There’s a couple of pictures I took last week that didn’t fit in with bloom day (but that I still like). One is a sample of the lichen growing all over our unpainted fences. It almost makes me want to not replace the fence, but then I regain my resolve when seeing bits of fencing falling over and into the neighbor’s yard!
This dragonfly looked to be laying eggs in one of the logs on the edge of the pond. It would alternate this behavior with zipping around the pond without alighting anywhere.
From what I can find online, this appears to be a swamp darner (Epiaeschna heros). It’s identified by having blue eyes, green stripes, and being huge. It’s known mainly as a southeastern dragonfly, but Cook County is within its range.
