As I look back at last year's early ramblings, which in fact where the only ramblings I managed to keep up with last year, my first dragonfly of the year was on Patriots day, which was two days later - April 21, 2003. Well, I had the day off once again. It was reasonably warm out  - I would say in the low 60's as I headed west to the Goose Pond area of Lee, and Knee Deep Pond along the Appalachian Trail. I remember it fondly from the first time I stumbled around it with my hiking and birdwatching companion for many years, my Uncle Chuck. It looks like it should be great for dragonflies, and perhaps it is, but I always seem to visit it too early in the year to say for certain. Excuse me a moment, won't you? Mental note to Glenny:  hit Knee Deep Pond a few times this year. Thanks.

Well, no one seemed to be parked near the trail head at Goose Pond. I my backpack full of photo gear, which seems to grow in weight each year, up over my shoulders, and then took to the woods in my usual manner, that is to say the tripod over my shoulder. The woods are still clad in earth tones, with buds on trees barely starting to show. Here and there a bit of greenery cheered me. I watched carefully for bugs along the path, but alas, there were none to be found. It was indeed a pleasant walk, even if Uncle wasn't with me, and even if there was a distinct absence of bugs early on.

Here's what Knee Deep Pond might look like on Patriot's Day: 

I looked down into the water. Little fish were darting about, and there were freshwater mussels. A salamander caught my eye.
 

Oh, and here's one of those beautiful early woodland spring wildflowers that I had been looking for. A Spring Beauty, isn't it?

I walked back to the car. I went back down Route 20, past the depressing outlet shops, and out on 102 towards Tyringham.

I stopped at another little boggy area along the roadside, and there were a few more AJs soaring across the wetland.  It was a fine spring day.
 

I thought I would hurry things up a bit. Way across the Potomac River from Mt. Vernon, is my partner Sika's Sister, Brother-in-law and their family's house. It's in a town called Accokeek, Maryland. I do not know how there came to be an agreement with the Mt. Vernon folks, whoever they might be, and the development owners on the Maryland side of the river, but in an effort to preserve a pristine view, there are strict controls on when a tree can be cut down in the development of comfortable houses. All of the houses are on large lots, and they are all surrounded by woodland. I wonder what this strectch of river looked like during the time of Mt. Vernon's heyday? I suspect it wasn't nicely wooded.

In any event the trees were well on their way to displaying leaves here. I excused myself to wander about the yard with my camera.. As I came around the back of the house, there were numerous Common Whitetails sunning on the ground, on logs, and even on the side of the house. I spotted some more-or-less teneral Lancet Clubtails here and there, and courted with them long enough to take a few pictures, even though I didn't really need them. The Whitetails didn't quite have their mature coloring either. Only one or two males displayed a white tinge. I moved in on them again and again, only to chase them off before I really wanted to. I did get some good pictures, however.  Altogether, there were about a hundred dragonflies, but only two species. I heard there was some wetlands nearby, and I asked for directions from my blood brother Sam. Sam is about 9 or 10, and I would prefer not to tell the story about how he and I came to be blood brothers, but I will say that I haven't been on an Alpine Slide since then.

He told me about a long pond and pointed me to a path at the woods edge.  I started to follow it. I lost it. I don't think I found it again, but I kept moving down hill. I came to a great little woodland stream - nice and clear. A few early Crane Flies were busy with mating activiites.I found a cruising gompid or two, but they were not at all cooperative and I never did make an ID, but I assume they were more lancet clubtails. I forded the stream. Well, I nearly forded the stream. One little muddy area was a bit more slippery than I reckoned. Oh well, I hadn't yet Christened this particular camera body in the mud, so now was as good a time as any. My hind quarters were cooled down in the process as well. I cleaned the camera as best I could with my pocket hankie. Muddy bottom or no, I was quite happy to be ambling along this stream. I came to a downed tree, and there were flashes of brillian metallic green all about it. Six-spotted Tiger Beetles. Have you ever tried to catch one of these spectacular beetles on film or microdrive? Well, they run to and fro with no less than incredible speed, and they seem to be always on the move. Just when you think you might have out-smarted them, they spring to the air and fly off in a flash. Here were more than I had heretofor seen in one small area. I did manage to squeeze off an acceptable shot or two. Have you ever seen one?

Well, after thoroughly enjoying myself in the water, I headed back up the hill for a spot of lunch.

Sika, Meg and I had a nice little lunch on the deck that offered a comanding view of the yard. I read for a while. I almost always have a book with me. I entertained Sika's daughter Lizzie by watching her do "tricks" on the trampolene. As the afternoon wore on, I wanted to again check on the four-winged creatures sthat were still hunting about the yard.

As I went back over to an opening at the edge of the woods. What I thought was a larger gompid cruised on by, but when it landed pennant like iin a tree, I knew it wasn't a gomphid. It was a female Corudulegastor , but it clung to the branch in a pennant-like posture. It was a young female Cordulegastor maculata, a Twin-spotted Spiketail. The abdominal markings were cream colored rather than the more striking yellow, and her eyes were steel grey. She wasn't particularly cooperative, and didn't allow too close of an approach.
 

Cheers!

Glenn