Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Damsels in Distress?

It’s been a terrible year for damselflies in my patch. Since March, I’ve spent 99% of my outdoor time in Green-Wood, where daily damselfly counts can be measured on one hand, a lot less than in previous summers. Rambur’s Forktail male above.
Orange Bluet male.
Fragile Forktail male and female.
Familiar Bluet male and female. Pictures from early July, thought I saw a couple of males this week.

I wonder what’s going on. Is it the water quality?

Certainly the removal of the lily pads in Valley Water some years ago means Lilypad Forktails, not at all generalists, are no longer around. My last pictures of them are from 2015.

mthew

2 responses to “Damsels in Distress?”

  1. alanbar135

    Sad. Were you in GWC today? We plan to go there in the morning. If so, how were the warblers? After that, I want to check the SW part of PP going towards Three Sisters where there had been plastic tarp last year and a Green Heron feasting on dragonflies.

    Reply
    1. mthew

      Wind is from the NW and WNW tonight, could be good for migration… last I was there was mid-day Friday, when I saw a Blue-winged in the Dell at the cost of numerous mosquito bites.

      Reply

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