Down here in the Banana Belt of Nova Scotia the weather may be overall kinder but the odonatan certainly seem to take their time getting onto the wing. Naturally I have kept an eye out for odes, since the middle of May really, but it has been slow but at least I can fill the gaps with birds.
An Eastern Forktail kicked off my year, they were recently out at French Basin Trail in Annapolis Royal and are almost the default first. I did see a dragonfly at nearby Belleisle Marsh but it kept going rather than sit and be famous, such is odei ng. A trip along the Wentworth Lake Road, it runs from Jordan River off highway 103 and just keeps going, found us enjoying Hudsonian Whiteface in some abundance. They were not very near the track so I only got a doc-shot. Star of the outing was one of a number of Stream Cruisers. The one below sat patiently while I stalked it, they usually do.
We probably flashed past a few interesting odes, I’ve threatened to affix a cradle to the front of the car so Sandra can drive and I can net, at speed! We certainly saw a few Lancet Clubtails, again fairly default as an early season ode. Most of the wet areas also had Uhler’s Sundragon, never landing and always just out of net range, still at least the ticks got some exercise as they started their hastily curtailed journeys up our legs! Time to get the leech socks out for sure.
While doing some garden tidying I came across a Four-spotted Skimmer today (25-May, 208) and was surprised to find it was a Cape Sable Island tick and a not unexpected addition to the yard list. I hope to get out odeing more this summer, I noted many places of the course of the winter that show promise so do pop back if odes are your thing.
Eastern Canada Odes 