neat read on dragonflies

[addy1]

They say the migrate:

"Some dragonfly species migrate long distances each year, a still-mysterious phenomenon not unlike the celebrated flight of the monarch butterfly. Recent studies have shown that green darner dragonflies migrate in sizable swarms each fall and spring between the northern United States and southern Mexico, while the globe skimmer dragonfly lives up to its name: It has been tracked crossing between India and Africa, a round-trip, multigenerational pilgrimage of some 10,000 miles.

Dragonflies migrate to maximize breeding opportunities, seeking warm freshwater ponds in which they can safely lay their eggs. From those eggs hatch dragonfly larvae: astonishing gilled predators that will spend from weeks to years hydrojetting through water and shooting their mouthparts after aquatic prey, until they’re ready to spread their wings and take the hunt to the sky."

I quit feeding the hummers towards the end of September, they recommend you do so they will migrate.

 

[tbendl]

Oh I didn't know that about the hummingbirds. I'll take my feeder down this weekend then. Thank you! I saw that some of them migrate but I'm curious if mine will or not. I guess I will have to wait and see.

 

[addy1]

When I lived in phoenix we had year round hummingbirds. A lot of varieties due to migration from other places. You might have year round ones there too. Look up on line for your area.

 

[tbendl]

Hmm it says I can keep a feeder up and have some winter hummingbirds. The Baton Rouge Audubon Society has also asked that if I see them in the feeder from Nov-Feb to report it to them as they are tracking the winter birds. So yay, let's see what happens.

 

[j.w]

T if you are going to do that continuous feeding just make sure you keep that feed fresh and full cuz the ones that don't migrate will depend on you for food all winter long

 

[tbendl]

I will, I have been diligent about it all summer since I first put the feeder outside. No starving hummingbirds on my watch. And the site I looked at indicated that this was just for the Gulf Coast as there are some that don't migrate so I wouldn't be keeping them here, just helping the ones who already stay. I wouldn't want to alter their normal behavior.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

I just finished cleaning out my quilt batting filter, it was full of small dragonfly nymphs which I carefully picked out before washing out the batting. I tossed them all back in the pond and as they wiggled around in all directions the fish came in and started gulping them down in exquisite delight.
Those nymphs didn't look much like very fierce predators to me.

 

[Mmathis]

I thought about this article today..... I was watching a wasp chasing a hummingbird away from one of the feeders. It's usually a short flight, then back to the feeder, but this time the 2 were flying all around the yard in an extended chase. I've never seen a chase last that long!

 

[addy1]

I kept two quart size feeders full, sometimes they would empty them every other day. One Time I had a hummer on every perch and a group waiting their landing turn. We would get so many neat hummers all different types

Here we get one type only, the ruby red throat.

Hmm it says I can keep a feeder up and have some winter hummingbirds. The Baton Rouge Audubon Society has also asked that if I see them in the feeder from Nov-Feb to report it to them as they are tracking the winter birds. So yay, let's see what happens.