Nature Study, On Dragonflies and Frogs, Lessons 103 and 47

"The dragonflies are amon the swiftest of all winged creatures and their rapid, darting flight enahles them to hawk their prey, which consists of other flying insects. Their first stages are passed in the bottoms of ponds where they feed voraciously on aquatic creatures. The dragonflies are beneficial to us because, when very young and when full grown, they largely feed upon mosquitos."

-Handbook of Nature Study, p. 406

dragonflies at Still Pond

"The work of observing the habits of adult dragonflies should be largely done in the field during late summer and early autumn...Go to a pond or sluggish stream when the sun is shining, preferably at midday..." -HNS

frog at Pat's Pond

We paid particular attention to the colors and marking on the frog and his ears, eyes, nostrils and mouth. This has lead us to thinking about the similarities and differences between frogs and toads, which we will be exploring more soon.

samples from our nature journals
The top one is Quentin's sketch of our backyard, including our little pond.

sources and inspiration:

• Handbook of Nature Study, Anna Comstock, pages 180 to 186 (The Frog, Lesson 47) and pages 401-408 (Dragonflies and Damselflies). You also may enjoy reading page 400-401 about the insects of the brook and pond.
• Handbook of Nature Study Blog