Up the Sassafras with a Paddle
Stardate 2012.08.13 Like a stumpy weathered tree, the Sassafras River lies east to west along the top half of the Chesapeake Bay, its branches sprawling across the agricultural lands of the DelMarVa peninsula, its trunk rooted in the Bay. The Tristans and I set out August 13 to explore the reaches off Turner's Creek Park. The back creeks harbor fields of American Lotus (they bloom from mid-July to mid-August). While the Sass is primarily tidal freshwater, it supports barnacles, blue crabs and various bivalves (including the dreaded zebra mussell), as well as marine loving birds like blue herons, eagles, gulls and osprey.
...and the Turkey Vultures who like to hang out on the beach. Now that's how I like to watch TV.
...and the Turkey Vultures who like to hang out on the beach. Now that's how I like to watch TV.
...and even the lotus are smiling...
Wandering Glider, Pantala flavescens
How to Train Your Dragonfly
Dragons and damsels (...flies) are an icon of wetlands, and the marshes and river edges I paddle. Dragons tend to be bulkier, damsels more, well, damsel-like and delicate. Dragons sit like B52 bombers, wings outstretched. Damsels sit like ballerinas, wings folded demurely over their colorful backs. Both lay their eggs in the water, hatch into nymphs (named after those mythic Greek maidens who danced, sang and animated Nature). The insect nymphs, unlike their Greek counterparts, are hungry little hunters, stalking other bugs beneath the waves. They split their exoskeletons, climb out and grow over and over (as blue crabs also do). One last time, they split their skins, climb to the surface and spread drying wings. Then they fly off as dragonflies or damselflies to start the cycle anew.
We landed on a Sassafras beach, under tall sand bluffs typical of the Bay region. Round pebbles littered the beach along with small white clam shells, driftwood and a couple of Blue Heron feathers. We noted this large dragonfly perched on a bit of driftwood. We could approach quite close (the camera was less than a foot from him), and he... or she... would tilt her head and follow us with those huge multifaceted eyes. I've noticed before that dragons will often zoom off if they feel you are too close, then circle quickly and land on the same spot. How to Train Your Dragonfly: to get the shots of the takeoff and landing, I used my Nikon Coolpix L100's Sport Continuous Mode (which shoots several dozen stills quickly). We encouraged the dragon to take flight as I hit the shutter, then backed off a bit to let him land again. He played with us for five or ten minutes, then zoomed off on his own business. Note how the "landing gear" deploy: rear legs coming down first, and you can see how the wings work here too. The camera focused on the perch, so the dragon is only in real focus as he lands. Note that he takes off much faster than he lands!
We landed on a Sassafras beach, under tall sand bluffs typical of the Bay region. Round pebbles littered the beach along with small white clam shells, driftwood and a couple of Blue Heron feathers. We noted this large dragonfly perched on a bit of driftwood. We could approach quite close (the camera was less than a foot from him), and he... or she... would tilt her head and follow us with those huge multifaceted eyes. I've noticed before that dragons will often zoom off if they feel you are too close, then circle quickly and land on the same spot. How to Train Your Dragonfly: to get the shots of the takeoff and landing, I used my Nikon Coolpix L100's Sport Continuous Mode (which shoots several dozen stills quickly). We encouraged the dragon to take flight as I hit the shutter, then backed off a bit to let him land again. He played with us for five or ten minutes, then zoomed off on his own business. Note how the "landing gear" deploy: rear legs coming down first, and you can see how the wings work here too. The camera focused on the perch, so the dragon is only in real focus as he lands. Note that he takes off much faster than he lands!
