s “Show-fel” but hesitate to say the name out loud. What I can say is that it’s one of the gems of Northeastern Ohio parks. Located in Lorain County and part of the parks system there, Schoepfle features large formal gardens, paved and earthen walking trails, ponds and a river, along with woodlands to explore. On a whim we took off Sunday morning and paid a return visit to the place spending an unusual and welcome time quietly watching and photographing the grounds and, in my case in particular, the dragonflies that flit around the ponds. I saw and photographed several varieties. We saw many thin and tiny blue-headed damselflies in the act of mating! Dragonfly copulation is an interesting hook-up (literally) and you can read about it elsewhere. At any rate I’m sorry to report that many of my photos did not live up to my expectations — and I wasn’t seeking dragonfly porn but beauty shots of the various gossamer-winged creatures. She Who Must Be Obeyed often bemoans her humble all-in-one pocketable digital camera but yesterday managed to out-do my digital SLR and its top-of-the-line close-focus telephoto. It’s a great little camera she’s got so I wasn’t too surprised. I’ll just have to learn from my mistakes and try again… maybe today!

A very good day away

Posted by Photonstopper on June 19, 2011
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 2 Comments
Photo: Halloween Pennant dragonfly. Photo by James Guilford.

Dragonfly Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina)

We got around early today and set off for what we hoped would be a “day to ourselves” — a relaxing time away from work and worry for the two of us. The journey was a good one. We visited the Carlisle Reservation of Lorain Metroparks and had a fine (if warm) hike along a meadow trail. I also got my first look at the John Nielsen Observatory there; it’s a place built in cooperation with amateur astronomers to serve their needs and those of Parks’ star party guests and looks to be in an excellent location. I’m still gathering observatory design ideas for possible future developments. It was getting on towards lunch time when we left Carlisle so we headed to nearby Oberlin. We were surprised and pleased by stunning new business developments there including a fresh new building that features condominiums up and businesses down. Looking at the new development, right off the town square, made us feel as if we were in some trendy section of a much larger city. After good lunch at the newish Aladdin’s Eatery, we began a loop towards home with a planned stop at the Caley Reservation nature preserve of Lorain Metroparks. Almost exactly two years ago we visited Caley and were delighted by the presence of large numbers and a wide variety of dragonflies. This year we saw not so many of the little beasties but I noticed two that were unfamiliar: one had black wings with blue tips and the other was decorated in brown and red-brown colors. The former escaped un-photographed. The latter posed nicely and several times for a number of shots. The heat, humidity, and blood-loving insects were setting in so we stayed not long. A thunderstorm to the south added dark drama to the sky. It was a very good day away.

Lake-to-Lake Labor Day

Posted by Photonstopper on September 6, 2010
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 7 Comments

It is Labor Day. We awoke to chilly temperatures and skies that turned from partly cloudy to overcast as we ate breakfast. She Who Must Be Obeyed suggested we check out the Cleveland Metroparks’ Lake-to-Lake Trail. The trail, which we had never visited, runs along the eastern edge of the Berea area and into Middleburg Heights.

Photo: Two girls riding the "dragonfly bridge" on the Lake-to-Lake Trail. Photo by James Guilford.

One of the uniquely decorated wooden deck bridges on the Lake-to-Lake Trail, this one features metal cutouts of dragonflies, each identified with a plaque mounted to its supporting post.

We were delighted with the experience, though both a bit sore upon return. Putting in a total of 5.4 miles, we covered most of the trail from Lake Isaac north to Lake Abram and back with a very pleasant stop at an Aladdin’s Eatery (a lovely advantage of suburban trail hiking) for lunch.

We stopped many times along the way to photograph plants, flowers, and wildlife including a very cooperative Green Frog and red dragonfly (Ruby Meadowhawk?), residents of a tiny pond area. The trail is mostly asphalt paved with an extensive system of wooden boardwalks and bridges to carry visitors over wet areas.

Photo: Green frog poses for photographers from its pond. Photo by James Guilford.

A Green Frog watches warily but allowed surprisingly close encounters by two photographers and their macro-focusing cameras.

It was exciting and reassuring to see, from the trail, large expanses of marsh habitat undeveloped and preserved as natural areas in suburban Cleveland. And what a marvelous resource for area residents. Like us!

Photo: Red dragonfly poses on bleached wood. Photo by James Guilford

A red dragonfly (possibly a Ruby Meadowhawk) sat on a bleached wood railing as if posing for its portrait. The beautiful insect allowed two of us to make close approaches with cameras before flitting off into the reeds of a nearby wetland.

Last dragonfly

Posted by Photonstopper on August 28, 2010
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 4 Comments
Last Dragonfly? #0479
Last Dragonfly? #0479

Driving home Thursday evening I stopped at the wetland area (Baldwin Lake) in Berea and unpacked my camera. I'd seen a Great Blue Heron there but couldn't get close enough to photograph the bird. While standing on the bank of the shallow stream, however, I watched a lone dragonfly flitting about. The insect would occasionally stop on a rock near me. I would draw near, camera at the ready, but the shy dragonfly would wing off to another location eluding most of my photo efforts. Looking around I realized there were no other dragonflies within my sight, no others to join this one in their aerial mating dance. It seemed to be the summer's last dragonfly.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

New places, hot days

Posted by Photonstopper on July 6, 2010
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

On our way home from shopping the morning of July 3, She suggested we check out a place in the Summit Metro Parks called Furnace Run. We'd seen the sign at its entry but had never stopped to explore the park. As it turned out, it offers two miles of good foot trails and a fine little pond. The pond, of course, is home to turtles, frogs, dragonflies, and at least one big, black snake! We hiked only one of the two loop trails before the heat began to get to us, then headed for home.

Furnace Run Dragonfly #4924
Furnace Run Dragonfly #4924

We spent the morning July 4 exploring a relatively new part of the Cleveland Metroparks System. The West Creek Reservation was once a dumping ground for adults and a place of exploration and mischief for youngsters. When a former mayor of Parma (a suburb of Cleveland) threatened to make the "idle land" into a golf course, neighbors and preservationists banded together. A vote was taken. The natural area was saved. After many years of meetings and work the land of woods and waters has been introduced as a place city residents can quickly reach to enjoy for its natural beauty.

Morning Thistle #1468
Morning Thistle #1468

We didn't stay all morning in the West Creek Reservation –the trail system is short, unmarked, and being developed– but thought we wanted a bit more hiking. So we headed south to the Hinckley Reservation and one of our favorite hikes — around the lake. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed that long hike, but add that to the West Creek walk and factor in the day's rapidly building heat and humidity and we'd pretty much had it by the time we got back to the car. In fact, I think I suffered a bit of a relapse of my cold/flu/whatever and felt bad all evening.

Still, in all, it was great visiting new places and old, even on hot days.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Plumbing and dragonflies

Posted by Photonstopper on July 19, 2009
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

A lazy Sunday started off with a call from mother-in-law about a plumbing problem. She Who Must Be Obeyed tried to sort it out but the phone company then had problems connecting calls to mother's Area Code! Fortunately brother-in-law was able to pop over to his mom's and sort it out. Still, looks like more work for SWMBO lining up a plumber for repairs. Gad! Not a good way to start off the day.

Stealth Dragonfly
Stealth Dragonfly

After an otherwise easy morning we finally settled on a visit to the Medina County Park System's Alderfer-Oenslager Wildlife Sanctuary — really a park with a strong environmental theme. My "dragonfly summer" continued with activity there: numerous types of dragonfly zipping about. One insect in particular caught our eyes, though with some difficulty on our part. Not only were the dragonfly's wings near fully transparent, its body is in the same range of green as the reeds and other plants that line the pond it patrols. Standing mere inches from the beasie, it took effort to rediscover its location if we looked away for a moment. It is apparently an Eastern Pondhawk. I really must return there before dragonfly season ends!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

A little respite

Posted by Photonstopper on June 26, 2009
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

As a pleasant diversion (and out of curiosity) I left early for work Wednesday morning and made a trip out to Letha House Park in Medina County, the site of the Cuyahoga Astronomical Association's observatory. I wanted to see what progress had been made on the new driveway and parking lot for the park. I also figured I could enjoy a little nature walk around the pond and wetland area there, a little respite before the workday –and night– began. There was no progress on the lot except that a giant digging machine had been removed. The day was sunny and surprisingly hot. Walking slowly, dressed in shorts and tee shirt, I sweated as I moved along the path to the wildlife area. Dragonflies (yes, again) were everywhere so naturally I started shooting photos of them.

Dragonfly Diamonds
Dragonfly Diamonds

I also encountered a bird that flitted from perch to perch obviously trying to evade me but not wanting to go very far. I figured it was a mother and didn't want to tip me off about the location of her nest. Later I was able to confirm that it was a female red-winged blackbird. This particular bird was holding an insect in her beak, obviously a meal for her offspring, as I photographed her watching me.

Redwing Mother
Redwing Mother

Time passed all too quickly and it was time for me to go. Despite the heat I could have spent hours more there watching the bugs and the birds. Duty called, however, so I packed up the camera gear and headed north. Windows down to help me dry off, I piloted the thrifty Insight cross-country pushing the gas mileage to nearly 54 MPG as I went. Lunch at Chipotle, then to the office. A fine way to start the pre-work day.

Note: At home that night I found my camera no longer wished to talk to my PC. Haven't yet fixed it but I can do what many others do… offload the photos from Compact Flash using a media reader.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Lunchtime expedition

Posted by Photonstopper on June 20, 2009
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , . 2 Comments
Smile Pretty!
Smile Pretty!

Today was a work day for me and, as I sometimes do to get some stress relief, I paid a brief lunch time visit to the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center in nearby Bay Village, Ohio. It seems like this is my "Dragonfly Summer" as I took advantage of several opportunities to photograph the insects. The creature pictured above posed at the end of a twig anchored in the Center's lovely water feature. This was a "super-macro" shot, not telephoto, so the camera lens was mere inches from the subject. Yes, it almost appears to be smiling for the camera! The 15-minute break helped me a great deal.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Dragonfly summer

Posted by Photonstopper on June 14, 2009
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment
Dragonfly Summer
Dragonfly Summer

Today we ran clean across Medina and Lorain Counties in the Insight to check out a far-flung, undeveloped natural area in the Lorain Metroparks System. The area was a bit too undeveloped and buggy for Her taste, so after a short time we headed back in the general direction we came to pay a visit to the Caley Reservation –a National Wildlife Area– which we have explored from time to time. When we first visited there some years ago, Caley was just a dry pit dug out by bulldozers in a former farm field. Today the pit is a lake surrounded by prairie grass. A smaller pond lies nearby. As we strolled around we became fascinated by the many dragonflies flitting about. Some were good enough to stop and pose for photos. Seen here (above) is just one example; it's a female Widow Skimmer. I've also got a nice portrait of a red dragonfly — a Calico Pennant (seen below). Technically it won't be summer for another week but, as we hiked around the pond and lake at the Lorain Metroparks' Caley Reservation, dragonflies were all around, it felt like a warm summer afternoon, and I keep humming the Michael Franks song, "Dragonfly Summer." It was a good day.

Dragonfly Red
Dragonfly Red

Read and post comments | Send to a friend