More yard odonates

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There was another hard-to-identify (for me) damsel in the yard yesterday evening. It and a Fragile Forktail seemed to be settling in for the night in the patch of switchgrass in the northeast corner of the backyard. I’m guessing that it was a Familiar Bluet. According to Rosche, Semroc, and Gilbert (Dragonflies and Damselflies of Northeast Ohio, 2nd ed.),

The dorsal surface of the female’s abdomen is mostly black. The segment joints at the bases of S3–S8 are nearly ringed with pale coloration. These rings, coupled with the pale areas of the lateral surface, usually give the impression of dark, torpedo-like designs.

This damselfly has the pale rings, and on S7 a perfect torpedo is visible (although not so much so in the thumbnail).

  • Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile)—I think · July 14, 2010 · Backyard

Because of unwellness and resulting lack of sleep last night, I wasn’t up until 7:30 this morning and missed my usual early prowl around the garden. It was already 82° when I got up and 100° around 30 minutes ago—unpleasant.

Yard odonates

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I’ve begun taking a closer look at various insects that visit the yard and have been paying special attention to the dragonflies and damselflies. There has been a minimum of four species of dragonfly, including the saddlebags that fly overhead, and four of damselfly in the backyard.

At least four Fragile Forktails have been flying in the garden the past two days. These tiny beauties are surprisingly easy to see when you’re looking for them. The most exciting visitor so far has been a Citrine Forktail, which I’m told is rare in the Saint Louis area.

I haven’t yet uploaded the photo of the female Common Whitetail.

Damsels

  • Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile)—I think · July 14, 2010 · Backyard
  • Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile)—I think · July 14, 2010 · Backyard
  • Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) · July 19, 2008 · Backyard on aster

Dragons

  • Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) · June 19, 2010 · Backyard
  • Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) · June 19, 2010 · Backyard
  • Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) · June 21, 2010 · Backyard

Great Backyard Bird Count 2010, day 1

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I’m pleased to find that my energy and enthusiam for the things I like in life are returning now that I’m retired.

Yesterday morning after physical therapy (which I’m undergoing after having managed to injure the rotator cuff on my pitching arm), I went to Tower Grove Park, where I counted on the east side, just short of the central circle.

Within a few minutes of beginning I saw an accipiter, which I spent at least fifteen minutes on, trying to decide whether it was a Cooper’s or a Sharp-shinned. This was a small hawk, not much bigger than a kestrel (I exaggerate, but only slightly). If it was a Coopers’s, it was surely a male. Its nape looked pale, to me; I didn’t see clearly whether or not its hackles were raised.

It wasn’t a spectacular count; only 19 species. I was in the park from 9:00 to 10:40.

Tufted Titmice were absent until the end of the count, when I saw several. The last bird of the morning was a Hairy Woodpecker.

Here’s the list:

  1. Accipiter sp. (probable Cooper’s Hawk): 1
  2. Mourning Dove: 2
  3. Red-headed Woodpecker: 1
  4. Red-bellied Woodpecker: 2
  5. Downy Woodpecker: 2
  6. Hairy Woodpecker: 1
  7. Northern Flicker: 2
  8. Blue Jay: 2
  9. Tufted Titmouse: 3
  10. Carolina Chickadee: 2
  11. White-breasted Nuthatch: 2
  12. American Robin: 50
  13. European Starling: 8
  14. Northern Cardinal: 7
  15. Dark-eyed Junco: 20
  16. Brown-headed Cowbird: 1
  17. Red-winged Blackbird: 10
  18. House Finch: 2
  19. American Goldfinch: 3

Most of these are undercounted. As per the rules, I only counted as many as were in my field of vision at any time (with the exception of those that are sexually dimorphous).

I should mention that the Red-winged Blackbirds and House Finches were singing.