Tag Archives: Insect photos

Oakey Woods Darner Reminisce

Posted
Filed under Other Insects, Wildlife Management Area, Kathleen, GA

Dragonfly, photographed by Jeff Zablow at Wildlife Management Area, Kathleen, GA

Winter is waning here in Pittsburgh, what with a spate of high 50’s predicted for next weekend. Facebook Friends show every sign of champing at the bit, anxious to see Winter ’17 ‘git, and Spring ’17 slide into place.

Add me to those roles, as I review my ‘Add Media’ library of yet un-shared images. This one jumped out at me, another fine memory of working the trails at Oakey Woods Wildlife Management Area, Kathleen (That name!), Georgia. Mike was my guide, that made possible by Virginia.

How I too await the trails! How much I look forward to see darners, many, many different species of darners, as I scan the trail’s edge for butterflies, as they taught us to do, back when it looked like we’d be sent to ‘Nam. They chose not to send us, but that method of searching the perimeter remains with me, and so do the memories.

I have goals for 2017, and hope that wingedbeauty shares a bounty of beauty soon, real soon.

Jeff

Darners Because . . . I Can

Posted
Filed under Other Insects, Watts Flats, Harmony, NY

Darner, photographed by Jeff Zablow at Watts Flats Wetland, NY

The objectives at Watts Flat Wildlife Management Area in western New York? Orchids, wildflowers & butterflies. 2016 has proved to be a challenging year, what with very few butterflies to be found. Every Monarch seen is cause for, well, celebration. Those Baltimore checkerspot butterflies at the Jamestown Audubon Center’s Reserve (again, western New York) were more juice to the system. Meeting bog copper butterflies at Allenburg Bog (western New York) was totally exhilarating! Those Zebra longwings in Kathleen, Georgia (south of Macon) evoked many thoughts: graceful, beautiful, poetic, languid flight, fresh, . . . .

The Watts Flat hike dished up neat wildflowers, especially Bunchberry. Then this darner was spotted. Darners trigger curiosity, wonder and awe, as they effortlessly shoot at some speed from here to there.

Waste film on this beaut, who accepted my robotic approach to within 16″ of its personal space? Sure.

A winged beauty, certainly. A winged beauty that insists that you pause, and examine its complex form & beauty.

Jeff