The Odes are Here!!

This morning, I saw my first dragonfly - Ode - of the year! While I didn't get as good a look at it as I would have liked, I'm quite sure it was a Variegated Meadowhawk. Ode refers to the Order of insects to which dragonflies and damselflies belong - Order Odonata. This particular species is migratory so we may not have any Odes hatching yet here in Helena, but it shouldn't be long now with the warm weather we are having. Here is a Variegated Meadowhawk.


Last summer was my first real exposure to these insects and my interest in them has escalated since then. Thier appearance at this time of year presents a real dilemma for me. Do I keep my eyes focused at a distance to see what new migrating birds have arrived or do I look down and focus more closely to see what sort of Odes might be around?

While hiking near Seeley Lake, Montana, last July, looking to take pictures of spruce grouse which I did not yet have in my library of bird images, I was skirting a shallow mountain lake. As I passed by, I noticed that over the surface of the lake and surrounding vegetation, there were hundreds of dragonflies zooming around. Looking a little more closely, I saw that many of these interesting looking "bugs" would occasionally rest on shoreline vegetation. So I got my macro lens out for my camera and began stalking some of these interesting looking dragonflies for photo opportunities. At that point in time, I had no idea what species I was looking at but that episode sparked my interest is these unique insects so I continued pursuing them with my camera the remainder of the summer. Most of the ponds and lakes in the vicinity of Helena had a good supply and variety of them. Over the past winter, my interest continued to grow so I have been anticipating their arrival and emergence as spring and warm weather approached . Here is a Chalk-fronted Corporal that posed for me that day last July!


So the next month may be tough on me. Spring migrant birds have dominated my interest for the past decade or so and that will be tough to change. By mid June, all of our breeding birds will be here so it will be easier to shift my attention to Odes. In the mean time, I'll just have to adjust my time so that I can accommodate both interests. But come mid-July when we begin to get some bird species moving south again, the dilemma will again raise its head. Will it be possible to pursue both interest without slighting either - or sacrificing my happy home??