Meadowhawks...in May?

[Bill Lamond]

Hello,

I was birding in south Brant today in a very grassy farm field that routinely has flooded pools that can become quite marshy. Last year with the dry spring the farmers were able to plant a crop by this time (soybeans I think). With the fairly wet summer in 2023 I suspect the pools (depressions) were full of water by mid-summer and suitable for raising dragonflies. Today I was surprised to flush small very teneral dragonflies. I was able to catch three by hand. Because of the date I was thinking that they can't be your basic Sympetrum species, hoping they might be Variegated Meadowhawks. No luck there. I believe my photos show male and female White-faced Meadowhawks. The first 3 photos were of one male and the last three of one or two females.

I flushed 7-8 meadowhawks but I think I could have flushed many more. Likely all White-faced Meadowhawks same species I suspect.

Bill