Where are the dragonflies?

For reasons I don’t understand, the photos I took of dragonflies are clustered around May and June and again in late July, August and September. Local dragonflies appear to go on vacation during July, along with many other Minnesotans. Several years ago I made a bar chart of the flight weeks of dragonflies based on information from Dragonflies of the North Woods [First Edition]. Although there are some noticeable gaps, there isn’t an overwhelming break in July, but we rarely see dragonflies for much of mid-month. It’s unfortunate, since there are so many deer flies they could feed on during July.

four-spotted skimmer dragonfly, late May

Photo by J. Harrington

Perhaps this is the time dragonflies are clustered around the marshes and water bodies in mating season? It is the time when many bird songs disappear since mating territories are no longer being defended, or so I’ve read. I can vouch for the fact that mornings are quieter now than they were in May and June.

A related matter that also troubles me is if I learned what’s going on with the disappearance of dragonflles, would I remember what I’d learned. The old saying of “use it or lose it” seems particularly relevant to my memory and learning things. If I don’t have a frequent use for a piece of information, it seems to drift toward the bottom of my memory banks, making access more difficult.

Fly, Dragonfly!

By Joyce Sidman

Water nymph, you have

climbed from the shallows to don

your dragon-colors.

Perched on a reed stem

all night, shedding your skin, you dry

your wings in moonlight.

 

Night melts into day.

Swift birds wait to snap you up.

Fly, dragonfly! Fly!

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