No Ceiling

For me, a trip outside for the purpose of "bird watching" is really much more than just "bird watching". Sure, I am watching and listening for birds, but I also keep an eye and ear out for other critters. And if some critter actually sits still long enough for me to get a picture, then even better. Such is the case with insects.

While I have not yet invested in a macro lens, I still find opportunity to get fairly close to the occasional bug. Dragonflies are a great example. Sometimes they are skittish and will not tolerate you getting close. But other times they are just hanging out, and that is when I might get a nice up-close photograph.

These two photos are great examples. Both were taken during walks within Dutch Gap Conservation Area (DGCA) in April of this year. The first dragonfly was just sitting on his perch in direct sun. I got as close as my lens would allow (inches away) and snapped a bunch of pictures, and he never budged. The second dragonfly was more interesting. I have never seen this before, but I suppose dragonflies have to eat sometime. This particular dragonfly appeared to be eating what used to be a moth. While he ate, I was able to get fairly close for some photos.

With birds, I have a good chance of identifying them. Not so with dragonflies. I do not own a field guide (yet), so the only way I manage to identify them are getting lucky on another website, or enjoying the charity of other more knowledgeable folks. So, these two are just "dragonflies" for now.

Even though I posted a couple photos of a White-eyed Vireo back in March of this year, I have another to post today. The photos I posted in March were from Florida, where they are year round residents. Today's photo is of a migrant passing through DGCA in Virginia this past April.

The sound of vireos in the trees and underbrush is welcome sign that spring has returned. While there is no shortage of the endless singing of Red-eyed Vireos, hearing the "chik purr-ee-ay chik" song of a White-eyed Vireo is little less common and always a special find. This individual was singing his song repeatedly, moving fairly quickly from perch to perch within the confines of a bushy area next to the trail. I stopped, watched and waited with my camera until he eventually came out onto a perch that was not obscured by any vegetation.