Dragonflies are the new birds of summer. Now that spring migration is over, a number of birders are turning to the new challenge of pursuing dragonflies.
They present in a dizzying variety of sizes, colors, patterns, adaptations and habitats, explained Art Weber, Metroparks nature photographer. They are both challenging and intriguing, and with more than 160 species recorded in Ohio, there are plenty of them to pursue.
They go by many colorful names: Halloween pennant, widow skimmer, dot-tailed whiteface, ruby meadowhawk and Eastern pondhawk, to name a few.
In this area, many dragonflies—and the more delicate looking damselflies—are found near water. All of them start life as an aquatic nymph, so the connection with water is strong.
“Ponds, lakes, rivers and streams are common habitats, including our marshes and the Lake Erie shore,” Weber said. But these species wander widely as flying adults, even preferring drier areas like the sand barrens of Oak Openings.
They can be found in Metroparks Toledo and Wood County parks. Wiregrass Lake Metropark in Wood County is a great spot to check for dragonflies, he said. The park is on North Eber, south of Frankfort roads.
Above, this colorful calico pennant, photographed at Wiregrass Lake, is among many species of dragonflies and damselflies to be seen in local natural areas.
