ecstatic beginnings

The time has come here in Northeast Tarrant County!!  As mentioned in my previous two postings (which in extreme excitement I sent from my phone), specific Zygopterans and Epithecans have taken to the air at the Colleyville Nature Center.

I began my walk this morning with hopes of seeing some dragonflies but I made sure not to get too excited, as my fragile personality easily becomes fragmented.  Walking by sections of the park I recalled years past and dragonflies the dragonflies of yore...could today be the day??  ...No, Brian, calm down, be patient.  I say this to myself a lot.  So I kept sauntering along, enjoying the sights of many other insects that I haven't seen in a while.  I saw a six-spotted tiger beetle (species Cincindela sexguttata) along my way to the pond's edge, as well as some butterflies or moths (who cares...order Lepidoptera) and midges (suborder Nemotocera).  The midges got me excited--midges are aquatic insects just like dragonflies.  In fact, midges often fall prey to the mandibles of our beloved dragonflies.  If only...

I think you can tell where this is headed.  If not, you're retarded, because I already told you in the first paragraph.

While walking near the edge of the pond I saw some shiny little creature clumsily fly up from the shoreline.  My heart literally skipped a beat.  Just earlier I was thinking about what spring means to me, how the earth rejuvenates and things feel new again.  I thought about a passage I'd read yesterday in a book on mindfulness and how there doesn't need to be a reason.  I thought of how I don't need a reason to be so excited by dragonflies; I can just let it all go and be free.  In that moment I decided I will further investigate going back to school to be an entomologist.  My excitement has now derailed my blog entry....

A Zygopteran teneral with exuvia below!!  Welcome to land little buddy!!  He took off shortly after this photo.

Back on track.  Walking the perimeter of any body of freshwater (and some bodies of saltwater) during spring, particularly in the early AM hours, you might notice dozens of times over what I described:  a somewhat aimless aerial voyage by a newly-emerged dragonfly, a juvenile.  If you ever find yourself in this situation you will recognize the reflections of the excessively shiny wings; the reckless flight partially due to  wings which are not completely hardened.

I saw more than a handful of first-time fliers scurry away at the presence of an approaching giant (me).  There were also some fallen souls who had completed the journey of their underwater lives only to be betrayed by fate when beginning their aerial lives.  Usually the first specimens I collect each year are those dragonflies that are going to die within the day.  This is no sure thing but some deformations that occur during emergence render the dragonflies unable to fly.  Let me tell you...dragonflies are no fast walkers; their main means of transportation is flight.  Without the ability to fly these dragonflies will most likely be preyed upon by birds, fish, frogs or other insects, even other dragonflies.  I once saw a helpless dragonfly being eaten alive by fire ants.

Close-up of an Ishnura posita (fragile forktail) teneral sitting on my palm.

The past few years spring has truly been heralded for me by the appearance of dragonflies; when they show up it means I have made it through another winter.  A youthful feeling bubbles up in me and I feel rejuvenated.  It's not like I'm living my life vicariously through dragonflies or anything....

Please let me know what you think of all of this; let me know if the information was clear and informative.  Thank you.