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| I have 3 artificial water bodies in or next to my garden and blueberry patch this year. Each contains minnows, tadpoles, duckweed, iris, and a host of volunteer critters. We are currently in an intense drought situation. High temperatures, steady breezes and no rain have all combined to dry up most nearby natural water sources. Even my "big" earthen pond at the front of PFHQ is once again a shallow puddle, crowded with minnows and tadpoles who aren't quite sure what to do next. It is heron heaven, shallow, and jam packed with possibilities. I am running ark missions from the real pond puddle to my FC ponds, but I will not be able to rescue everybody. I think all of this dryness has shifted the dragonflies to my little mini ponds for their reproductive shenannigans. I don't recall seeing so many in the garden area before. . |
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Maybe they are why I haven't had any insect damage to my tomatoes this season.
Now if I could just teach them to chase blueberry stealing cardinals away from my blueberry crop.
Yesterday evening I was deep in the blueberries, picking, and all of the sudden a host of cardinals, chickadees, and titmice arrived.
Hungry.
Boy were they surprised to see me.
UPDATE: It is raining.
18 comments:
My lake has been getting too much rain. It's been full since last summer, which isn't a complaint, but the overflow has torn up my two new spillways, and it even blew out the overflow drain pipe deep inside the dam at one of its connectors, blowing out a good chunk of the dam with it. The whole things holding, but the big rains the weekend will probably make it all worse. It's only money, right?
I always thought dragonfly's were too cool, the way can hover or fly backward is pretty impressive. I read somewhere that should not be able to generate enough lift to get airborne, yet they do.
And, it's raining here too. Not hard but I'll take it.
Now I know how to attract all of those neat birds. Plant blueberry bushes. Can I plant those in pots? Love the shots of the dragonflies.
Please send some of that rain to the other side of the state.
Thanks,
Dina
Great to see some signs of life in the garden besides plants.. Dragon flies are some of the most underrated beautiful creatures there are, in my opinion.
You sure are good at sitting quietly in one spot.
I believe that your dragonfly is a blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis).
That's really clear video. Which camera and software do you use? Love those dragonflies! Wow are they quick.
Very nice, thanks.
I'm with Pablo, we've had the opposite issue up here with way more rain than needed for now. Of course this will be followed by a 3 month drought!
Pablo,
If only there were a blog to share the changes and wonders of this mystical place you mention.
I would read it.
Daily.
Kevin,
Now go figure ... a blackhawk master mechanic who admires the chopper like abilities of a mosquito hawk.
Hey Dina!
Yes, bird love blueberries ... too much.
You could grow them in large pots. They don't like to dry out ... shallow root systems.
Your bird photos are exquisite girl.
Grant,
Welcome to Pure Florida!
I agree and my "garden" is very user friendly for toad, lizards,bugs, fish, even berry stealing birds.
Miz S,
I never learned to play team sports.
Thanks Doug, I was hoping you would chime in. Is that butt up attitude a territorial display?
Robert,
It's a 5 year old Sony DSC-H5, 7.9 megapixel.
I am currently saving for the amazing successor to this camera.
I need more megapixies.
And more zoom.
Sewa,
Welcome!
Thanks.
Dave,
That rain missed PFHQ dang it.
THis is entrancing!
one question:
what do them gators do in drought time?
FC,
I'm intrigued with the beauty of dragonflies. So many colors and sizes. They seem to be abundant in flight around the garden this year. That's doubly good since they are not only adorable but they eat mosquitoes.
Meems @ For the Love of Florida
Aunty,
They try and hunker down in whatever water remains. or they go off in search of it, which is why they show up in swimming pools sometimes.
In the glades they excavate gator holes and rescue not only themselves but other aquatic critters who need that mini-pond to survive.
Meems,
"Adorable". heehee
The butt up position is called the obelisk position. It isn't about territory, it's about thermoregulation.
I'm glad to read the update that you are getting some rain there. We've been inundated, deluged, and overwhelmed with rain here. Today, Tuesday, is the first day in too many to count where the sun is shining in a cloudless sky. Oh yes, we're happy and so are the tomatoes, peppers, basil, strawberries, and everything else.
So, of course we have dragonflies and butterflies everywhere. Where do they go when it's raining? Florida?
Doug,
Well of course it is. That makes a lot of sense. It was hot as hell that day.
I knew you would know the answer.
Robin,
They come here when it snows. We call them snowbugs.
The snowbirds eat them.
We natives eat the snowbirds.
It's a food chain thang.
Yeah, but how do you root against cardinals, chickadees, titmice? Maybe they need antioxidants too. (Was that decent medical speculation for an English major?).
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