The two ponds at the preserve were re done a few years ago and it still looks bad habitat wise that is. We decided to first look for dragonflies and damselflies in the ponds. It was a good day as we found about 20 dragonflies and 2 damselflies emerging. Most were just out of reach of the camera but I managed to get a few shots.
Freshly emerged damselfly and exuvia.
Not sure but this emerging dragonfly might be a Blue Dasher, I have been wrong before.
Life outside of the pond begins!
A female Skimming Bluet, Enallagna geminatum I found on the hillside well above the ponds and the Eno River.
One of our best finds of the day! This is a Common Roadside-Skipper in Orange County I have only found these along our driveway and it has been 4-5 years since we had one. Three were seen, not at all common in the Piedmont of North Carolina.
Brown Elfin on Blueberry.
Occoneechee is know for the unusual population of Brown Elfins, some think they were displaced on Occoneechee Mountain as far back as the ice age. We counted 34 Brown Elfins a new state high count!
Female Pipevine Swallowtail, she posed for about 2 seconds for this photo.
May Apples stole the show down along the Eno River. I have not taken a close look at these in many years. What have I been thinking? We have them blooming in in our ravine also.
Iris verna, these were all long the power lines out in the sunlight.
Cranesbill Geranium found mixing with the May Apples. We have a light blue version of these blooming along our road right now.
This is for Neil Jean! Pinkster Azalea, we saw a patch of these over the river on a cliff that was 15 x 50 foot likely the largest native patch I have ever seen of them. Needed a canoe to get a good photo of them though.
Cranesbill Geranium found mixing with the May Apples. We have a light blue version of these blooming along our road right now.