On March 19, 2023 I finally got to see my first Common Baskettail dragonfly, Epitheca cynosura, as well as my first Blue Corporal, Ladona deplanata. To be honest, I’ve probably seen them in the past but simply hadn’t been able to identify them. So I’m really thrilled to see them.
Spring is certainly here, that’s for sure. Everything is just covered with pollen, including the dragonflies and damselflies as well as every surface including inside my house. The daffodils have almost finished blooming and the Cherokee rose, Rosa laevigata, is blooming like crazy.
Everywhere I look there are Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Polioptila caerulea, and there is a good likelihood that most of them hatched around here because last August there was a family group of 2 adults with 4 immatures bouncing around our garden. I really hope they continue to do so well this year. Two days ago I saw 3 Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers hanging together in the woods just beyond our backyard fence. Perhaps they are members of that family group from last year!
The Blue Corporal dragonfly, Ladona deplanata, turned out to be easier to identify than the baskettails since it had paired white and black shoulder stripes on each shoulder. I was lucky enough to snap a photo just as it launched itself at a small gnat. The gnat isn’t in focus but you can see it to the right of the dragonfly, just a bit in front of the leading wing tip. I believe the dragonfly won this encounter because I saw it munching on something a short while later although its snack didn’t last too long.
The Common Baskettails, Epitheca cynosura, were more difficult to identify because I kept seeing baskettails (I knew at least that they were baskettails) that had different amounts of black at the base of their hind wings.
All of the baskettails above are Common Baskettails, despite the differences in the size of the dark area at the base of the hind wing. If you look at the cerci, however, you’ll have your confirmation that they are all Common Baskettails since the cerci’s bend is about 2/3 of the way towards the tip instead of closer to the end of the abdomen as is the case with the Slender Baskettail. And the Mantled Baskettail has a dark area at the base of the hind wing that extends all the way to the nodus and back to the wing margin (generally speaking) and even on the dragonfly shown above with the largest dark spots, the spots end way before the nodus (the bend in the wing).
There were probably 5 or 6 Common Baskettails in a small clearing in the woods, as well as 2 Blue Corporals. I’m hoping to see other dragonflies soon from the Emerald Family and other families of dragonflies. And of course, more damselflies please.
Even though I hate hot weather, I’m still excited that spring is here and things are “happening.” Migration is underway. Our first Ruby-throated Hummingbirds tend to show up on March 31 each year so I’m looking forward to their return. They herald the real start of the bird migration and the rest of the birds soon follow. I’m renewing the dirt in my hummingbird raised bed and intend on planting some new flowers for them. And hopefully the buddleia will do well this year and provide them with plenty of flowers. It’s usually a huge magnet for hummingbirds and insects.
Spring has sprung,
The grass has riz,
I wonder what that white stuff is?
Not so funny this morning when I stepped outside and there actually were a few tiny flakes of snow! But it is definitely spring here with more to come!
