Over the last few months, I have been struggling with letting the right side of my brain have more of a say in my musings than the left side of my brain. Letting the aesthetic have more say than the logical.
As I was walking along the trail several days ago, I saw a shimmer of color that seemed like darning needles dancing in the mottled sunlight. As I stooped down to get a closer look, I saw delicate damselflies flitting from one plant leaf to another.
With help from friends, I identified these beautiful creatures as Eastern Forktail Damselflies (Ischnura verticalis). The top picture is that of a male. The bottom picture is that of a immature female.
Before, I would have pulled out field guides and searched online to find out more information about these insects -- where are they found, what do they eat, what eats them. This time, I found myself just staring at them -- taking in their colors, noticing the patterns in their wings and appreciating the subtle differences between the two.
I will get to the left brain stuff some other day...
Thanks to Dave Hoag and Bryan Pfeiffer for helping with the identification.
