Starter Dragonfly

Not overly warm, but beautifully sunny. We spent much of the holiday with relatives in St Louis Park. While there, Stella, my young niece, and I did some insect netting. I caught a Cabbage White butterfly. She caught a Small Carpenter Bee. We both attempted to net dragonflies without success. Definitely a bit slow with the net after nearly half a year of winter.

Some time after we put down the nets, a Common Green Darner was found on the lawn, perhaps slightly injured. My niece's eyes widened at the sight of this huge insect. At first she was wary even to touch it while I held it, but eventually she found the courage to hold it herself. Each time I've had the opportunity to introduce children to dragonflies an infectious mix of pride and curiosity wells to the surface of their beings as they connect with these wonderfully mysterious animals. The Common Green Darner is an excellent dragonfly to start with, a good starter dragonfly.

After the dragonfly, Lida spotted another notable insect, a Two-spotted Bumblebee. This large bumblebee seemed trapped in the grass of the yard. Perhaps she had only just now vacated her winter hibernaculum and was still a bit groggy and cool. Slowly she found her way out of the grass , then flew away, crossing the creek toward summer. This was the first bumblebee I've seen this year.

Posted on April 17, 2017 03:30 AM by