There comes a time in the life of most bird watchers when they seek to broaden their horizons and discover new facets in the world of nature. For some, this means investigating the world of botany, for others, mammals; however most tend to opt for butterflies (and sometimes even moths as well), the natural corollary to birds as their differentiated colors and patterns allow many of the same skills honed in bird watching to be simply altered to accommodate a new Order, albeit in a different Class.
Having made the leap to the Lepidoptera some time ago, I made another somewhat common further expansion in to the Odonata – dragonflies and damselflies. Again, as with the Lepidoptera, the “odes” allowed me to bring some of my bird watching skills into play. However as I quickly discovered, it wasn’t quite that simple. While nearly all birds can be identified in the field using merely optics or identified vocalizations, and while at least most butterflies (although I’m a little dubious of the skippers) can also be thus identified – excluding vocalizations of course – the Odonata are a little more subtle. A portion simply cannot be positively identified just by watching them; they must be caught, held in the hand and examined, and then of course released if no specimen collecting permit or need exists.
Thus it is that my studies of the Odonata are a bit behind my studies of the Aves and the Lepidoptera. My “ode” list numbers a mere 11 species. To remedy this, I did a few things. One, I made a resolution to learn more about the natural history of these beautiful creatures. To assist me in this I bought a few books (naturally) and joined the principle organization in my area for the study of Odonata – The Dragonfly Society of the Americas. The stated purpose of the DSA is quite simple: to encourage scientific research, habitat preservation, and aesthetic enjoyment of Odonata. I’m not nearly up the task of the first part, but I can offer my hearty support for the second and third parts of this mandate. (Incidentally, the DSA website is part of a larger, very useful site for aspiring odonatologists – OdonataCentral.)
One of the benefits of holding a membership in the DSA is the receipt of the quarterly publication Argia. Eminently readable to even an interested beginner, Argia serves as the main organ of communication for the society and in its pages much news and inspiration regarding all things odonatological can be found. Just from the reading of this present issue I came to learn that some dragonflies migrate, that ending up as roadkill is a hazard (but not an especially well documented or thoroughly studied one) of being a dragonfly, that four new to the United States species of dragonfly have been discovered this year in Texas, and that the techniques developed for the annual Christmas Bird Count are beginning to be applied to the surveying of odonate populations.
For anyone with a curiosity to investigate an aspect of the other forms of live that surround us, the study of the Odonata is a very worthwhile endeavor. Their dynamic lives, rich and often jewel-like coloration, and general accessibility make them an easy study to begin, and their complexity and subtleness allow a lifetime’s worth of work toward mastery.
Peace and good bird, dragonfly, or damselfly watching.
