mpoinat's Favorites

Male; foraging over the parking area.
WOW! Second county record after the female Chase found at this location earlier in the year. I have been looking for a Garnet ever since, but until today, none caught my eye enough to shoot. This guy was such a vibrant hue of red that it immediately attracted my gaze.

With Buff-collared Nightjar in first clip. The second clip of several "whuk" calls were recorded when a Common Poorwill landed just a couple feet from me, noticed me, made these calls, and quickly flew off.

New species for me, whatever it is! Thanks to Mike and Steve for the initial possible ID. I had no idea where to start. I've never had a dragon perch right up on a vertical trunk before, so I knew it was something new. Took off before I could get a side profile. Hope to find more.

Neurocordulia (Shadowdragons) are a specialized group of riverine dragonflies that spend the days perched in the canopy (too high to see in many species) and wait until nearly dark to make rapid and seemingly random flights mere inches over the river. The flight period can last for 20 minutes to a little over an hour -- or possibly later in the darkness.

Saturday evening I visited the Santa Fe River in High Springs with Rex Rowan to search for Cinnamon Shadowdragon (N. virginiensis). Though the footing was rocky and the current swift and full of eelgrass, we waded up to our waists in an attempt to get closer to where a few were flying. We watched carefully, hoping they would approach close enough for a swing of the net. After some clumsy splashes, I caught two! Lifer!

Before we left in the near darkness, we noticed at least 50 still flying above a spot on the river about 300 yards upstream, where the twilight was still reflected on the river surface. It was too deep and too dark to get closer.

This is one posed in the field the next morning and also on my mask string in my hotel room.

There is a small population of this species 30 miles upriver at Lander, MD, discovered by Richard Orr. This is the first record for Montgomery Count, MD. Shape of the terminal appendages is diagnostic. Mid April emergence date is typical. Newly emerged and cold. Picked it up briefly so Dave Roberts could photograph the appendages from a better angle while I held it. Set it back on the log. It flew off later.

I was listening for owls not too long after dusk. The temperature was in the 50s and the half moon shone brightly. Owls had been vocal. Standing in the dark, I heard a very loud, unfamiliar call that I thought must be either Great Horned or Spotted Owl. It called again, nearby and more intensely. I found myself getting in my car quickly without quite knowing why - it was an involuntary response faster than my brain consciously moved on to IDs like this one. But my brain did get there as I found myself rolling up the window in addition to closing the door, leaving just enough room to record. It was too loud and intense. The sounds moved very quickly from roughly behind my car to in front of my car. When I turned on the car and drove slowly forward, I quickly spotted these two individuals (presumably immature), which I somehow half expected I would see up the road. They were occasionally responding to other calls from the woods (presumably their mother). Photo taken by headlights at 12800 ISO.