Bird with a child. They see so much more. My 11-year-old grandson was with me a few days ago at Crex Meadows Wildlife Area just north of Grantsburg, Wisconsin. Birds were the idea. When he had seen enough of looking at the pair of Least Bitterns that flushed from our feet, he began closely looking at the marsh shore. Why? Why not? He found a dragonfly emerging from its nymph stage. Pretty cool. New for me. As we watched, the creature slowly wiggled and twisted free of its shell-like previous skin. It emerged with wings soft, folded back against its shoulders. In perhaps half an hour it has extended its wings to dry and was ready to fly. Next on his found list was a busy cluster of large ants, all within a space you could cover with a saucer. We had no idea of what they were doing, Still don't. But they're beautiful creatures (that we did not let crawl up our pant legs).

The dragonfly's wings have not yet opened.