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Author Archives: Kim Smith
Dragonfly Rescue
Dragonflies are fierce predators of other insects, seemingly invincible as they zip around ponds and meadows at warp speed. But they themselves fall prey to birds and even other dragonflies, in the dog-eat-dog (dragon-eat-dragon?) insect world. One predator you might … Continue reading
Posted in Odonata (dragons and damsels)
Tagged Calico Pennant, Celithemis elisa, compassion, dragonfly, insect, predator, prey, spider web, wildlife rescue
4 Comments
Leading My First Field Trip
I had planned to write about my visit to Lynx Prairie after Odo-Con, but time is getting away from me and it seems every day brings something else new and exciting that I want to share. I’ve got a huge … Continue reading
Odo-Con 2019 Finds a New Ohio Record!
I’ve just returned home from this year’s Ohio Dragonfly Conference — also known as Odo-Con (Odonata Conference). This was my third year to attend, and it just keeps getting better. The conference moves around the state each year, allowing us … Continue reading
Posted in Insects, Odonata (dragons and damsels), Ohio
Tagged damselfly, dragonfly, Gallia County, insect, odo-con, odonata, Ohio Dragonfly Conference
14 Comments
Two-Fer!
Dragon- and damselflies don’t often perch on photogenic flower heads, so when I found this one yesterday I was pleased. Of course it’s not a flower, but close enough. This is a female emerald spreadwing damselfly (Lestes dryas), clutching the … Continue reading
Posted in Insects, Native plants, Odonata (dragons and damsels)
Tagged damselfly, Native plants, odonata, Ohio, Toledo
7 Comments
Holy Lupines, Batman! (aka Blue Week)
Today marks the end of the annual celebration known as Blue Week here in the Oak Openings region of northwest Ohio. Blue Week is an event of the Green Ribbon Initiative, a consortium of local organizations working to protect the … Continue reading
Falling in Love…with Beetles
I might be in the early stages of a love affair…with beetles. A sort of beetle-mania, so to speak. I was aware that there are more species of beetles than plants on our planet, but hadn’t paid any special attention … Continue reading
Dandelion Delight
Yes, you read that right — I said, “Dandelion Delight,” alright. Many people despise these little yellow flowers that pop up in lawns in early spring, and do everything they can to eradicate them. In fact, there may be no … Continue reading
Posted in Insects, Ohio, Toledo
Tagged butterfly, dandelion, flower fly, hoverfly, insect, pollinator
6 Comments
Spring Ephemerals
I spent last Saturday in Dayton, Ohio, attending a spring wildflower symposium. After the day’s events concluded, I spent a couple hours photographing wildflowers in the area. Dayton is about 150 miles south of Toledo, and so things bloom earlier … Continue reading
Posted in wildflowers
Tagged ephemeral, flower flies, Goll Woods, hover flies, insects, nature, Ohio, wildflowers
12 Comments
Dork Alert – Galápagos, Part 4
Maybe I should have titled this, “Birder True Confessions,” because I’m going to admit to some embarrassing things that happened on this trip. The first is that I sometimes get excited about birds that other people don’t. I wrote about … Continue reading
Penguins and More – Galápagos, Part 3
On the morning of March 12, the ship anchored off the coast of Isabela Island near Elizabeth Bay. We piled into the zodiacs in groups of about 15 people, and headed off to explore the beautiful and peaceful mangrove lagoon. … Continue reading
Posted in Birds, Insects, Travel
Tagged conservation, cormorant, endemic, flightless, Galápagos, lagoon, odonata, penguin, Travel, turtle
4 Comments
