08/11/2026
Field Trip Report
Event: WCAS Field Trip: Dragonflies & Butterflies
Date & Time: Sunday, July 12, 2026 at 1:00 p.m.
Start Location: West Creek Conservancy’s Camp Corde property in Parma. The entrance is at W. Ridgewood Drive and W. 29th Street (traffic light). Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/QhMCATt1QChXJSsCA
Leaders: Judy Semroc and Al Rand
Description: Eleven participants showed up for the WCAS Field Trip: Dragonflies & Butterflies on July 12, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Camp Corde (pronounced Core‑day) is an 18‑acre property that was owned by Catholic Charities for 83 years before being sold to Padua Franciscan High School in 2005. Padua used the site for retreats, student gatherings, athletics, and other outdoor programming until 2021, when the property was purchased by West Creek Conservancy. The space is now permanently conserved, connected to the West Creek watershed, and transitioning toward a more natural mix of meadow, young forest, and edge habitat, with multiple shallow pools in the center that support dragonflies and other insects. It’s a small but important piece of Parma’s green network.
The afternoon was warm and bright, perfect for observing dragonflies and butterflies along the dusty trail surrounding the pools. Judy Semroc and Al Rand guided participants through identification tips and behavioral observations, highlighting the diversity of species active in mid‑July.
One of the first dragonflies we encountered, after a brief cameo by a female Common Whitetail, was a Black Saddlebags. We watched it patrol the same area, following a nearly identical flight route as it searched for prey. Photographing a dragonfly in flight is notoriously difficult, and this one refused to rest; therefore, Judy offered tips for capturing a dragonfly in motion: observe its route, note where it passes close to the terrain, focus on that object (such as a plant or blade of grass), and click the shutter as it loops by. I tried this technique but will need more practice. Thankfully, the Black Saddlebags eventually landed, giving the photographers a precious gift.
Continuing along the path, we encountered a damselfly that presented an identification challenge for me. It’s an immature female bluet (genus 𝐸𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑔𝑚𝑎). I was leaning toward Orange Bluet (𝐸. 𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑚) based on wing length, abdominal ring contrast, S9 pattern shape, and the early warm wash developing on the thorax and upper eye; however, immature females can be tricky, so I posted the observation to iNaturalist and BugGuide.net for expert confirmation or correction. The most specific suggestion I initially received was “Bluets (Genus 𝐸𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑔𝑚𝑎),” which I already suspected. However, Judy later confirmed that it’s a Familiar Bluet. I was wrong about the Orange Bluet identification, but I had a wonderful time diving into the characteristics and field marks and trying to figure it out.
Just beyond where the bluet perched, a flicker of copper caught a participant’s eye. It looked just like a decaying leaf resting in a patch of short, scrubby grasses, or so I thought. It turned out to be a Carolina Grasshopper nymph – the immature form of those grasshoppers that flutter their wings for a short burst of powered flight when they jump. I would have walked right by it, and I wondered aloud to the group how many interesting creatures I’ve passed without noticing simply because their camouflage is so effective.
Following the grasshopper nymph we observed one of the few butterflies of the walk, an Eastern Tailed-Blue visiting the flower of a Lanceleaf Coreopsis, a native perennial that is a popular choice for Ohio pollinator gardens and wild spaces. As for dragonflies, Common Green Darners, Eastern Pondhawks, and Blue Dashers were plentiful. Common Whitetails and Comet Darners were present as well. Azure Bluets seemed to dominate the damselflies in the area.
We saw a pair of Common Green Darners flying in tandem, during which the dragonflies soar together with the male gripping the female just behind her head. This behavior is typically post-copulatory and the male maintains his hold to guard the female from other potential mates while she oviposits.
Judy taught us that Eastern Pondhawk males and females differ dramatically in coloration. Adult males develop a powdery blue abdomen and thorax as they mature. Females, by contrast, retain a bright green thorax with a brown to olive abdomen. Immature males resemble females at first; they emerge with the same vivid green “jacket” and brown abdomen, and only gradually transition to blue as they age. This makes young males easy to mistake for females until their pruinescence (i.e., a powdery, waxy coating) fully develops.
Judy mentioned the possibility of Red Saddlebags in the area, though she noted they are less common than Carolina Saddlebags in northern Ohio. A patrolling Saddlebags briefly raised hopes for a Red sighting, but it never landed and no one was able to capture a photograph before it moved on so we could not confirm an ID. Judy pulled up a side‑by‑side comparison from Walter Sanford’s Photoblog to show the group how the “saddle” on the hindwings of a Carolina Saddlebags is more filled‑in and extensive, whereas the Red Saddlebags has a narrower, more translucent saddle. Only the Carolina Saddlebags was photographed of the two during the walk, which provided a helpful reference for studying these field marks. You can find the comparison here: https://waltersanford.wordpress.com/2016/07/08/carolina-saddlebags-dragonflies-males
Judy netted an Azure Bluet, giving everyone a chance to see a damselfly up close. She pointed out how Azure Bluets have a darker tail pattern with more black on the abdomen, while Familiar Bluets tend to show more blue toward the tip of the tail. It was a helpful comparison that made the subtle differences between these two common summer damselflies easier to understand.
This field trip provided an excellent opportunity to explore Camp Corde’s emerging habitat and offered a wonderful mix of close‑up observations, teaching moments, and mid‑summer insect activity. With guidance from Judy and Al, participants gained practical identification tips and a better understanding of the species that depend on this restored landscape. WCAS is grateful to everyone who joined us for a bright and engaging afternoon in the field.
- Report by Michelle Brosius
- Photos by Michelle Brosius, Al Rand, and Andrew Sykaluk
