Back of the Yard

Following the seasons, in Annandale and other nearby places.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Dancers in the Yard



Very small ones, that is. This is a Variable Dancer damselfly- about 1 1/2" long. There's at least three species of damselflies in the yard right now, this being one of them. The males are a beautiful violet shade as seen here. They're a ferocious little predator for their size- I was out by the pond one day and saw a little gnat or midge of some kind flying across the water. A damselfly appeared out of nowhere, grabbed the bug in midair, and flew back to a leaf to eat its prey.

Lots of things in bloom right now- Echinacea, Yarrow, some of the Hostas, Shasta Daisies, and the big stand of Monarta up at the top of the hill. The Monarta has a tendency to get carried away and sends out runners; last year I pulled a bunch of it up and this year it looks as though I didn't do anything at all to it. The Joe Pye Weed is up to eight feet or so, maybe a little taller, and is about to bloom.
Posted by Dirck Harris at 1:45 PM
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Dirck Harris
Master Naturalist, Cyclist, Photographer, Gardener
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