California's Year 2009 Dragonflies
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sightings are listed in order from MOST
recently to LEAST recently seen!
Please send your sightings, with date, county and location as displayed below to
Kathy Biggs.
date (month/day/year)
County (name of county where seen)
your name
place, etc.
species common name &/or scientific name - #s & other data, comments
species common name &/or scientific name- #s & other data, comments
etc.
See examples below (after dates start)
THANK YOU
Key:
Species will be posted using either the Common Name or the Scientific Name, whichever the sender uses (inc. using both),
but all first and last sightings of the year, county records, and new flight data will be posted using both names.
To contact the person making the sighting, email Kathy Biggs.
COUNTY RECORDS are underlined and in red text
OC= Odonata Central: http://odonatacentral.bfl.utexas.edu/records/US_new_records.asp - please report new county records here also
*= first/last sighting of species of year in CA
**= new flight data for species in CA
#= possibly a migratory event
MO= many observers (usually means a field trip full of observers)
|
|
As of the most recent date below,
102 species (out of 113 known species) have
been reported to this site as flying in CA in 2009.
20 new county records &/or upgrades to county records
have been made this year
(this # may include upgrades of
previous sighting only records, newly accessed museum collections and new
reports of prior years data).
`Sighting only' records need further
documentation, but please report them so we can try to get substantiation.
If you find such a record, please
email it to Kathy Biggs <bigsnest at
sonic.net>
County records should be
substantiated with specimen (preferable) or photo and notes.
[note: not all species are
identifiable by photos]
Report new county records to Kathy
Biggs [bigsnest at sonic.net] &
Odonata Central: http://odonatacentral.bfl.utexas.edu/records/US_new_records.asp
for verification
December
December 26, 2009
San Diego County
Peter Siminski
Hellhole Canyon, Anza-Borrego Desert
State Park, 9:30-14:00, 50-60F, 60% altostratus, light air.
*Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum
corruptum 1
[last report 2009]
December 19, 2009
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos
Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100; 8:30-12:00, 60-75F, cirrus, gentle breeze N.
Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum
corruptum 3
.
Yuba County
Tim Manolis
Marysville Christmas
Bird Count on Tuesday
I saw three Variegated
Meadowhawks. Two were on the sunny, grassy side of the northern levee
bordering the town,
one of these seen at
close range was a bright red adult male in good condition. The third was
at a different location, in the riparian
brush along the Yuba
River on the south side of town. All were initially seen on the
wing. The day was sunny but breezy and cool.
Interesting to see that
the late December ode fauna for interior San Diego and Riverside counties is
similar to that of Yuba County.
.
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Dos Picos Pond, Ramona, 11:30, mostly sunny, 75 degrees
*Common Green Darner Anax junius 1 [last report 2009]
December
12, 2009
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
East Deception Canyon, Joshua Tree
National Park, Elev. 1627: 8:40-12:50, 50-60F, 50% altostratus, light air.
Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum
corruptum 1
.
Monterey County
Don Roberson with Rita Carratello
Carmel R. mouth (Odello area), mostly birding for 1 hour
*Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor 1 male [last report 2009]
December 1, 2009
San Diego County
Garry Suttle
Felicita Creek, Escondido, 11:00, sunny, 67 degrees
*California Spreadwing Archilestes californicus 1 [last report 2009]
November
November 26, 2009
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bigsnest Wildlife Pond, Sebastopol back yard, 69F, sunny
*Shadow Darner Aeshna umbrosa, flew circles around the pond (also seen on 24th)[last report 2009]
November 24, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Ramona, Dos Picos County Park pond, 10:30-11:15, clear, breezy, 64 degrees.
California Spreadwing 1 M
*Familiar Bluet Enallagma civile 1 [last report 2009]
*Tule Bluet Enallagma carunculatum 2 [last report 2009]
Blue-eyed Darner 2 M
Escondido, Clevenger Canyon, Santa Ysabel Creek, 11:45-12:15, 72 degrees.
California Spreadwing 1 M creek dry
Escondido, Oak Hill Memorial Park pond, 12:30-1:00, 77 degrees
Common Green Darner 1F
*Red-tailed Pennant Brachymesia furcata 1M [last report 2009]
Escondido, Dixon Lake, 1:30-2:30, 78 degrees
Familiar Bluet 2 tandem, ovipositing
Common Green Darner 1M
Variegated Meadowhawk 1
November 21, 2009
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos
Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100; 8:40-13:10, 62-76F, cloudless, light to gentle
breeze S.
*Paiute Dancer, Argia alberta 8 including one in-hand and
photographed. [last report 2009]
*Blue-ringed Dancer, A. sedula 1 [last report 2009]
*Vivid Dancer, Argia vivida 3 [last report 2009]
*Ramburs Forktail, Ischnura
ramburii 4
[last report 2009]
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 3
Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum
corruptum 13
including one tandem pair ovipositing.
*Roseate Skimmer, Orthemis
ferruginea 1
[last report 2009]
Note: The ~8 acre area of
tamarix and bush pickleweed to the east of the fish ponds that was scraped
earlier this fall is being reworked to become a managed marsh.
November 18, 2009
Sonoma County
Gloria Conley
Ragle Park, Sebastopol
Variegated Meadowhawk 1
November 9, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Lake Poway, dam base pond
*California Dancer Argia agrioides [last report 2009]
November 4, 2009
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
Gilroy Sewage Treatment Plant ponds
in southern Santa Clara County (birding early morning)
Blue-eyed Darner - 1
Variegated Meadowhawk - 1
November 3, 2009
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
Oka Ponds along Los Gatos Creek in Campbell -- I got out in the warm weather to see what was still flying
Dancer sp., only one, I think the dancer was
a California/Aztec rather than Vivid --photo taken
*Pacific Forktail Ischnura cervula 10 [last report 2009]
Common Green Darners - 4
October
October 25, 2009
Tulare County
Paul G. Johnson
Middle Fork Kaweah River ~2.5 miles
upstream of the Marble Fork confluence (below the suspension foot
bridge. To get there, take the Buckeye Flat Campground turnoff, make
the first possible right, park and walk upstream about 0.2 miles.)
Calm, clear, ~75 F. 1130-1500.
(I was not particularly looking for odes.)
* Great spreadwing Archilestes
grandis - 2
(males) CA Chart #26 OC# 315548
[last report 2009]
Variegated meadowhawk - 3
October 23, 2009
Contra Costa County
Rob Thomas
Briones RP, Sindicich & Maricich
Lagoons; 11:00am to 2:00pm, mid-70s, clear, light NE breeze
*Spotted Spreadwing Lestes congener 17 include 2 pairs [last report 2009]
Tule Bluet 3
No/Bo Bluet 20-30
*Western Forktail Ischnura perparva 1M [last
report 2009]
Blue-eyed Darner 2
Common Green Darner 1
Variegated Meadowhawk 8
*Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum 2M barely alive in water [last report
2009]
October 17, 2009
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos
Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100; 8:50-12:10, 80-100F, cloudless, calm to gentle
breeze S.
Blue-ringed Dancer, Argia sedula 7
Familiar Bluet, Enallagma civile 10 including one tandem pair
ovipositing.
*Desert Forktail, Ischnura
barberi 2 [last
report 2009]
Ramburs Forktail, I. ramburii 15
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 13
Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna
multicolor 12
Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum
corruptum >100
including many tandem pairs some ovipositing.
Red-tailed Pennant, Brachymesia
furcata 4
*Flame Skimmer, Libellula
saturata 4
[last report 2009]
Roseate skimmer, Orthemis
ferruginea 17
*Black Saddlebags, Tramea
lacerata 7
[last report 2009]
Red Saddlebags, T. onusta 2
*Wandering Glider, Pantala
flavescens [last
report 2009]
October 10, 2009
Yolo County
Ed Whisler
Davis Cemetery, Davis, 11:15am-12:30pm; Calm, clear skies, 62 degrees F
Variegated meadowhawk-2
Black saddlebags-1
Common green darner-2
.
San Diego County
Gary & Paula Suttle
Pond at lower end of Laguna Meadows in the Laguna Mountains, 1:30-2:30, partly sunny, light breeze, 70 degrees.
Spotted Spreadwing >100
Tule Bluet 1
Cardinal Meadowhawk 2
The pond, nearly dried-up and
degraded by cattle, still harbored Lestes congener, tandem ovipositing in large
numbers on California Bulrush.
Counted 6 pairs girding a crowded
nine-inch length of stem.
October 9, 2009
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Dirty Socks
Variegated Meadowhawks - lots
Common Green Darners a few
Damsels -
some
Diaz Lake had absolutely
nothing, and it was the same at a very overgrown Mazourka
Springs.
Billy Lakes had
the same dragonflies as at Dirty Socks, plus a few Mosaic type Darners.
Klondike Lake also had
the same end-of-the-season Odes -- lots of Variegateds, Darners,
and damselflies. That's it. Sad to see the season
basically over now!
October 6, 2009
Santa Barbara County
Laura Baldwin and Larry
Ballard
UC Sedgwick Reserve along
Figueroa Creek, 9-11 AM, sunny, 65 degrees
*American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) 4 males [last report 2009]
October 4, 2009
Yolo County
Ed Whisler
Davis Cemetery, Davis, 11:00am-12:11pm; 60 degrees F, calm, clear skies
Variegated meadowhawk-15
Wandering glider-1
Black saddlebags-2
October 3 & 4, 2009
Riverside County
Joanna Stark
Pond (a lovely little
oasis) at the Joshua Tree RV and camping site; 97 degrees F, winds 20-35
mph (really dusty!)
Flame Skimmer 1 male on territory
*Blue Dasher Pachydiplax
longipennis 1 male on territory (this brings the # of species for JSP
to 10 - kb) [last report 2009]
October 3, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
His Poway backyard
*Neon Skimmer Libellula
croceipennis
[last report 2009]
October 2, 2009
Imperial County
Gary Suttle and David Rawlins
Westside Main Canal @ Highway the 98 bridge crossing, 9:30-12:30, partly sunny to mostly cloudy, with a few sprinkles, 76-88 degrees.
American Rubyspot Hetaerina americana 2
*Powdered Dancer many [last report 2009]
Blue-ringed Dancer many
Common Green Darner >20
Blue-eyed Darner 1F
*Russet-tipped Clubtail Stylurus plagiatus 5M 2F (including a wheel) [last report 2009]
*White-belted Ringtail Erpetogomphus compositus 1M
Roseate Skimmer >10 (mostly females)
The Russet-tipped Clubtail and the Brimstone Clubtail (a frequent companion species at this site) lie at the southwestern edge of their
range in the U.S. along this north-south trending canal, a stark thread of water that separates irrigated fields to the east from desert
lands to the west. Triple-digit temperatures prevail during much of their flight period. In a half dozen visits, including times early and
late in the day, I have never observed foraging flight...they always appear hunkered down in the shade of the arrowweed and
tamarisk shrubs lining the canal. Out of dozens of photographs, a couple show flies being eaten; I have simply missed feeding
activity. But wondering if these populations are less active than their kin in more clement climates, with the sedentary behavior
reflecting a thermoregulatory adaptation to their torrid environment. Also wondering if the Russet-tipped Clubtail's paler color
(compared to eastern populations) illustrates adaptive coloration-- the lighter markings absorbing less heat than would darker
markings, as well as affording better camouflage in the xerophytic vegetation--often light in color, like arroweed, with a high able
do to reflect intense sunlight.
.
Marin County
Ann Johnson and Jim Bagma
Pt. Reyes - Five Brooks and the pond at Drakes Beach.
Pacific Forktail
Western Forktail
Familiar Bluet
Tule Bluet
Borthern Bluet in the marshy area/pond at
Drakes Beach, Pt. Reyes
Common Green Darner
California Darner* [*possible
but would be several months later than ever seen before, so this is a heads
up kb]
Blue Dasher
*Western Pondhawk Erythemis
collocata [last
report 2009]
Flame Skimmer
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Cardinal Meadowhawk
*Striped Meadowhawk Sympetrum
pallipes [last
report 2009]
Variegated Meadowhawk
Black Saddlebags
October 1, 2009
Alameda County
Alice Cavette
Lake Elizabeth, Fremont
Wandering Glider - Pantala flavescens - male
We have also seen a Black Saddlebags - Tramea lacerata at Lake
Elizabeth for a little over a week now.
.
San Francisco County
Ann Johnson and Jim Bagma
Fort Point (under south side of
Golden Gate Bridge
*San Francisco Forktail Ischnura
gemina 1 male
[last report 2009]
September
September 27, 2009
Siskiyou County
Kathy & Dave Biggs; Bob and Patti Claypole
The Nelson Ranch, off A-12 near the Lava Lakes
Spotted Spreadwing Lestes congener - abundant, in-hand ID
No/Bo Bluets Enallagma annexum &/or boreale
Tule Bluet Enallagma carunculatum - many, all very dark, in-hand
ID
Arroyo Bluet Enallagma pravareum- 1 male, probably more of this
species, in-hand ID. Found along A12 at intersection with Nelson Rd. [last
report 2009]
Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor, many, in-hand ID - possibly
other darner species, more of these than the next species
Common Green Darner Anax junius - some
Variegated Meadowhawk Sympetrum corruptum - many
*Band-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum semicinctum -
2 females seen well [last
report 2009]
This property is closed to the public, but it would be easy to get permission
to survey it.
There is a large shallow lake,
mostly lacking in vegetation, many small irrigation ditches, flooded areas and
at the back of the property the Shasta River, which we found to be still
running and deep.
On the 26th we had one Shadow
Darner male in hand at Soda Springs, McCloud. Other darners seen there and
at our Dragonfly Roost pond in Mt. Shasta Forest, McCloud
.
Monterey County
Don Roberson
San Antonio River, North Ford, below Wagon Caves in Los Padres NF
1150-1320; calm, clear, 101 degrees (!!) -- really hot this day
Given the very dry summer, the river is reduced to a small rivulet with larger puddles were ponds used to be
elev. ~1400 ft.; oak savanna with huge rock outcroppings
*Northern Bluet Enallagma annexum 10 i.d. presumed on these Northern/Boreal types. All such damsels caught here previously have been Northerns,
and Boreal remains unrecorded for MTY (also date too late for Boreal) [last report 2009]
California Dancer 6 including tandem
*Sooty Dancer Argia lugens 1 male [last report 2009]
*Walker's Darner Aeshna walkeri 4 including a tandem in flight and briefly perched (photo) [last report 2009]
Flame Skimmer 1 m
*Red Rock Skimmer Paltothemis lineatipes 1 m (photo) [last report 2009]
Striped Meadowhawk 1 (photo)
Cardinal Meadowhawk 3
September 20-27, 2009
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
DeChambeau Pond
Striped Meadowhawks seen on Sept. 20,
21, 23, 26, and 27
*Black Meadowhawk Sympetrum danae, a few seen on Sept. 20, 21, 23, 26, and 27
**Bleached Skimmer Libellula composita seen on Sept. 20, 21, 23, 26, and 27 [last report 2009 NEW LATE DATE BY 2 WKS]]
Darners
Spreadwing of some kind
Green Creek, north of Mono and closer to Bridgeport
Darners, lots
Black Meadowhawks seen on Sept 26 and 27
Striped Meadowhawks seen on Sept 26 and 27
Meadowhawk small red one of some kind
Spreadwings lots
September 25-26,
2009
Modoc County
Steve Rottenborn
I spent last weekend in Modoc County
and visited several areas to see what odonates were still around this time of
year. On the afternoon of 25 Sep., along County Road 94 through the
mountains in the southwestern part of the county, Striped Meadowhawks were common
and widespread in virtually every habitat type (even miles from water).
Spotted Spreadwings were nearly as widespread but in much lower numbers.
This was a theme repeated throughout the weekend; even residential areas in
Alturas and in Lakeview, Oregon had Striped Meadowhawks and Spotted Spreadwings
scattered throughout.
Most of my time spent looking at odonates was on 26 Sep., when I had the
following:
Pond on south side of Forest Service Road 9, ½-mile west of County Road 1 (on
the east side of Fandango Pass):
Spotted Spreadwing 200+
Tule Bluet 15
Western Forktail 50
Mosaic darner 15 males (several seen well, and one photographed,
were
*Variable Darners Aeshna
interrupta
[last report 2009 9/26)
Striped Meadowhawk 200+ pairs ovipositing at edge of pond in
"swarms" of up to 15 pairs/square meter where a very short (1-2"
tall) sedge was growing in moist areas just above the water's edge.
In my limited experience watching
this species ovipositing in Santa Clara County, the females were dropping eggs
from heights of 6-12 inches or more above the vegetation,
but all the females at this pond
were physically brushing the tops of the sedges with the tips of their
abdomens.
Saffron-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum costiferum 6+ pairs
ovipositing in the same areas where the Striped Meadowhawks were [last report
2009]
Applegate Hot Spring, along County Road 15B in Surprise Valley:
Spotted Spreadwing 5
Paiute Dancer 1000+ (numerous tandem pairs)
Pacific Forktail 1
*Black-fronted Forktail Ischnura denticollis 1000+ [last
report 2009]
Mosaic darner sp. 1
Western Pondhawk 200+
*Comanche Skimmer Libellula comanche 1 [last report 2009]
*Desert Whitetail Plathemis subornata 3 [last report 2009]
Black Meadowhawk 2
Striped Meadowhawk 20
Band-winged Meadowhawk 3
Stough Reservoir, ~6300' elevation north of Cedar Pass in North Warner
Mountains:
California Spreadwing 10 (several tandem pairs, ovipositing in
willows)
Spotted Spreadwing 5
Northern/Boreal Bluet 1
Western Forktail 5
Mosaic darner 45 (of 10 males netted, 9 were Shadow and 1
was Paddle-tailed); 1 female Shadow also seen
Striped Meadowhawk 12
North Fork of Pit River, Highway 395 pulloff 4.2 mi N
of Rt. 299, north of Alturas:
American Rubyspot 2
California Spreadwing 11 (several tandem pairs)
Spotted Spreadwing 4
Mosaic darner 2
Striped Meadowhawk 8
Modoc NWR:
Spotted Spreadwings
Common Green Darners
Striped Meadowhawks - numerous
Variegated Meadowhawks - a few
September 25, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Lake Poway, 2:30-4:30, sunny, light breeze, 93-91 degrees.
(Dam base pond)
California Spreadwing 2M
California Dancer 1M
Vivid Dancer 1
*Desert Firetail Telebasis salva 3M 2F [last report 2009]
Common Green Darner 6
Variegated Meadowhawk 2
Blue Dasher 4
(lake)
Familiar Bluet 3
Tule Bluet 5
Bluet sp. >20
Common Green Darner >60 Tandems composed nearly half the count. Walking by a shallow 20'X 75' inlet stirred 11 simultaneously ovipositing pairs.
Blue-eyed Darner 1
Variegated Meadowhawk 5
*Mexican Amberwing Perithemis intensa 1 [last report 2009]
Red-tailed Pennant 9M
Blue Dasher >10
Western Pondhawk 3
Flame Skimmer 6
Black Saddlebags 13
*Red Saddlebags Tramea onusta 2 [last report 2009]
.
Sacramento County
Tim Manolis
American
River
*Widow Skimmer Libellula luctuosa [last report 2009]
September 24, 2009
Inyo County
Ron Oriti
North Lake, up Bishop Canyon
Black Meadowhawk - in one of the meadows
September 20, 2009
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos
Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100; 7:15-11:45, 75-100F, cloudless, calm to gentle
breeze SE.
Paiute Dancer, Argia alberta 3 including two in hand.
Blue-ringed Dancer, A. sedula 1 in hand.
Familiar Bluet, Enallagma civile
3
Desert Forktail, Ischnura barberi 16
Ramburs Forktail, I. ramburii >20
Common Green Darner, Anax junius >50 including wheels, tandem
pairs and ovipositing pairs.
Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna
multicolor 11
Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum
corruptum >60
including tandem pairs some ovipositing.
Red-tailed Pennant, Brachymesia
furcata 14
Western Pondhawk, Erythemis
collocata
>40 including a wheel.
Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax
longipennis 14
Flame Skimmer, Libellula saturata
1
Roseate skimmer, Orthemis
ferruginea 12
*Marl Pennant, Macrodiplax
balteata >40
including one tandem pair [last report 2009]
Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata >75 including tandem pairs.
Red Saddlebags, T. onusta 14
Note: It rained in the past
month, one big downpour I believe. Most of the roads along the fish ponds
have been graveled over the past year. About 8 acres east of the fish
ponds are being scraped of Tamarisk, idodine bush and saltbush leaving bare
earth and puddles.
September 19, 2009
San Francisco County
Kathy & Dave Biggs, Bob Miller
Ft. Point below the Golden Gate Bridge, south side, 1:30-2:00, 59F, light breeze
SF Forktail - 2-3 males
It was cold enuf that they were just an inch or so above the water, and on our return canvas of the area, they had disappeared.
No other odes seen, but several sea lions and at least one dolphin were cavorting out in the bay.
.
San Bernardino County
Peter Siminski
Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, Elev.
2500: 7:45-9:40, 62-77F, cloudless, calm.
Vivid Dancer, Argia vivida 11
Neon Skimmer, Libellula
croceipennis 2
Flame Skimmer, L. saturata 1
Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata 1
September 17, 2009
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs, Bob Miller
Bullfrog
Pond (1300 ft, 87F, 3:30-4:00), Armstrong Redwoods State Park, Guerneville
Spotted Spreadwing - several
Common Green Darner
Blue-eyed Darner
12-spotted Skimmer - 1 male
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1 male
Striped Meadowhawk - ~12 on the pond, and dozens seen flying over the nearby hills
We had seen
a few Common Green Darners and what I assumed were
Variegated Meadowhawks along the coast, the but Meadowhawks could have all be
Striped!
At Steelhead Park on the Russian River north of Forestville we had what we
think was a Shadow Darner.
September 12. 2009
San Benito County
Paul Johnson
Pinnacles National Monument, Bear
Gulch Reservoir (back end), 1030-1200. Calm, clear, 90F.
California spreadwing - 3
California dancer - 6
bluet spp. - 15
western forktail - 2
desert firetail - 3
common green darner - 5
blue-eyed darner - 7
variegated meadowhawk - 5
cardinal meadowhawk - 3
striped meadowhawk - 6
flame skimmer - 3
black saddlebags - 4
wandering glider - 1
September 11, 2009
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
Joseph Grant County Park and Smith
Creek, both along Mt. Hamilton Road east of San Jose in Santa Clara
County.
Highlights were a late Western River
Cruiser (one day shy of the late date for the state, I believe), Walker's
Darner, and
seeing the eggs drop from aerially
ovipositing Striped Meadowhawks. Totals were as follows:
Grant Lake (I just checked the southern shoreline):
Spotted Spreadwing 4
Tule Bluet 40
Common Green Darner 15
Blue-eyed Darner 1
Flame Skimmer 2
Variegated Meadowhawk 7
Striped Meadowhawk 3
Black Saddlebags 4
McCreery Lake (a small pond just southeast of Grant Lake):
Spotted Spreadwing 8
Tule Bluet 175
Pacific Forktail 2
Western Forktail 6
Desert Firetail 12
Common Green Darner 15
Blue-eyed Darner 2 (plus one female mosaic darner sp.)
Western River Cruiser Macromia magnifica 1 (made several passes
low over the pond before disappearing) [last report 2009]
Flame Skimmer 5
Variegated Meadowhawk 12
Cardinal Meadowhawk 3
Striped Meadowhawk 18 (including 3 tandem pairs aerially ovipositing over
spikerush (Eleocharis) and pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium); when the
meadowhawks were backlit, I could see the eggs dropping into the dry
vegetation, which was 4-5 vertical feet or more above the current level of the
pond but which is likely at least moist (if not inundated) in spring)
Black Saddlebags 20
Smith Creek at Mt. Hamilton Road:
Walker's Darner 2-3 males
*Emma's Dancer Argia emma 1 [last report 2009]
September 9, 2009
Sacramento County
Tim Manolis
American River Parkway
near Rio Americano High School
*Spot-winged Glider Pantala
hymenaea -- 4 [last report 2009]
Wandering Glider Pantala
flavescens -- 4
Saw 2 Glider sp. at same
site on 25 September -- could have been either species.
September 8, 2009
Trinity County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Ruth Lake north-east of Garberville
Rugh Lake Marina at the north end of the lake (while eating breakfast)
Green Darners
Variegated Meadowhawk
Tule Bluet
At Sheriff's Cove at the far north end of the lake:
Tule Bluet
Common Green Darner
Aeshna sp.
Flame Skimmer
Along the Mad River on Mad River Rd. at the Mad River Campground (north of the Ruth Lake) nd
Emma's Dancer - one female
Green Darner
Aeshna sp (Shadow?)
Flame Skimmer
Skimmer sp.
South Fork of the Trinity River along Hwy. 36 @ Forest Glen Campground
*Great Spreadwing Archilestes grandis - ~12 males
Aeshna sp.
Green Darner
Variegated Meadowhawk
Skimmer sp.
This spot was really pretty and had the potential, we thought, of having Red Rock Skimmers, which would be a new county record, so I hope someone will be able to check this site out next year.
The only other species seen in Trinity County was one young Striped Meadowhawk just 2 miles inside the border with Shasta County.
.
Colusa County
Karen Havelna
Bear Creek, Hwys 20 & 16
*Giant Darner Anax walsinghami [last report 2009]
September 4-5-6, 2009
Modoc County
Steve Rottenborn
I spent a long weekend in
northeastern Modoc County, and though I did not spend a lot of time looking for
odonates, I did see a few species. Common Green Darners and Striped
Meadowhawks were common and widespread, from lowland grasslands on the east
side of Goose Lake (often far from water) to Lily Lake in the north Warner
Mountains. Band-winged Meadowhawks were less abundant and widespread than
Striped, but were still scattered around the lowlands east of Goose Lake.
Species/numbers in specific locations were as follows:
September 4, 2009
Black Meadowhawk 1 - in New Pine Creek, along railroad tracks just south of Stateline
Road
Lower Lily
Pond, along Forest Service Road 2 in north Warner Mountains east of New Pine
Creek:
*Northern Spreadwing Lestes
disjunctus
20 [last report 2009]
Vivid Dancer 3
Boreal Bluet Enallagma
boreale
60+ (all 6 males examined in hand were Boreal, Northerns possible) [last for
certain report 2009]
Pacific Forktail 4
Western Forktail 3
Variable Darner 100
*Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna
palmata 6 [last report 2009]
Common Green Darner 15
*Twelve-spotted Skimmer Libellula
pulchella 1 [last report 2009]
Lily Lake, along
F.S. Road 2 east of Lower Lily Pond:
Boreal/Northern Bluet 20
Variable Darner 40
Paddle-tailed Darner 3
Shadow Darner 2
Common Green Darner 4
Band-winged Meadowhawk 6
Striped Meadowhawk 5
September 5, 2009
Lower Lily
Pond, along Forest Service Road 2 in north Warner Mountains east of New Pine
Creek:
Spotted Spreadwing 3
Northern Spreadwing 2
Vivid Dancer 2
Boreal/Northern Bluet 20
Pacific Forktail 6
Western Forktail 2
Variable Darner 100
Paddle-tailed Darner 15
Shadow Darner 2
Common Green Darner 20
Striped Meadowhawk 4
September 2, 2009
San Diego County
Doug Aguillard
#Point Loma, Fort Rosecrans National
Cemetery; morning - a swarm/migration event.
Common Green Darners 6
Red Saddlebags 30
Black Saddlebags 20
Wandering Gliders 50
Spot-winged Glider Pantala hymenaea 15
AUGUST
August 28, 2009
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
Arastradero Preserve in Palo Alto
Upper pond:
California Spreadwing 2
Spotted Spreadwing 10
Northern Spreadwing 9
Bluet spp. 30 (including Tule)
Pacific Forktail 1
Western Forktail 1
Blue-eyed Darner 1
Western Pondhawk 3
Flame Skimmer 2 (tandem pair, female ovipositing)
Variegated Meadowhawk 3
Striped Meadowhawk 12
Black Saddlebags 6
Lower pond:
Common Green Darner 2
Blue-eyed Darner 1
Western Pondhawk 5
Flame Skimmer 2
Cardinal Meadowhawk 1
August 27, 2009
Mendocino County
George Chaniot
Red Post Vineyard Pond, Potter Valley
Widow Skimmer
.
Inyo County
Ron and Barbara Oriti
along a small creek in Buttermilk
**Pacific/Desert Spiketail [last report for desert Spiketail
2009 & latest date reported since KB started keeping records 1998]
August 26, 2009
Yolo County
Ed Whisler
My yard in east Davis Habitat: Old Growth Residential Time: 5:30 - 6:15pm Temp: 90 degrees F
#Common Green Darners swarmed, estimated around 500 in my view. They ranged from shrub level to about 500 feet in altitude.
#Black Saddlebags - A few were associated with the flock of Green Darners.
At the same time a flock of about 200 Barn Swallows were flying in the same air column, probably feeding on the same insects.
It was pretty cool seeing the swallows and the darners flying together.
I have never seen more than one or two Common Green Darners in my yard at one time.
August 25, 2009
Monterey County
Don Roberson
17.7 miles west of Pt. Pinos
Habitat: open ocean as far as the eye could see.
I thought this a particularly poor spot for a darner to pick as the commonest bird around us was Long-tailed Jaeger, which might forage on darners?
Blue-eyed Darner 1 male [large blue-and-black darner which appeared to have BE Darner male appendage in quick binocular view]
August 22, 2009
Colusa County
Kathy and Dave Biggs
Driving home today - stopped in sweltering heat at 5 pm at Bear Creek @ Hwy 20 just long enuf to see a
Giant Darner Anax walsinghami coursing about.
Flame Skimmer and Bluets, but we were only there 5 mins....very hot!
.
Monterey County
Paul Johnson
Arroyo Seco NRA; 1000-1400, cloudy, breezy,
~65-75F
American rubyspot - 3
California dancer - 3
Emma's dancer - 2
sooty dancer - 11
tule bluet - 2
northern/boreal bluet - 3
common green darner - 1
unid. mosaic darner - 1
Pacific Spiketail Cordulegaster dorsalis - 1 [last report 2009]
flame skimmer - 2
red rock skimmer - 7
*pale-faced clubskimmer Brechmorhoga mendax 2 [last report
2009]
August 24, 2009
Imperial County
John Sterling and Todd Easterla
near El Centro
Brimstone Clubtail Stylurus
intricatus [last
report 2009]
.
Humboldt County
Sean McAllister
Cock Robin Island, Eel River Estuary
Emerald Spreadwing Lestes dryas (2nd
record for county)
August 23, 2009
Imperial County
John Sterling and Todd Easterla
near Imperial Dam on the Colorado
River
Double-striped Bluets Enallagma
basidens [last
report 2009]
Citrine Forktails Ischnura hastata [last report
2009]
August 21, 2009
Siskiyou County
Kathy and Dave Biggs
#While we were finishing dinner out on the deck next to the pond, a Green Darner flew in and perhaps got a splash of water
and then landed in the tree.
A few moments later another one came in and they both started flying around, then more and more and more came in.
This started about 7:45 - our high count was only about 35, but it was magical having that many flying in circles and figure 8s above us - until 8:05, when they 'bedded down' for the night.
We weren't up early enuf to see if they took off together, or separately.
Later we talked to folks who were in kayaks at Whiskeytown Lake (Trinity County), and they had the same experience the nite of the 21st there.
These dragonflies were flying in from the SE and heading NW - up the slopes of Mt. Shasta.
We are at about 4550 ft. elevation.
We'd had a greenie here and there all week on the pond, including this morning, but not a 'mass' of them - of course, this was nothing compared to the 10,000 we had years ago that one time.
The only other dragonfly seen at our McCloud pond was a 12-spotted Skimmer that emerged on Thursday....there was also a dead 12-spot floating on the pond.
August 19, 2009
Trinity County
Kathy and Dave Biggs
We drove into the far northern part of
Trinity County on a loop thru the back country from Castella on I-5 thru to the
Gumboot Lake area and back home to McCloud thru Mt. Shasta City.
We tried to find Tamarack Lake to no avail (FS instructions didn't help!) and
then went into nearby 'Twin Lakes' on a VERY rocky road. FS instructions said
not to drive thru the meadow, but to hike in from there. BUT, lots of off-roading
had occurred with many many deep ruts thru the meadow of Darlingtonia,
Yellow-coneflower and Explorer's Gentian. All this activity had apparently
drained the supposedly 14' deep shallow lake/pond as we could find no trace of
it. We don't recommend putting in much effort in that area. We didn't even try
to find the lower of the 'Twin Lakes.' The only dragonflies seen were pairs of Vivid
Dancers, a dark Aeshna, and a Spreadwing (probably
Northern).
We did find Mumbo Lake however - it's a bit smaller than it's nearby Siskiyou
County neighbor, Gumboot Lake, with not much emergent vegetation but lots of
fallen logs in the lake. Most interesting was a ~3 acre sedge meadow just a few
yards beyond the pond with forest in between the two. We'd like to go back some
day and check the sedge marsh out more. We ran out of time...
At the lake we caught every ode we could, but none were county records:
Mumbo Lake, 2-4 pm, upper 80s
Northern Spreadwing - common, many pairs, in-hand ID of dozens, all this
species
Western Red Damsel Amphiagrion abbreviatum - 2 seen [last report
2009]
Boreal Bluet - many, one caught for ID
Variable Darner - a female caught for ID
Shadow Darner Aeshna umbrosa - both male and females in-hand
*American Emerald Cordulia shurtleffi - one male caught for ID [last report 2009]
August 17, 2009
Santa Barbara County
Adam Lewis
Lake Los Carneros County Park, Goleta
Spot-winged Glider - Saw my first one today. It was on the fennel around the lake. Pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbfledgling/sets/72157621947321625/
.
Alameda County
Alice Cavette
Fremont
Striped Meadowhawk - Sympetrum pallipes
.
Mono County
Gary Suttle
Benton Crossing
*Great Basin Snaketail (2M) [last report 2009]
August 16, 2009
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos
Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100; 7:15-11:40, 80-100F, cloudless hazy, gentle
breeze S.
Desert Forktail, Ischnura barberi 6
Citrine Forktail, I. hastata 3
Ramburs Forktail, I. ramburii >20
Common Green Darner, Anax junius >40 including wheels, tandem
pairs and ovipositing pairs.
Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna
multicolor 5
Red-tailed Pennant, Brachymesia
furcata 1
Western Pondhawk, Erythemis
collocata
>35
Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax
longipennis
>50
Comanche Skimmer, Libellula
comanche 3
Roseate skimmer, Orthemis
ferruginea 8
Marl Pennant, Macrodiplax
balteata 9
Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata 17 including a tandem pair.
Red Saddlebags, T. onusta 6
Wandering
Glider, Pantala flavescens 1
.......
Sierra County
Zach Smith + MO
impressive green darner emergence, Sierra Nevada
Sacramento Audubon Sierra Bird/Ode trip
Our Ode diversity was quite low. Green darner, black saddlebags and shadow/variable darner were it.
But, the green darner show along the creek between Boca and Stampede Reservoirs (NE of Truckee) was impressive.
Thousands of young were seen as far up and down the creek as you could see.
No adult males or tandems were seen, just a bunch of female-looking individuals everywhere.
At most of our other stops throughout the day, greens were quite numerous. It made up for the lack of diversity.
.
Mendocino County
George Chaniot
Van Arsdale Reservoir, Eel River
*Common Whitetail Plathemis lydia 3 [last report 2009]
August
15, 2009
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Fulmor Lake, San Bernardino National
Forest, Elev. 5330, N33.80402, W-116.78097; 11:30-13:00, 70F, cloudless,
gentle breeze S.
Enallagma praevarum or carunculatum, >35 including tandem pairs
ovipositing.
Tule Bluet, E. carunculatum, 3 in hand.
Pacific Forktail, Ischnura
cervula 9
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 1
Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna
multicolor 4
Cardinal Meadowhawk, Sympetrum
illotum, 3
Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax
longipennis 3
Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata 2
.
Mendocino County
George Chaniot
Mendocino College Pond, Ukiah
*Red-veined Meadowhawk Sympetrum
madidum
[last
report 2009]
August 13, 2009
Mono County
Don Roberson & Rita Carratello
Navy Beach, Mono Lake - in short grassy edge of salt lake
Northern Bluet sev. males photo'd, appendages examined; hundreds in the grassy edge may have been all this species
Black Meadowhawk 2 males (1 photo'd)
August 12, 2009
Contra Costa County
Rob Thomas
Briones RP, Sindicich & Maricich
Lagoons; 11:00am to 2:00pm, 85-95, clear, calm
Bluets abundant
Pacific Forktail common
Western Forktail Abundant (must have been a recent emergence
because there were many orange immature females)
Black-fronted Forktail 2
Desert Firetail - 3
*California Darner Rhionaeschna
californica 1
Blue-eyed Darner common
Common Green Darner abundant
*Common Whitetail Plathemis lydia few
Widow Skimmer Libellula luctuosa - 2
Flame Skimmer few
*Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis few [last report 2009]
Variegated meadowhawk common
Cardinal Meadowhawk common
Striped Meadowhawk 4
Strangest sighting of the day was a female bluet
ovipositing with seven segments of male abdomen sticking up off her back.
No clue what got the rest of the male, but she seemed to be doing okay.
.
Mono County
Don Roberson & Rita Carratello
Bennettville at 9800' elev (2987m)
Variable Darner 1 fem (photo'd perched), other darners seen in flight, up to 10,000' elev., were likely this species.
Manolis' guide gives the range of Variable to 11,000'; other darners are listed as dropped out by 7500 or 8000'
.
Yolo County
George Chaniot
Cache Creek at Sand Hill Road
Emma's Dancer Argia emma, Sentinel pair
August 10, 2009
San Francisco County
Valerie Elliot
Fort Point
vivid dancer - one
SF forktails - at least 12 males and one female. Got some decent photos too.
I also saw a mosaic darner just below the Coit Tower on Montgomery St
August 9, 2009
Imperial County
Peter Siminski
Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR, ditches near
headquarters at Sinclair Road, Elev. -235, 8:00-9:30, 85-95F, calm, cloudless.
Familiar Bluet, Enallagma civile 1
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 1
Red-tailed Pennant, Brachymesia furcata 1
Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis >100
Mexican Amberwing, Perithemis intensa 3
Comanche Skimmer, Libellula comanche 7
Roseate Skimmer, Orthemis ferruginea 6
Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata 1
Red Saddlebags, T. onusta 1
Wandering Glider, Pantala flavescens 1
Note: Many of ditch-side Tamarix were dead;
? ; the ditch had usual amount of water.
East Highline Canal at Sinclair Road and
irrigation ditches, Elev. -55; 10:15-11:00, 95-100F, calm, cloudless.
Powdered Dancer, Argia moesta >30
Blue-ringed Dancer, A. sedula 2
Familiar Bluet, Enallagma civile 6
White-belted Ringtail, Erpetogomphus
compositus 1
Marl Pennant, Macrodiplax balteata 1
Note: The canal and the irrigation ditch at
this site were recently dredged and much of the ditch-side vegetation has been
removed. Ode abundance and diversity was less than expected.
.
Monterrey County
Steve Rovell & sons
Spent a few hours
along the Arroyo Seco River just upstream of the green trestle bridge (36.280641,-121.322644).
Had the
kids along, so we just concentrated on dragons and skipped the little blue
things. Here is what we saw.
Pale-faced Clubskimmer, 2
Giant Darner, 1
Common Green Darner, 6
Blue-eyed Darner, 2
Flame Skimmer, 15+
Western River Cruiser, 1 (new site for species in county)
*Gray Sanddragon Progomphus borealis 6 (2nd
county record?) [last report 2009]
Black Saddlebags, 1
Blue Dasher, ! 2
American Rubyspot, 8+
Emma's Dancer, 5
little blue damsels, many - I didn't spend any time with them
.
Mendocino County
Kathy & Dave Biggs, and M.O.
We taught dragonflies at the Kalb family
reunion at Leonard Lake (private) nw of Ukiah.
Tule Bluet - in hand ID, some, other species possible
Pacific Forktail - male and females
Western Forktail - male
Common Green Darner several pairs flying about the lake in
wheel
Darner sp. assumed to be Mosaic Darners some could have been Calif. Darners
Eight-spotted Skimmer - several males
Flame Skimmer - a few
Blue Dasher - MANY males; one female found away from
the water
.
Trinity County
Sean McAllister
South Fork Mad River at Ruth Airport Road
Pacific Spiketail
August 8, 2009
Imperial County
Gary Suttle
Across the road from Laguna Dam on S24 in a
grassy area at the north end of the Trailer Park, 10:30-11:30, clear, 94
degrees.
Powdered Dancer >20
Familiar Bluet 3
*Double-striped Bluet Enallagma basidens 1 M
Planned to photograph Double-striped Bluets
and Citrine Forktails at this site (where a friend and I had located them in
September 08). But found the habitat mostly dried-up. Spoke to a
groundskeeper. What I'd reported last September to be a spring-fed area
was actually the result of seepage from Laguna Dam across the street. The
trailer park recently took measures to stop the flow, which has ruined the
site.
Westside Main Canal at Highway 98
bridge-crossing, 1:30-5:30, clear, light breeze, 98-102 degrees.
Powdered Dancer >200
Blue-ringed Dancer 3
Russet-tipped Clubtail 6 M
Brimstone Clubtail Stylurus intricatus 3 M
4 F
Unidentified Clubtails 9
Reveled in hours of ferreting out these two
beautiful clubtails in shrubbery along both sides of the canal, walking a quarter
mile or so north and south of the bridge. Hoped to see feeding flight in the
late afternoon, without success, but did photograph a perched Brimstone female
eating a fly!
White-belted Ringtail 6
Blue Dasher 2
Mexican Amberwing 1
Roseate Skimmer 2
Spot-winged Glider 1
.
Marin County
Kathy & Dave Biggs, and M.O.
We taught a workshop at Pt. Reyes today. The
field portion was done at 5 Brooks. It was quite warm, ~85 and sunny.
Last year on the 28th we saw 18 species, I
planned this workshop to be a few weeks earlier, anticipating more species,
but the # seen this year was 14.
Boreal Bluet - in hand ID, some, but not abundant; 1
pair in wheel
Pacific Forktail - male and females, including 1 imm.
female
Western Forktail - males and females, including females
curling their 'tails' to 'just say NO!'
Common Green Darner - both a male and a female seen by Dave and
others
Blue-eyed Darner - seen well, other Mosaic Darners could
have been this species or Calif. Darners
Pacific Spiketail - 1 seen over entry way/parking area as we
arrived
Western Pondhawk - MANY females seen, including one who
caught a damselfly
Eight-spotted Skimmer - several males
Flame Skimmer - a few seen
Blue Dasher - MANY males seen
Spot-winged Glider - several seen flying over pathways
Wandering Glider - some assumed to be this species
Cardinal Meadowhawk - several males seen
Black Saddlebags - several seen
.
Mendocino County
Karen Havlena, George Chaniot, K.
Marianchild and Matt Matthiessen
Leonard Lake (northwest
of Redwood Valley) and its environs. On a small pond to the east of the
lake we found a group of about eight NORTHERN SPREADWINGS. This is a
first MEN county record for this species.
Northern Spreadwing Lestes
disjunctus 8 PHOTO RECORD August
8, 2009 OC # 317580
Boreal Bluet - 3
Tule Bluet - 100+
Pacific Forktail - 2
Western Forktail - 12
Common Green Darner - 3
Blue-eyed Darner - 35
Pacific Spiketail - 1
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 10
Widow Skimmer - 1
Flame Skimmer - 5
Blue Dasher - 40
Black Saddlebags 12
.
Tulare County
Ali Sheehey
I found a pair of Giant Darners working a pond on Ave. 64 near Road 168 in.
Unfortunately, I could not get a photo.
I returned to the same area on the 12th and did not see them.
Other Species present;
Common Whitetail
Black Saddlebags
Blue Dasher
Blue-eyed Darner
Common Green Darner
Giant Darner Anax walsinghami a pair, first Tulare County SIGHT record
Flame Skimmer
Variegated Meadowhawk
I saw several other species over the weekend
throughout Tulare and Kings County...
August 5, 2009
Sonoma County
Alan Wight
Nagasawa Park in Santa Rosa
The highlight was a male Band-winged Meadowhawk, a species that is hard to
find in Sonoma County. Some photos of this individual are here:
http://www.sonic.net/~shwand/odonata/band_winged_meadowhawk.htm
Bluet sp.
Vivid Dancer
Blue Dasher
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Widow Skimmer
Common Whitetail
Flame Skimmer
Band-winged Meadowhawk
Black Saddlebags
Blue-eyed Darner (?) - flying individuals appeared to be Blue-eyed's
Common Green Darner
August 4, 2009
Humboldt County
Sean McAllister
Black Oak Ranch, Laytonville
Gomphus kurilis (Pacific Clubtail)
August 3, 2009
Colusa County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bear Creek @ Hwy 20 (We were encouraged by Matts report!), 10 mins. from the road; 5PM, 88
We found that the gate that is now by the bridge is NOT LOCKED and there is not a No Trespassing sign, so this spot is still available! ;-)
American Rubyspot 1
Bluets many
Dancer sp. 1 (Vivid?)
Giant Darner 1-2
Widow Skimmer a few
Flame Skimmer many
Variegated Meadowhawk some
Black Saddlebags 1
.
Humboldt County
Sean McAllister
Argia lugens (Sooty Dancer)
Argia emma (Emmas Dancer)
.
Sacramento County
Tim Manolis
American River
*Olive Clubtail Stylurus olivaceus, a new emerger. [last report 2009]
Saw more exuviae on dates after that, so they probably were around longer.
August 2, 2009
Sonoma County
Alan and Marin Wight
Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility,
Petaluma
Black-fronted/San Francisco Forktail 15+ individuals, males and females,
probably Black-fronted based on photographs but not viewed up close in hand to
be sure
.
Colusa County
Matthew Matthiessen
Bear Creek @ Hwy 20
I found a good spot to walk down to the creek and imagine my surprise when a Giant Darner immediately flew past I also saw White-belted Ringtail while I was there.
August 1, 2009
Mendocino County
George Chaniot, Kate Marianchild, and Matthew Matthiessen
Lake Pennyroyal in the hills just northwest of Ukiah - several hours
The lake is a 40+ year old man-made reservoir at about 750 ft elevation.
We only saw 18 species but the sheer number of odes was staggering.
The highlight was photographing Band-winged Meadowhawk to confirm a new county species.
The lowlight was watching a pair of Green Darners getting eaten by a fish or bullfrog while ovipositing in tandem.
It was great to study them through the scope prior to their demise though.
Tule Bluet - 10
bluet sp - 1,500+
Western Forktail - 2
Pacific Forktail - 25
Common Green Darner - 25
Blue-eyed Darner - 50
Paddle-tailed Darner - 2
Band-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum semicinctum 10 photographed, upgrade of prior sight only record from last month CA Chart# 102 OC#:317579
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1
Red-veined Meadowhawk Sympetrum madidum 2
Striped Meadowhawk - 2
Blue Dasher - 100+
Western Pondhawk - 1
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 12
Twelve-spotted Skimmer - 3
Widow Skimmer - 35
Common Whitetail - 8
Flame Skimmer - 50
Black Saddlebags - 35
JULY
July 31, 2009
Siskiyou County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Medicine Lake Road at a gravel pit/storage area
Glider sp. 1 seen (2nd Siskiyou
sighting)
Darner sp 1 seen
Blanche Lake east of Medicine Lake;
noon
Northern Spreadwing - some
*Emerald Spreadwing Lestes dryas
some [last report 2009]
No/Bo Bluet - plentiful
Western Forktail a female seen
Variable Darner many
*Crimson-ringed Whiteface Leucorrhinia
glacialis several [last report 2009]
12-spotted Skimmer - many
Striped Meadowhawk many tenerals, a few
matures
Bullseye Lake, just east of Blanche
Lake; 1-1:30; 79F
Emerald sp. American?
*Hudsonian Whiteface Leucorrhinia
hudsonica 1 m [last report 2009]
Emerald Spreadwing - many
Spotted Spreadwing possibly this species,
teneral female photographed in hand
Darner sp possibly a Shadow, female
ovipositing in wood, green side stripes
No Name Lake, just east of Bullseye
Lake; 3-3:30; 81F
Emerald Spreadwing thousands more than
wed ever seen before
Northern Spreadwing some
No/Bo Bluet many
Variable Darner many
American Emerald many
*Mountain Emerald Somatochlora
semicircularis 1m in hand; probably more [last report 2009]
*Dot-tailed Whiteface Leucorrhinia
intacta 1 m [last report 2009]
Striped Meadowhawk many tenerals, a few
matures
Saffron-winged Meadowhawk 2-3
Also seen at all 3 of these lakes, MANY
gilled salamander larva, froglets and toadlets
Paynes Springs, just east of No Name
Lake exit
California Darner 1 F in hand
Emerald Spreadwing 2
Striped Meadowhawk - 1
Little Medicine Lake, 4-4:30; 81F
No/Bo Bluet many
Western Forktail - a few
Variable Darner many, assumed this species
Common Green Darner 1-2
American Emerald many
Crimson-ringed Whiteface several
Saffron-winged Meadowhawk a few
Striped Meadowhawk some
Pumice Stone Well, off Harris Springs
Rd. ; 5 pm; 80F
Spreadwing sp.- 1-2
American Emerald many
Mountain Emerald 1 f in hand
Variable Darner many, assumed this species
12-spotted Skimmer - 1
July 29, 2009
Siskiyou County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Stink Creek in Neys Springs Wildlife Area, below Castle Lake & south of
Lake Siskiyou; noon; 90F
*Grappletail Octogomphus specularis
one mature male [last report 2009]
Pacific Spiketail 2-3 patrolling males
Gumboot Lake; 2-4 pm; 85F; thin
overcast
Northern Spreadwing - some
No/Bo Bluet - plentiful
Western Forktail a few
Paddle-tailed Darner
Aeshna sp probably Variable
Common Green Darner
American Emerald some, in hand ID
Crimson-ringed Whiteface several
Hudsonian Whiteface 1 m
12-spotted Skimmer - many
*Four-spotted Skimmer Libellula quadrimaculata many [last report 2009]
Variegated Meadowhawk 1
Saffron-winged Meadowhawk 1 male
July 28, 2009
Mendocino County
Sean McAllister
Hwy 271, Piercy, Eel River
Emmas Dancer
Sooty Dancer
.
Mariposa County
Tim Manolis
Argia agrioides California Dancer
1 collected _ CA Chart #6
Enallagma civile Familiar
Bluet - in hand sight ID, CA Chart #6
Pachydiplax longipennis Blue Dasher - sight ID, CA Chart #6
July 27, 2009
Madera County
Yosemite Lakes Park,
Madera County
Enallagma civile Familiar Bluet sight ID, CA Chart #6
July 27- 31, 2009
Siskiyou County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Our McCloud pond, Mt. Shasta Forest, 4700 ft., 80F 11:00
Common Green Darner fly bys
12-spotted Skimmer one young male/female
Striped Meadowhawk 1 male, new species for
our pond!
Also seen and photographed our first black
bear at the pond!! It was brown with a tan mantle!
July 27, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Escondido, Felicita County Park, 1:00-1:45,
clear, 86 degrees. Species listed in 7-23 report for this site plus
California Spreadwing Archilestes
californicus 1M
July 26, 2009
San Bernardino County
Peter Siminski
Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, Elev.
2500; 7:40-10:30, 81-94F, cloudless, calm.
Vivid Dancer, Argia vivida >20
Common Green Darner, Anax junius
3
Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna
multicolor 8
Neon Skimmer, Libellula
croceipennis 1
Flame Skimmer, L. saturata 2
Spot-winged Glider, Pantala
hymenaea 8
July 25, 2009
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos
Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100; 7:45-11:30, 90-104F, 80% thin cirrostratus to 20%
cirrus, calm to gentle breeze SE.
Blue-ringed Dancer, A. sedula 1
Desert Forktail, Ischnura barberi
1
Citrine Forktail, I. hastata 1
Ramburs Forktail, I. ramburii
18
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 6 including one tandem ovipositing
pair.
Red-tailed Pennant, Brachymesia
furcata 2
Western Pondhawk, Erythemis
collocata >50
Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax
longipennis >75
Comanche Skimmer, Libellula
comanche >30
including two wheels.
Widow Skimmer, L. luctuosa 9
Roseate skimmer, Orthemis
ferruginea 14
Marl Pennant, Macrodiplax
balteata 20
including two tandem ovipositing pairs.
Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata
5
Red Saddlebags, T. onusta 1
.
Mendocino County
Matthew Matthiessen, Karen Havlena and ~ dozen local oders got
together for the first annual dragonfly field trip in Mendocino County.
We spent the day at the UC Davis
field station near Hopland. The day list was 23 species including the
first county record of BAND-WINGED MEADOWHAWK.
*Lyre-tipped Spreadwing Lestes unguiculatus 50 [last report
2009]
*Black Spreadwing Lestes stultus 2 [last report 2009]
Tule Bluet - 1
Northern Bluet - 1
NoBo Bluet - 5
Pacific Forktail - 4
Western Forktail - 3
Vivid Dancer - 1
Paddle-tailed Darner - 1
Blue-eyed Darner - 4
Common Green Darner - 3
Pacific Spiketail - 1
Common Whitetail - 1
Flame Skimmer - 2
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 3
Western Pondhawk - 3
Variegated Meadowhawk - 1
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 2
Red-veined Meadowhawk - 4
Band-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum semicinctum
2 sight record only, but well documented
Blue Dasher - 25
Black Saddlebags - 4
Wandering Glider - 5
Spot-winged Glider 25
.
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
Coyote Creek south of San Jose
*Aztec Dancer Argia nahuana -
a male identified in
the hand in direct comparison with a California [last report 2009]
July 24, 2009
Shasta County
Ray Bruun and family
Afternoon at Summit Lake in Lassen
Park. The lake is about 34 miles (40 minutes) from our house.
Crimson-ringed Whiteface were
abundant, normal this time of year.
They were also pretty
approachable. A couple of weeks ago, I hiked in to Huckleberry Lake
(Shasta County).
Many Crimson-ringed but very
skittish. Don't know why they can be flighty at one place and
approachable at
another. Today's pix - http://www.flickr.com/photos/bruunphoto/
Emerald Spreadwing - several
Boreal Bluet - common
Variable Darner - several
Common Green Darner - 1
American Emerald - approx. 10
Crimson-ringed Whiteface - abundant
Four-spotted Skimmer - 2
July 23, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle, David Rawlins
Escondido, Felicita County Park, 10:30-11:30, clear,78-80 degrees
Pacific Forktail
Vivid Dancer
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Blue Dasher
Flame Skimmer
Neon Skimmer 3
Pale-faced Clubskimmer 1
Encinitas, San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve, 12:30-4:30pm, mostly clear, 75-79 degrees
Pacific Forktail
Black-fronted Forktail
Vivid Dancer
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Blue Dasher
Blue-eyed Darner
Flame Skimmer
Neon Skimmer 1
Wandering Glider several
Spot-winged Glider several Both glider species landed on shrubbery in late afternoon for close-up viewing
.
Colusa County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bear Creek @ Highway 20, Ό mile in (area
near bridge now fenced off); 1-1:15 from road, 93F
Bluet sp.
Gray Sanddragon
No giant darners
Widow Skimmer many
Flame Skimmer abundant
Variegated Meadowhawk a few
.
Alameda County
Alice Cavette
Lake Elizabeth, Fremont
Common Green Darner - Anax junius photo @ http://www.cavette.net/photos/dragonflies.html#latest
July 22, 2009
Mendocino County
George Chaniot
Pioneer Crossing Bridge over Eel R. near
Potter Valley
Emma's Dancer
July 19, 2009
Riverside County
Gary Suttle
Santa Rosa Mountains, Toro Peak (8716') partly
sunny, high 70's, thunderclouds in late afternoon
Spot-winged Glider >15 photo id
Individuals and pairs seen en route to the peak, with a group of 6 flying near
the summit.
.
Siskiyou County
Dave Payne
Klamath River; It was about 103 degrees today
with very little wind. The river board puts you at eye level with all the
surface activity. It is a pretty fun way to watch the odes.
*River Jewelwing Calopteryx aequabilis - 1 male [last report 2009]
Emma's Dancers - numerous pairs ovipositing on river algae
mats
Western River Cruiser - 1 male patrolling
*Sinuous Snaketail Ophiogomphus
occidentis - several
live males and 1 dead specimen floating
Flame Skimmer - 1 male
12 Spot Skimmer - 1 male
Widow Skimmer - several males
Aeshna sp - 1 (maybe Paddle-tail male) working the bank
..
Modoc County
Steve Rottenborn
Goose Lake in New Pine Creek:
Alkali Bluet Enallagma clausum - 2 [last report 2009]
Pond at CR 133B and Highway 395 north of Davis Creek, southwest of Goose Lake:
Emerald Spreadwing 4
Lyre-tipped Spreadwing 5
Striped Meadowhawk 3
Three Springs Ranch, on southwest side of Goose Lake:
Lyre-tipped Spreadwing 4
Western Red Damsel 3
Northern/Boreal Bluet 2
Alkali Bluet 1
Pacific Forktail 2
Western Forktail 300+
Blue-eyed Darner 6 (plus 5 unidentified mosaic darners)
Western Pondhawk 1
Dot-tailed Whiteface 1
Eight-spotted Skimmer 2
*Hoary Skimmer Libellula nodisticta 1 [last report 2009]
Black Meadowhawk 3
Band-winged Meadowhawk 6
Striped Meadowhawk 2
North Fork of Pit River, Highway 395 pulloff 4.2 mi N of Rt. 299, north of
Alturas:
River Jewelwing 55
American Rubyspot 21
Emma's Dancer 45
Sooty Dancer 18
Vivid Dancer 4
Tule Bluet 1
Western Forktail 5
*Pale Snaketail Ophiogomphus severus 1 [last report
2009]
Eight-spotted Skimmer 3
Ash Creek in Adin:
Glider sp. 1
.
Lake County
Sean McAllister
Lake Pillsbury
Libellula forensis (Eight-spotted Skimmer)
Sympetrum pallipes (Striped Meadowhawk)
Sympetrum corruptum (Variegated Meadowhawk)
Mendocino County
Eel River near Potter Valley
Plathemis lydia (Common Whitetail)
Tramea lacerata (Black Saddlebags)
Libellula saturata (Flame Skimmer)
Libellula pulchella (Twelve-spotted Skimmer)
Progomphus borealis (Gray Sanddragon)
Pachydiplax longipennis (Blue Dasher)
Erythemis simplicicollis collocata (Western Pondhawk)
July 18, 2009
Alameda County
Alice Cavette
Lake Elizabeth, Fremont
Eight-spotted Skimmer - Libellula forensis male
.
San Diego County
Peter Siminski
Santa Margarita River downstream of Sandia
Creek Road, Elev. 358, N33.41349 W-117.24059; 9:00-11:30, 80-95F, cloudless,
calm.
American Rubyspot, Hetaerina americana >60
Vivid Dancer, Argia vivida 6
Enallagma sp. >75
Familiar Bluet, E. civile 3 in hand.
Arroyo Bluet, E. praevarum 2 in hand.
Pacific Forktail, Ischnura cervula 1
Black-fronted Forktail, I. denticollis 1
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 10
Giant Darner, A. walsinghami 3
Gray Sanddragon, Progomphus borealis 2
Western Pondhawk, Erythemis collocata 2
Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis ~20
Mexican Amberwing, Perithemis intensa 7
Flame Skimmer, Libellula saturata >25 including one wheel.
Red Rock Skimmer, Paltothemis lineatipes 5
Pale-faced Clubskimmer, Brechmorhoga
mendax 3
Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata 1__,_._,___
.
Contra Costa County
Kathy & Dave Biggs & a workshop participants
Tilden Botanical Gardens
At the pond in the gardens:
Cardinal Meadowhawk - males and a tandem pair or two; possibly
ovipositing seen
Blue Dasher - males
Common Green Darner - (female ovipositing)
Desert Firetail - at least one red male seen well over and
over again!
Bluet sp. - probably a Northern or Boreal Bluet
Tule Bluet pair photographed with the female submerging to oviposit
Pacific Forktail - male
Western Forktail - females seen ovipositing
Along the Wild Cat Creek within the gardens:
Flame Skimmer - male seen patrolling
Pacific Spiketail - reported by one participant
Vivid Dancer - males, pairs and a teneral seen many
times
Pacific Forktail - a female seen briefly by Kathy & a
few others
..
Modoc County
Steve Rottenborn
Modoc NWR auto tour loop near Alturas:
Northern Spreadwing 1
Northern/Boreal Bluet <100
Tule Bluet hundreds
Alkali Bluet 1
Pacific Forktail 100+
Western Forktail hundreds
mosaic darner 6 (all apparently California)
Western Pondhawk 5
Eight-spotted Skimmer many hundreds, maybe 1000+
Common Whitetail 100+
Variegated Meadowhawk 15
Saffron-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum costiferum 4+ (possibly
more; I admit to having more than a little difficulty identifying many of the
meadowhawks I saw at this location, even many seen well and some photographed)
Black Meadowhawk Sympetrum danae 3
*Cherry-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum internum 10-20+ [last
report 2009]
Band-winged Meadowhawk 50+
Striped Meadowhawk 10+
Cave Lake, along Forest Service Road 2 east of New Pine Creek in north
Warner Mtns.:
Emerald Spreadwing 20
Northern/Boreal Bluet 3 (1 male Boreal identified in-hand)
Variable Darner Aeshna interrupta 1 (plus 2 unidentified mosaic
darners)
Common Green Darner 1
California Darner 2
emerald sp. 3
Striped Meadowhawk 5
Lily Lake, along F.S. Road 2 just west of Cave Lake:
Northern Spreadwing 2
Emerald Spreadwing 10
Northern/Boreal Bluet 200+ (5 male Boreal identified in-hand)
Western Forktail 15
mosaic darner sp. 20 (all appeared consistent with California)
American Emerald sp. at least 5, possibly 15
Mountain Emerald at least 3 (one in-hand) possibly 17
Eight-spotted Skimmer 10
Four-spotted Skimmer 25
Striped Meadowhawk 2
Lower Lily Pond, along F.S. Road 2 west of Lily Lake:
Emerald Spreadwing 2
Northern/Boreal Bluet 1500+
Variable Darner 15+ (4 in-hand)
Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna palmata 1 dead male found by my
daughter Megan
California Darner 35+ (4 in-hand)
emerald sp. 35
Dot-tailed Whiteface 2
Eight-spotted Skimmer 10
Four-spotted Skimmer 80
July 17, 2009
Inyo County
Gary Suttle
Dirty Soxs Hot Springs near Olancha,
9:10-10:30, sunny and warm
Familiar Bluet
Tule Bluet
Desert Forktail
Blue-eyed Darner
Darner sp.
Variegated Meadowhawk
Western Pondhawk
Desert Whitetail
Bleached Skimmer tandem, ovipositing
..
Modoc County
Steve Rottenborn
Applegate and Seyferth's Hot Springs in Surprise Valley:
Lyre-tipped Spreadwing 2
Paiute Dancer 1
Black-fronted Forktail 1
Western Forktail 6
mosaic darner sp. (probably California) 2
Western Pondhawk 245
Comanche Skimmer 14 (looked for Bleached, didn't see any)
Eight-spotted Skimmer 17
Hoary Skimmer 7
Twelve-spotted Skimmer 2
Desert Whitetail 29
Cherry-faced Meadowhawk 1
Striped Meadowhawk 1
South Fork of Pit River along County Road 64 about 9 mi. east of Likely:
Emma's Dancer 30
Vivid Dancer 5
Northern/Boreal Bluet 20 (2 each of male Northern and Boreal
identified in-hand)
Western Forktail 15
California Darner 2
Great Basin Snaketail Ophiogomphus morrisoni 1 teneral
flushed from emergent vegetation along the river; photographed in nearby
willows
Eight-spotted Skimmer 5
.
Sonoma County
Linda Petrulias
Bullfrog Pond, Armstong Grove SP, Guerneville
Flame Skimmer
8-spotted Skimmer
Common Whitetail
.
Lassen County
Steve Rottenborn
Blue
Lake
*White-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum
obtrusum
July 16, 2009
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Our front yard, lower Bloomfield Rd,
Sebastopol
Pacific Spiketail a male and a female both seen. Female
caught and scanned: http://southwestdragonflies.net/caphotos/PacificSpiketailFemale.html
In our pond, the usual suspects:
Flame Skimmer
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Blue Dasher
Northern Bluet
Pacific Forktail
Western Forktail
Vivid Dancer
And a Common Whitetail male in the
side yard.
.
Placer County
Gary Suttle
Tahoe Rim Trail, north of Brockway Summit,
11:20, clear, mild
Pacific Forktail an immature seen basking at an
elevation of about 8,200 feet
July 15, 2009
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Owens River at Benton Crossing
Great Basin Snaketails - lots
Tubs hot tub area around the corner from Hot
Creek (visited by07 Blitz)
Desert Whitetails - tons!
.
Siskiyou County
Gary Suttle
Gumboot Lake, 10:30-1:30, clear, breezy,
73-75 degrees
Thanks to Kathy for suggesting this
beautiful lake, so rich in odes, butterflies, wildflowers, and serenity.
Lyre-tipped Spreadwing
Western Forktail
Boreal Bluet in hand
No/Bo Bluet
Common Green Darner
Darner sp.
*Ringed Emerald Somatochlora albicincta
3 [ONLY report 2009]
Four-spotted Skimmer
Crimson-ringed Whiteface
Dot-tailed Whiteface
July 14, 2009
Butte County
Gary Suttle
Cherry Hill Campground, 9:00-10:00, clear,
windy, 64-67 degrees. Hoped-for Black Petaltail not found, perhaps
too early in the day or too late in the season.
Vivid Dancer
No/Bo Bluet
Western River Cruiser
Plumas County
Willow Lake, 12:30-4:00, clear, 77 degrees
Northern Spreadwing
No/Bo Bluets
Western Forktail
Pacific Forktail
Western Red Damsel
*Sedge Sprite Nehalennia irene 2
Netted and released. Felt fortunate to find them after a couple of hours
of swishing grasses! [ONLY sighting 2009]
Darner sp.
American Emerald
Four-spotted Skimmer
Hudsonian Whiteface
Dot-tailed Whiteface
*White-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum
obtrusum
many immatures [only report
2009!]
July 13, 2009
Sonoma County
Kathy Biggs and Nancy Bauer
Russian River at Asti, off Washington School Rd.; 11-1, 90F, breezy
At first it was quite windy and all we saw were Flame & 8-spotted Skimmers, but after noon the wind died down and the odes started appearing:
American Rubyspot - a half dozen males
Emma's Dancer - Kathy saw one
Sooty Dancer - a few mature males
Tule Bluet - many, inc. tandems
Forktail sp - Kathy saw one, likely a male Pacific
Common Green Darner - Kathy saw several cruising the shoreline
Bison Snaketail - Kathy possibly saw one of this species
Gray Sanddragon - several males seen well
Western River Cruiser - one male seen well, patrolling the shoreline
Pale-faced Clubskimmer - several seen well, possibly one female seen ovipositing
Widow Skimmer - Kathy saw 1-3 males
Eight-spotted Skimmer - a few seen well
Flame Skimmer - several males seen well
Meadowhawk sp. - one red male seen briefly by Kathy, possibly a Red-veined
Black Saddlebags- 1-3 seen briefly
A few female Skimmers were seen ovipositing so briefly as to defy
identification, but probably Flame Skimmers.
Also seen, Lorquin's Admiral Butterfly; Green Heron, Osprey, and a family of
Common Mergansers
.
San Francisco County
Gary Suttle
Fort Point, 9:50-12:00, clear, breezy, 63-66
degrees
Vivid Dancer
Pacific Forktail
San Francisco Forktail 8 including two tandems on the same stem.
One pair flew into a spider's web.
They flipped and flapped about trying to
extricate themselves for several minutes--the female finally untangled herself,
but the male did not, so I gently freed him.
Looked for a long time before finding them;
they favored grass and sedge stems in shallow water along the moister
stretches of the ditch.
From the 'Battery East' stairway, heading
west, this area began about 30 yards east of the second '15 MPH' sign.
Blue-eyed Darner
Wandering Glider
The darner repeatedly hovered above a small
pool where Ischnura gemina perched. Watched for 15 minutes. Never saw him
go for a forktail, but he did (unsuccessfully) attack the glider that rested
atop a sedge stem by the edge of the pool.
.
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Buttermilk Hills
Olive Clubtail Stylurus olivaceus photo taken
July 12, 2009
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
Uvas Canyon County Park in western Santa Clara County
Red Rock Skimmer - A male was flying along the road just east of Sveadal, about a mile west of the park entrance.
A walk along Swanson Creek above its confluence with Uvas Creek produced -
Vivid Dancers - 25
Grappletails - 3,
Pacific Spiketail - a female was ovipositing in a sandy area at the edge of a pool within the otherwise mostly rocky/cobbly stream.
.
Santa Cruz County
Gary Suttle (with Tyler Suttle)
Loch Lomond Recreation Area, 10:15-11:30, 77
degrees
Familiar Bluet
Tule Bluet
Arroyo Bluet
Western Forktail
Pacific Forktail
Common Green Darner
Darner sp.
Blue Dasher
Western Pondhawk
Widow Skimmer
Common Whitetail
Flame Skimmer
Quail Hollow Pond, 12:00-1:00, clear,
80 degrees
Familiar Bluet
Tule Bluet
Western Forktail
Pacific Forktail
Desert Firetail
Common Green Darner
Blue-eyed Darner
Darner sp.
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Variegated Meadowhawk
Blue Dasher
Western Pondhawk
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Flame Skimmer
Black Saddlebags
Sam Lorenzo River below Water Street Bridge,
3:00-3:15
*Exclamation Damsel Zoniagrion
exclamationis [last
report 2009]
July 11, 2009
Lake and Mendocino Counties
Matthew Matthiessen and Karen Havlena
Boardman Ridge just north of Lake Pillsbury in
Lake County we saw four PACIFIC SPIKETAILS. Finally, back in
Mendocino County, we stopped at a pond in Potter Valley and saw:
Variegated Meadowhawk - 3
Blue Dasher - 5
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 2
Widow Skimmer - 2
Flame Skimmer - 2
Black Saddlebags 5
.
Santa Clara County
Gary Suttle
Henry Coe State Park, Coyote Creek,
about 1/4 mile upstream from the end of Gilroy Hot Springs Road, and beyond
(thanks to Steve Rottenborn and his 6-27
report). 10:30-12:30, mostly cloudy, windy, with a few sprinkles,
65-77 degrees.
Sooty Dancer
California Dancer
Emma's Dancer
Familiar Bluet
Tule Bluet
Blue-eyed Darner
Walker's Darner female netted,
photographed, released She was hawking along the trial/dirt road
approximately 75 yards from the creek and 100 feet above it.
Western River Cruiser
Flame Skimmer
Red Rock Skimmer
Black Saddlebags
Glider sp.
.
Shasta County
Ray Bruun
Stream nearby, South Fork Bear Creek
Stylurus olivaceus (Olive Clubtail) CA Chart #55, OC# 314073
July 10, 2009
Mendocino County
Matthew Matthiessen and Karen Havlena
Eel River in Dos Rios in the morning.
The highlights here were PALE-FACED CLUBSKIMMER and GRAY SANDDRAGON.
This is the only location in the county so
far for clubskimmer (found here for the first time last year) and the second
location for sanddragon (also found for the first time last year).
We also saw one unidentified ode in the bill
of an Ash-throated Flycatcher. The total list at this location:
Sooty Dancer - 50+
California Dancer - 1
CAztec Dancer - 10
Vivid Dancer - 1
Emma's Dancer - 2
Western Forktail - 1
*Bison Snaketail Ophiogomphus bison 10 [last report 2009]
Gray Sanddragon - 2-3
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 1
Widow Skimmer - 1
Flame Skimmer - 3
Pale-faced Clubskimmer - 1-3
Black Saddlebags - 1
Black Butte Campground along the Eel River at the end of Hwy 162 east of
Covelo.
American Rubyspot - 3
Sooty Dancer - 3
Emmas' Dancer - 1
Western Forktail - 1
Gray Sanddragon - 3
Pacific Spiketail - 1
Flame Skimmer - 3
Wandering Glider - 1
After this we drove up into the mountains along Etsel Ridge we saw one BLUE-EYED
DARNER at about 3,000 feet, one
VARIEGATED MEADOWHAWK at about 6,000 feet, and one meadowhawk sp
also at about 6,000 feet.
.
Sonoma County
Linda Petruilias
E Austin Creek, Cazadero
I saw a newly emerged sooty dancer
( I think) with part of the nymph exoskeleton still stuck to its wing. I
was able to free it from the old nymph exoskeleton
.I also saw a few rubyspots
which are always a treat and lots of flame skimmers.
.
Los Angeles County
David and Linda Blue
Piru Creek, Frenchman Flat
American Rubyspot Hetaerina americana 20,
ph.
California/Aztec Dancer Argia agrioides/nahuana
1, ph.
Sooty Dancer Argia lugens 30, ph.
Vivid Dancer Argia vivida 1
Giant Darner Anax walsinghami 1
*Serpent Ringtail Erpetogomphus lampropeltis
20, ph. - multiple Serpent Ringtails in every pool [only report 2009]
Gray Sanddragon Progomphus borealis 8, ph.
Pale-faced Clubskimmer Brechmorhoga mendax
12
Flame Skimmer Libellula saturata
10, M, F, ovipositing
Red Rock Skimmer Paltothemis lineatipes 8
July 9, 2009
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Buttermilk Hills
Olive Clubtails our foy
.
Imperial County
Doug Willick
W Main Canal
Brimstone Clubtail males, a couple
Russet-tipped Clubtail - 1
July 8, 2009
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Klondike Lake
Bleached Skimmers all very fresh and 'new' looking, so must
have recently emerged.
.
Mendocino County
Kate Marianchild
NW of Ukiah
Band-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum
semicinctum photo
record Chart# 102 OC#:317579
July 5, 2009
Shasta County
Ray Bruun
Shingletown
I was out exploring a favorite spot about one mile from my house (this is in a pine forest at roughly 3,000' elevation).
Among the things photographed was a young female gomphid.
I thought to myself, "Olive Clubtail," but tried not to get too excited since the location is nowhere near what I would consider Olive Clubtail habitat
But after going home and looking it up in Tim's book and online, there's nothing else it can be.
Here's a photo of what should be Shasta County's first
*Olive Clubtail Stylurus olivaceus --- http://www.flickr.com/photos/bruunphoto/3692191458/sizes/o/ (CA chart #55, photo record)
The habitat here is evergreens (incense cedar, ponderosa pine, white fir, Douglas fir, etc.) and black oak.
Not far from where the Olive Clubtail was found is a small irrigation ditch, and about 150 yards from that, the South Fork of Bear Creek. Stream odes that occur here are
Pacific Spiketail (very common right now);
Pale-faced Clubskimmer (also pretty common);
Bison Snaketail (lots of those earlier on); and
Vivid Dancer
I'll be checking this spot several times between
now and the end of July, hoping to find more Olive Clubtail.
.
San Francisco County
Damien Pinguey (of UK)
SF - Pt. Point (below South end of Golden Gate Bridge) - some parts had become
completely dried up
*San Francisco Forktail Ischnura gemina - 3 males - images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/rezamink/sets/72157620944332597/
These are the first to be reported to me
[kb] or to CalOdes since August 11, 2007!
Pacific Forktail - males and immature females
San Andreas Reservoir at about 19:30 pm
Tule Bluet cold male photographed
Blue Dasher female photographed
July 4-5, 2009
Sacramento County
Tim Manolis
The change in weather patterns over northern California and the , including a shift and increase in winds, brought the first big wave of Pantala gliders (vast majority Spot-winged,
perhaps a few Wandering thrown in for good measure, plus saddlebags, etc.) to the Sacramento area.
Since Sunday there have been swarms over my home and nearby yards, easily 200+ at their maximum.
I have seen similar swarms elsewhere around town. A friend who is not familiar with dragonfly species reported a similar phenomenon near Fresno; I suspect they were gliders, too.
The appearance of large swarms of gliders here in the summer is an annual occurrence, but it was quite noticeably related to the change in large-scale weather patterns this time.
Of course, swarms of Pantala gliders (and in the tropics, other species such as Miathyria and Tramea spp,) are well known to be affected by the movement of weather fronts, etc.
July 4, 2009
Siskiyou County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Mt. Shasta City, Pond and stream adjacent to Mercy Hospital; 12 noon, 85F, no wind
Vivid Dancer - many
Pacific Forktail - some
Tule-type Bluet - few
Blue-eyed Darner - 1 male
Pacific Spiketail - 1 male, then a female who was ovipositing (in the dappled shade, about 8 mins. total time spent)
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 3 males, 1 female
Interesting was that we saw fewer species than we did on June 2nd
.
Modoc County
Steve Rottenborn
Dismal Swamp, along Forest Service Road 48N21 approx. 1.25 miles NE of Highgrade Road, Modoc National Forest
Leucorrhinia hudsonica (Hudsonian Whiteface) CA Chart #102; OC# 314013
July 3-6, 2009
Siskiyou County
Kathy &/or Dave Biggs
Dragonfly Roost Pond, Mt. Shasta Forest, NE
of McCloud
Pacific Forktail - a few males and females
Darner sp - 1 or 2
Twelve-spotted Skimmer* - 2 males, 1 female ovipositing
Four-spotted Skimmer* - 1 male
PANTALA species - 1 on the 5th, didn't see a spot on wing, but couldn't be certain of the species, so a sight only record for the species Pantala. (CA chart #7]
*I ate breakfast in a lounge chair by the pond - and I saw what I first thought was going to be a froglet crawl out of the pond onto the beach....
but too much body emerged for it to be a froglet. It was a Skimmer nymph!
It crawled the 5' to my chair, and I thought for a moment it was going to choose my leg to emerge on - how cool would that have
been!
But, it continued under the chair, and I lost track of it as I finished my breakfast. It had very good camouflage - but not good enuf I guess.
Twenty minutes later, I saw a W-fence Lizard make a lunge - he had it in his mouth - oh well!
Also noted: Later, sitting in the same chair at 3 that afternoon I had another good experience:
A C. Nighthawk swooped down, Skimmer/Swallow-like, and got a drink from the pond. Cool!
July 3-5, 2009
Modoc County
Steve Rottenborn
I spent last weekend
seeing 40 species of odonates
around Alturas, Goose Lake, and the north Warner Mountains.
Highlights include apparent first county
records of Hudsonian Whiteface and Grappletail, as well as Pacific
Spiketail, Western River Cruiser, and Mountain Emerald
(for which, I believe, there are relatively
few county records).
Sites visited included the following:
3 July - TSR = Three Springs Ranch on southwest side of Goose Lake;
DC = Pond in Davis Creek at CR 133-B and Rt.
395;
LC = Lassen Creek upstream from Lassen Creek
Campground, southwest of Fandango Pass;
FS 47 = small pond along Forest Service Road
47 midway between Rt. 395 and the Lassen Creek Campground;
GLSP = Goose Lake State Park area (on
CA/OR border) in New Pine Creek
4 July - DS = Dismal Swamp, in north Warners east of New Pine Creek; LL = Lily
Lake, along Forest Service Road 2 east of New Pine! Creek; LLP = Lower Lily
Pond, along Forest Service Road 2 west of Lily Lake
5 July - NFPR = North Fork of Pit River, at Rt. 395 pullout 4.2 mi N of Rt.
299, north of Alturas; MNWR = Modoc National Wildlife Refuge auto tour loop
Species, locations, and approximate numbers were as follows:
River Jewelwing: NFPR (35)
American Rubyspot: NFPR (10)
Spotted Spreadwing: DC (7)
Northern Spreadwing: FS 47 (4)
Emerald Spreadwing: FS 47 (1), MNWR (10)
Lyre-tipped Spreadwing: TSR (1), FS 47 (10)
Western Red Damsel: TSR (20), NFPR (1)
Emma's Dancer: LC (15), NFPR (12)
Sooty Dancer: LC (2), NFPR (28)
Aztec Dancer Argia nahuana: TSR (1)
Vivid Dancer: LC (30)
Northern Bluet: TSR (1 male in hand), NFPR (4 males in hand among
10 Bo/No Bluets)
Boreal Bluet: TSR (4 males in hand + 5 Bo/No Bluets), LC (1 male in
hand), FS 47 (3 males in ! hand among 60 Bo/No Bluets), LL (4 males in hand
among 150 Bo/No Bluet s), LLP (6 males in hand among 1000+ Bo/No Bluets)
Tule Bluet: MNWR (hundreds)
Alkali Bluet: TSR (4)
Pacific Forktail: TSR (10), MNWR (100+)
Western Forktail: TSR (75), LC (2), LL (6), MNWR (100+)
Common Green Darner: LC (1), NFPR (2), MNWR (60+)
California Darner: TSR (4), LC (6), LL (15), LLP (3)
Blue-eyed Darner: TSR (2)
Grappletail Octogomphus specularis
: LC (3, photographed) [CA chart #102] OC#: 314010
Pale Snaketail: LC (1), NFPR (9)
Pacific Spiketail Cordulegaster dorsalis:
LC (7, photographed) [upgrade of prior sighting only record CA chart #102]
Western River Cruiser: LC (1, sight record only) OC#:314011
American Emerald: LL (45), LLP (50)
*Mountain Emerald Somatochlora semicircularis: DS (15+,
photographed; flying from pine forest, where evidently spent the night, into
the meadows at around 09:00-09:15)
Western Pondhawk: TSR (1), MNWR (5)
Hudsonian Whiteface Leucorrhinia hudsonica: DS (25+, photographed in-hand), LL (1) [CA chart
#102] OC#:314012
Dot-tailed Whiteface: TSR (5), LLP (2)
Eight-spotted Skimmer: TSR (6), LC (2), FS 47 (6),! LL (40), LLP
(35), NFPR (5), MNWR (hundreds)
Hoary Skimmer: TSR (1)
Twelve-spotted Skimmer: LC (8), FS 47 (15), LL (6), NFPR (1), MNWR
(10)
Four-spotted Skimmer: TSR (10), LC (12), FS 47 (1), DS (1),
LL (80), LLP (80), MNWR (8)
Wandering Glider: MNWR (1)
Common Whitetail: FS 47 (4), LLP (2), MNWR (8)
Variegated Meadowhawk: TSR (3), GLSP (4), LL (2), MNWR (40)
*Cherry-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum internum: GLSP (5), MNWR
(5)
*Band-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum semicinctum: TSR (3),
MNWR (10)
Striped Meadowhawk: DC (7), FS 47 (7), LL (4), LLP (5), NFPR (4),
MNWR (2)
Black Saddlebags: LC (1), MNWR (1)
July 3, 2009
San Mateo County
Todd Morris
Ano Nuevo State Beach: Weather was warm with fog remaining offshore from at least Half Moon Bay (30 minutes, some time before noon):
Blue-eyed Darner - few hawking around the parking lot, seen well in flight.
Ano Nuevo State Reserve (2-3 hours, beginning noonish):
Blue-eyed Darner - few throughout, a number seen well in flight.
Vivid Dancer - several males & females along the trail that passes the pond on the north. Photos of both sexes
Sooty Dancer - one male seen among the Vivid Dancers; photo also obtained. Life ode, woo-hoo!
Pacific Forktail - one male seen well & photographed; same location as above.
?Northern Spreadwing - few seen only moderately well & photographs too distant to reveal much (to me) when magnified.
These were along a mostly dry depression near the North Beach e-seal viewing area. I've only seen this species once previously, & these ones were only slightly pruinose
July 2, 2009
Glenn County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
I-5 north in the Sacramento Valley at the Blue Gum Rest Stop
There was a swarm of approximately 200 Wandering Gliders concentrated over this one tree in the central area.
Then within 8 minutes the swarm had divided itself between that tree and the one just south of it (I would have expected them to head a bit North, but no, not at this point).
There were many of these trees in a generally north to south line, but the other trees had no Gliders over them at all.
All the Gliders we saw were Wandering Gliders, but we only spent a minute or two, as we headed into and then out of the restrooms, observing them.
JUNE
June 29, 2009
Imperial County
Gary Suttle
West Main Canal at Highway 98 crossing, 10:45-1:15, cloudy with a few sprinkles in the morning, mostly sunny with a wispy breeze in the afternoon, 92-108 degrees.
Powdered Dancer >10
Darner sp. 1
*Russet-tipped Clubtail Stylurus plagiatus 3M 1F
*Brimstone Clubtail Stylurus intricatus 3M 5F
(Rustled arroweed and tamarisk shrubs to stir the clubtails; sometimes they flew off, unidentified, but more often they alighted nearby, easy to see and photograph
when their landing spots were observed...otherwise they blend into the vegetation.
Worked the area between the Highway 98 bridge and the footbridge crossing the canal, a short distance to the north.
Found most of the clubtails in the shrubbery lining the east edge of the main canal, a bit thicker than that on the west side, so affording more shade from the heat).
White-belted Ringtail 2 M 3 F
Blue Dasher 1
Roseate Skimmer 1 F
Spot-winged Glider 2
San Diego County
Pine Valley Creek, from Pine Creek Wilderness Trailhead, 2:30-3:30, mostly cloudy, damp ground and vegetation from recent thunderstorm, light breeze, 78-81 degrees.
American Rubyspot 3
Vivid Dancer >5
Northern Bluet > 10 (2 in hand )
*Walker's Darner Aeshna walkeri 1
Pacific Spiketail 3
Cardinal Meadowhawk >6 tandem, ovipositing
Flame Skimmer 4
June 28 & 29, 2009
Sonoma County
Kathy Biggs
Bigsnest Wildlife Pond (BWP), Sebastopol the 28 & 29th we had 10 species in 2 hrs more than usual!
Hallberg Butterfly Gardens (HBG), Graton, the 29th, 6 species during the open house.
Vivid Dancers 1 male (BWP)
Northern Bluet 1 male (BWP)
Pacific Forktail several both locations
Western Forktail several both locations
Exclamation Damsel 1 male (BWP)
Blue-eyed Darner 1 male + 1 ovipositing female (BWP)
Common Green Darner - 1 (HBG)
Pacific Spiketail 1 male (BWP) hes been here every day for over a week now!
Flame Skimmer 3 males (BWP); 2 males (HBG)
Blue Dasher 2-3 males (BWP); 1 male (HBG)
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 1 male (HBG)
Cardinal Meadowhawks 2 males (BWP); 1 male (HBG)
June 28, 2009
Mendocino County
Matthew Matthiessen
Hog Lake on UC Davis property near Hopland. The pond is at approximately 3k foot elevation.
*LYRE-TIPPED SPREADWINGS Lestes unguiculatus, several hundred. This is a first record for Mendocino County. Photographs were obtained. (CA CHART #101, photo record) OC#: 318371
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Common Green Darner
Black Saddlebags
Western Forktail
Red-veined Meadowhawk,
Variegated Meadowhawk
Striped Meadowhawk
Other odes seen on other ponds at the UC Davis field station:
Western Pondhawk
Blue Dasher
Pacific Forktail
Tule Bluet
Vivid Dancer
Flame Skimmer
Blue-eyed Darner
Black Spreadwing
Cardinal Meadowhawk
No/bo bluet
.
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
--East Fork of Coyote Creek and vicinity, Henry Coe State Park, (only a few
pools left):
*California Spreadwing Archilestes californicus 10 (none
with blue eyes yet)
Black Spreadwing 6 (some in spikerush around a pool, with
California Spreadwings in an adjacent shrub)
Bluet spp. 45, apparently including Familiar, Tule, and
probably Arroyo
Pacific Forktail 6
Western Forktail 12
Mosaic darner sp. 4
Western River Cruiser 1
Flame Skimmer 1
Striped Meadowhawk 5 (one male with mostly red abdomen, unlike those
seen the previous day)
.
Butte County
John Sterling John Luther, Jim Lomax and
Steve Glover
Cherry Hill Campground on Humboldt Pass
Road, past Butte Meadows.
*Black Petaltails Tanypteryx hageni - approximately 6 in the marshy seep that
had rein orchids and tiger lilies in bloom.
I poked around for other odes in the
mountains, but the creeks and marshes were devoid of odes of any kind, except
for one Variegated Meadowhawk in a meadow.
June 27, 2009
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
--Approx. 1 mile of Coyote Creek upstream from end of Gilroy Hot Spring, Henry
Coe State Park
Black/Spotted Spreadwing 2 (probably Black)
California/Aztec Dancer 1500+; one small, floating sedge leaf had
tandem pairs of California/Aztec, Emma's, and Sooty Dancer plus Northern/Boreal
Bluets ovipositing simultaneously
Emma's Dancer 55
Sooty Dancer 150
Vivid Dancer 5
Bluet spp. 325, apparently mostly Familiar and Tule, with
fewer Arroyo and Northern/Boreal
Pacific Forktail 1
Western Forktail 9
Exclamation Damsel 1
California Darner 2
Blue-eyed Darner 2 (plus 4 unidentified mosaic darners)
Pacific Spiketail 1
*Pacific Clubtail Gomphus kurilis 5 [last report
2009]
Grappletail 1
Western River Cruiser 20+ seen over a long, broad pool in the
creek 1/4-mile or less above Gilroy Hot Springs Road between 0900 and 1100; at
one point, 12-15 were visible ! simultaneously
Flame Skimmer 45
Red Rock Skimmer 11
Common Whitetail 4
Cardinal Meadowhawk 2
Striped Meadowhawk 100+; none yet with red on abdomen, all in
shady areas within the floodplain but away from the creek channel
Black Saddlebags 1
With Black-fronted Forktail, Common Green Darner, Blue Dasher, and Widow
Skimmer near Coyote Reservoir nearby, I saw 28 species in the area
that day
.
Santa Clara County
John Hall David Edwards
Monte Bello OSP pond with brief visit to seep, Skyline Ridge OSP
Monte Bello OSP pond
Spotted Spreadwing 4
Northern Spreadwing 30
Black Spreadwing 8
Bluet,sp 50
Arroyo Bluet 40
Pacific Forktail 15
Western Forktail 10
Desert Firetail 2
Mosaic Darner,sp 4
Common Green Darner 2
California Darner 1
Blue-eyed Darner 1
Western Pondhawk 3
Eight-spotted Skimmer 20
Flame Skimmer 15
Blue Dasher 15
Common Whitetail 4
Red-veined Meadowhawk 2
Striped Meadowhawk 4
Black Saddlebags 1
Monte Bello seep
Vivid Dancer 6 seep
Pacific Spiketail 3 seep
Cardinal Meadowhawk 2 seep
San Mateo County
Skyline Ridge OSP
Alpine Pond
Northern Spreadwing 4
California Dancer 15
Bluet,sp 20
Arroyo Bluet 20
Pacific Forktail 15
Western Forktail 5
Mosaic Darner,sp 2
Common Green Darner 1
Blue-eyed Darner 2
Western Pondhawk 5
Eight-spotted Skimmer 10
Flame Skimmer 8
Blue Dasher 20
Common Whitetail 4
Cardinal Meadowhawk 2
Horseshoe Lake
*Northern Spreadwing Lestes disjunctus 1
California Dancer 20
Bluet,sp 40
Boreal/Northern Bluet 20
Arroyo Bluet 15
Pacific Forktail 10
Western Forktail 3
Mosaic Darner,sp 4
Common Green Darner 5
Blue-eyed Darner 2
Western Pondhawk 4
Eight-spotted Skimmer 20
Flame Skimmer 40
Blue Dasher 20
Common Whitetail 4
Cardinal Meadowhawk 2
Black Saddlebags 2
June 25-27, 2009
Plumas County
Doug Vaughan and Doris Kretschmer
Lakes Basin
the season a bit early for wildflowers, high-elevation butterflies, and odes.
Two observations were of interest:
American Emeralds (Cordulia shurtleffii) were widespread and common, usually far from water.
All that I saw well were tenerals or "subadults" still lacking green eyes. I saw none ovipositing or copulating.
Mature Hudsonian Whitefaces (Leucorrhinia hudsonica) were abundant at a single boggy pond (Glacier Lake on some local maps, about 0.5 km ne of the Long L. dam),
.many in tandem or copulating. Numbers were impressive
Otherwise, at the few spots visited, I saw only
W. Red Damsel (Amphiagrion abbreviatum) -- 1 female (collected 27 Jun)
Pacific Forktail (Ischnura cervula) -- a few
N. Bluet (Enallagma annexum) -- locally numerous, several in hand
unidentified darners -- only two
Eight-spotted Skimmer (Libellula forensis) -- only in Sierra Valley
Twelve-spotted Skimmer (L. pulchella) -- a few at Glacier Lake
Four-spotted Skimmer (L. quadrimaculata) -- f. com. at several ponds
June 25, 2009
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
South County Regional Wastewater Authority, Gilroy,
Bluet spp. 30+, including Familiar and Tule
Pacific Forktail 100
Common Green Darner 4
Blue-eyed Darner 2
Variegated Meadowhawk 3
Black Saddlebags 5
Red Saddlebags 6 (including tandem pair)
--Rosendin Pond, Anderson Lake County Park, Morgan Hill
Black Spreadwing 5
Bluet spp. 25+., including Familiar and Tule
Western Forktail 15+
Common Green Darner 4
Variegated Meadowhawk 80 (mostly tenerals)
June 19, 2009
Mendocino and Glenn Counties
John Hall, David Edwards
Plaskett Lakes in Glenn County
We drove the Forest Route 7 over Mendocino Pass route starting on the west side outside of Covelo.
Plaskett Lakes and meadow was our last stop for dragonflies.
The lakes are at an elevation of about 6,000 feet.
Western Red Damsel 3 Plaskett Lake
Vivid Dancer 3 Mendocino
Vivid Dancer 3 Plaskett Lake
Boreal Bluet 1 (in hand) Plaskett Lake
Boreal/Northern Bluet 80 Plaskett Lake
Pacific Forktail 2 Plaskett Lake
Western Forktail 3 Plaskett Lake
California Darner 1 Mendocino
Blue-eyed Darner 2 Mendocino
Blue-eyed Darner 3 Plaskett Lake
Bison Snaketail 1 Mendocino
American Emerald 20 Plaskett Lake
Dot-tailed Whiteface 20 Plaskett Lake
Four-spotted Skimmer 120 Plaskett Lake
Flame Skimmer 4 Mendocino
Common Whitetail 3 Plaskett Lake
June 18, 2009
Siskiyou County
David Payne
Kelly Lake, 10:30 til 3:15, clear and sunny with temps in the low 80's. It became breezy after 3pm. This wind played havoc with many sets of tender wings on emerging dragons.
Northern Bluets/ Boreal Bluets - hundreds, many in wheel, many ovipositing, some tenerals, a few first flights, most abundant damsel
Common Green Darner - 1 male patrolling the shallow end of the lake
Blue-eyed Darner - 3 males patrolling willow edges
American Emerald - emergence in progress, ~ 50 first flights, some in wheel. The emergence seemed to be centered in deeper water areas.
Four-spotted Skimmer - 6 males, 2 females
*Chalk-fronted Corporal Ladona julia - ~100, mostly males, a few females, some in wheel, a couple tenerals, seemed most abundant dragon today [ONLY report 2009]
*Crimson-ringed Whiteface Leucorrhinia glacialis - emergence in progress, ~ 75 first flights, some in wheel. This emergence was centered on the shallow end of the lake.
This was the second most abundant dragon today.
*Hudsonian Whiteface Leucorrhinia hudsonica - 3 in hand to check wing cells
Twelve-spotted Skimmer - 4 males, good look at one perched male
June 15/16, 2009
Siskiyou County
Steve Gordon and Cary Kerst
Shasta River and Collier Rest Area
north of Yreka
Common
Green Darner, Anax junius
River
Jewelwing, Calopteryx aequabilis
American
Rubyspot, Hetaerina americana
Emma's
Dancer, A. emma
Sooty
Dancer, A. lugens
Vivid
Dancer, A. vivida
Tule
Bluet, Enallagma carunculatum
Northern
Bluet, E. annexum
Western
Forktail, Ischnura perparva
Pacific
Clubtail, Gomphus kurilis
Sinuous
Snaketail, Ophiogomphus occidentis
Western
River Cruiser, Macromia magnifica
Common
Pondhawk, Erythemis simplicicollis
Eight-spotted
Skimmer, Libellula forensis
Widow
Skimmer, L. luctuosa
Flame
Skimmer, L. saturata
Blue
Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis
Cardinal
Meadowhawk, Sympetrum illotum
Common
Whitetail, Plathemis lydia
Cardinal
Meadowhawk, Sympetrum illotum
Black
Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata
June 14/15, 2009
Colusa County
Steve Gordon and Cary Kerst
Bear Creek
We had many highlights, but seeing
male and female Giant Darners in the "wheel" position, females
ovipositing, Sanddragons in the "wheel", and the Clubskimmers
patrolling above the riffles were highlights for us.
American
Rubyspot, Hetaerina americana
California
Dancer, Argia agrioides
Sooty
Dancer, A. lugens
Vivid
Dancer, A. vivida
Northern
Bluet, Enallagma annexum
Common
Green Darner, Anax junius
Giant
Darner, A. walsinghami
California
Darner, Rhionaeschna californica
Blue-eyed
Darner, R. multicolor
White-belted
Ringtail, Erpetogomphus compositus
Pacific
Clubtail, Gomphus kurilis
Gray
Sanddragon, Progomphus borealis
Common
Pondhawk, Erythemis simplicicollis
Eight-spotted
Skimmer, Libellula forensis
Widow
Skimmer, L. luctuosa
Flame
Skimmer, L. saturata
Pale-faced
Clubskimmer, Brechmorhoga mendax
Blue
Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis
Common
Whitetail, Plathemis lydia
Cardinal
Meadowhawk, Sympetrum illotum
Black
Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata
June 14, 2009
Contra Costa County
Rob Thomas
Briones RP, Sindicich & Maricich Lagoons;11:00am to 2:00pm, low 70s, clear
turning cloudy, westerly breeze
Spotted Spreadwing 8, all teneral or young
Black Spreadwing 50+, many tandems
Tule, Arroyo, Familiar and Northern/Boreal
types - Not quite clouds of
bluets but close with seen, tandems and wheels everywhere, also 20+ teneral
Pacific Forktail 20+, several tandems
Western Forktail 20+
Black-fronted Forktail 1
California Darner 8
Blue-eyed Darner 30+, several tandems
Common Green Darner 20+, several tandems
Common Whitetail 50+, several tandems
Flame Skimmer 5
Eight-spotted Skimmer 30+, 1 tandem
Western Pondhawk 3
Variegated Meadowhawk 13, all teneral
Cardinal Meadowhawk 14, two tandems
Striped Meadowhawk 1
Blue Dasher 20+
.
San Luis Obispo County
Nick Lethaby
Oceano Lagoon
Red Saddlebags Tramea onusta a male (sight record only, CA Chart # 71)
June 13, 2009
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Sebastopol backyard & pond
Western Forktail
Vivid Dancer
Blue-eyed Darner female ovipositing all afternoon!
Pacific Spiketail a male cruising the yard intermittently
the last few afternoons
Blue Dasher 3 males
Cardinal Meadowhawk, males and a pair ovipositing
.
Siskiyou County
Steve Gordon and Cary Kerst
Ash Creek
Pacific Clubtails and Sinuous Snaketails - Dozens of during a brief stop in late
afternoon.
June 11, 2009
Placer County
Bruce Webb
Granite Bay, yard on Cantershire Way
Desert Firetail (Telebasis salva) 1 annual here
Blue-eyed Darner (Aeshna multicolor) 2 lots of blue
Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata) 2
Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) 2
Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) 1
some photos are in a Placer County album http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CalOdes/photos/album/0/list
.
Sonoma County
Kathy Biggs
Lake Ralphine east of Santa Rosa, late afternoon - a short walk around the small lake.
Highlight was a female Beaverpond Baskettail that flew in and landed where I could get close and observe her well.
She spent more than 2 mins. perched, exuding eggs to form her 'basket' the whole while.
She might have stayed longer if I hadn't disturbed her. Oh, wish I'd had a camera!
Also of note: NO DAMSELFLIES or Darners seen at all!
Also no Pacific Clubtails or 8-spotted Skimmers, which are usually there.
It was a little later in the day than usual, 3:30-4:15. 70F, breezy.
*Beaverpond Baskettail Epitheca canis, 2-3 seen, including the female seen well; one foraging in open area ~35 ft from pond. [last report 2009]
Western Pondhawk - 1 male
Widow Skimmer - 1 male
Flame Skimmer - 4-6 males
Common Whitetail - >/= dozen males
Blue Dasher - 1 male
Black Saddlebags - 1-2 males
Note: Vivid Dancers, Cardinal Meadowhawks and Flame Skimmers were seen at my Sebastopol backyard before I left .
.
Shasta and Tehama Counties
John Hall, David Edwards
Location: Cow Creek (CC)
(BCWA) Battle Creek Wildlife Area- Shasta County
(CWA) Cottonwood Wildlife Area Shasta County
(JL) Jelly's Landing Tehama County
Our first stop in warm sunny weather was Cow Creek. This is just eastof Deschutes Road along route 44 east of Redding.
We made brief stops at Battle Creek and Cottonwood Wildlife areas before heading back to SF with a short look around Jelly's Landing in Tehama County.
American Rubyspot 1 CC; 10 BCWA
California Dancer 2 CC; 2 BCWA
Emma's Dancer 1 CC; 2 BCWA
Sooty Dancer 30 CC
Vivid Dancer 7 BCWA
Tule Bluet 7 CC; 1 BCWA
Familiar Bluet 1 CC
Bluet,sp 1 JL
Pacific Forktail 6 JL
Black-fronted Forktail 1 CC
Western Forktail 3 CC
Common Green Darner 1 JL
Blue-eyed Darner 1 BCWA
Darner,sp 2 CWA
Gray Sanddragon 1 CC
Pale-faced Clubskimmer 1 CC
Western Pondhawk 1 CC; 1 CWA
Eight-spotted Skimmer 1 BCWA
Widow Skimmer 3 CC; 1 BCWA ; 1 JL
Twelve-spotted Skimmer 2 JL
Flame Skimmer 1 CC ; 3 BCWA
Blue Dasher 3 CC
Common Whitetail 1 CC; 1 BCWA
Variegated Meadowhawk 4 CC ; 2 JL
Black Saddlebags 1 JL
June 8 & 9, 2009
Shasta County
Ray Bruun
It's been six or seven years since Neon Skimmer has been sighted in Shasta County. I saw a couple on Monday and photographed one on Tuesday.
June 9, 2009
Modoc County
Steve Rottenborn
Modoc NWR, Sunny, 18-22 degrees C
Western Forktail 1
Pacific Forktail 80
California & Blue-eyed Darner at least 8 Californias and 2
Blue-eyeds among 25+ mosaic darners, most of which I think were Californias
Lassen County
Blue Lake, Cloudy, becoming overcast
with thunderstorm and showers, 18-22 degrees C
Western Forktail 1
Pacific Forktail 4
Boreal/Northern Bluet 1
Snaketail sp. 1 unidentified individual, apparently a snaketail,
seen only in briefly in flight
*Spiny Baskettail Epitheca spinigera 400+ in a relatively
limited portion of the lakes shoreline near the boat ramp. When I arrived
at 11:30, I saw only a few flying tenerals, with most emerging as nymphs from
the lake or emerging from exuviae, which were densely packed on emergent sedges
and rushes, rocks, logs, tree trunks, and shrubs. Although emerging
individuals were concentrated closest to the shoreline (i.e., within 5 m or so
of the lake edge), I found nymphs as much as 20 m from the lake still walking
upslope. Densities in some sedges along the lake edge were as high as
20/square meter. I found very few exuviae that did not have a baskettail
next to or emerging from it when I arrived, so I may have caught this emergence
on its first big day. By 15:00 when I left, many tenerals were flying
away from the lake. I would have expected higher densities of avian
predators taking advantage of this emergence than I saw, but a few American
Robins, Western Tanagers, Brewers Blackbirds, and Red-winged Blackbirds were
depredating baskettails heavily. I watched one robin eat six baskettails,
taking some that were still only partially emerged from their exuviae, then
grab two more and fly off with both in its bill, all in the space of less than
two minutes. [ONLY report 2009]
June 8, 2009
Modoc County
Steve Rottenborn
Lower Lily Pond, along Forest Service Road 2 east of New Pine Creek and west of
Lily Lake, Sunny, 18-20 degrees C
Western Forktail 2
Pacific Forktail 6
Boreal Bluet 15 males identified in-hand among 1200+ bluets; all
appeared to be Boreal/Northern types. Despite the presence of numerous
tandem pairs, females must have been in short supply, as teneral females were
being mobbed by groups of 5-10 or more mature males even before they could fly.
Western Red Damsel 6
American Emerald 40
California Darner 8
Dot-tailed Whiteface 2
Four-spotted Skimmer 175 (many tenerals)
Twelve-spotted Skimmer 2
.
Nevada County
Zach Smith
Lake Spaulding (near hwy 20/80 junction, 5000' elevation)
Beaverpond baskettails
.
Mendocino County
Kate Marianchild
Low Gap Park on Orr Creek near the west park boundary
Bison Snaketails 2
June 7, 2009
Modoc County
Steve Rottenborn
Several spots in and around Surprise Valley; Sunny, warm (up to 27 degrees C)
County Road 38 east of Eagleville:
Common Green Darner 1
Blue-eyed Darner 2
Variegated Meadowhawk 1
Eight-spotted Skimmer 2
Seyferths and Leonard's Hot Springs, along County Road 18 northeast of
Cedarville (I checked relatively limited areas close to the road):
Paiute Dancer 7
Black-fronted Forktail 1
Blue-eyed Darner 2
Variegated Meadowhawk 1
Western Pondhawk 14
Desert Whitetail 13
Hoary Skimmer 5
Applegate Hot Spring, along County Road 15B north of Leonard's Hot Spring:
Emerald Spreadwing Lestes dryas 1 mature male
Paiute Dancer 2
Black-fronted Forktail 1
Common Green Darner 1
Blue-eyed Darner 2
California Darner 1
*Pale Snaketail Ophiogomphus severus 1
Western Pondhawk 8
Desert Whitetail 18
Hoary Skimmer 10
Pond on south side of Forest Service Road 9, ½-mile west of County Road 1 (on
the east side of Fandango Pass):
Boreal Bluet 5 males identified in hand, among 150 Boreal/Northern
Bluets
Western Forktail 4
Mosaic darner sp. 1 female
Dot-tailed Whiteface 5
Common Whitetail 2
.
Sonoma County
Kathy Biggs , MO Madrone Audubon Fieldtrip
Pine Flat Rd, East of Healdsburg & the
Russian River
Location key in order visited:
Dougs Seep = seep just above Rebizzo Ranch
(with lots of watercress)
MM10 ponds (formerly called Socrates Mine
Ponds in error in prior years)
SCp=pond along Sulphur Creek (~MM9 - do not
block driveway);
RRp=Rebizzo Ranch pond (PRIVATE property)
MM1= mile marker one, looking into Little Sulphur Creek
RR = Russian River @ Alexander Valley Rd. Alexander Valley RV Park (entrance fee required)
American Rubyspot several males, RR
Black Spreadwing - several, including mature
males and females found at MM10 ponds,
California Dancer several seen, one sentinel guarding pair collected
for identification: RR
Emmas Dancer many seen: MM1, RR
Sooty Dancer a few: MM1, RR
Vivid Dancer many seen, including sentinel guarding: Dougs
seep, MM10
Boreal/Northern Bluet - several more blue than
dark bluets seen: MM10, SCp, RR
Common Green Darner - a few males seen: MM10, RRp
California Darner - a few males seen: MM10,
RRp
Pacific Clubtail at least one m ale
seen: RRp
Pacific Spiketail one m ale seen: below
RRp
Western Pondhawk - a few mature males seen, one coloring up: RRp
Eight-spotted Skimmer - several seen: RRp
Widow Skimmer - one male: RRp
Twelve-spotted Skimmer - a male seen: MM10
Flame Skimmer
several males seen: MM10, RRp, MM1, RR
Common Whitetail - many males seen, tandems, ovipositing females being guarded by
hovering males: MM10, RRp
Blue Dasher - males seen at RRp
Cardinal Meadowhawk - several males seen well and in hand: MM10, RRp
Red-veined Meadowhawk a few males seen: MM10
20 species seen - a very good day, however
this is the 3rd year in a row with no Petaltails nor Hoary Skimmers, and of
note is that no forktails at all were seen this year!
.
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish
Ponds, Dos Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100; 8:30-12:45, 75-90F, 15% cirrus, gentle
breeze NW.
Paiute Dancer, Argia alberta 3 including one in-hand.
Blue-ringed Dancer, A. sedula 4
Vivid Dancer, A. vivida 1
Desert Forktail, Ischnura barberi 3
Citrine Forktail, I. hastata 1
Ramburs Forktail, I. ramburii >25 including one
tandem pair.
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 12 including one
ovipositing pair.
Red-tailed Pennant, Brachymesia furcata
7
Western Pondhawk, Erythemis collocata.>75 including several
ovipositing females.
Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis >100
Comanche Skimmer, Libellula comanche >50
Bleached Skimmer, L. composita 1
Widow Skimmer, L. luctuosa 13
Flame Skimmer, L. saturata 4
Roseate skimmer, Orthemis ferruginea 13
Marl Pennant, Macrodiplax balteata >75
Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata 9
Red Saddlebags, T. onusta 10 including one tandem
pair.
Spot-winged Glider, Pantala hymenaea 2
.
Inyo County
David and Linda Blue
Cerro Gordo Road (east of Owen's Lake)
Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor 4,
ph., 3 at 5194 ft (36 30.965, 117 49.852)
Spot-winged Glider Pantala hymenaea 1
Keeler (east side of Owen's Lake)
Paiute Dancer Argia alberta 4, ph.
Spot-winged Glider Pantala hymenaea 1
Owens River at Hwy 136 east of Lone Pine
Familiar Bluet Enallagma civile 2, ph.,
tandem
Pacific Forktail Ischnura cervula 1, ph.,
male-like female, ovipositing
Cottonwood Marsh (west side of Owens Lake)
Paiute Dancer Argia alberta 1, ph.
Black-fronted Forktail Ischnura denticollis
1, ph.
Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor 2,
ph., wheel
Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata 4, ph.,
wheel
Bleached Skimmer Libellula composita 12,
ph., many tandem ovipositing
Hoary Skimmer Libellula nodisticta 1, ph.
Flame Skimmer Libellula saturata 6
Desert Whitetail Plathemis subornata 8, ph.
June 6, 2009
Sonoma County
Kathy Biggs & participants at the
Pepperwood Preserve Dragonfly workshop
Pepperwood Preserve, off Franz Valley Rd,
North of Santa Rosa (not open to public without invitation)
Black Spreadwing - several, a few mature,
most newly emerged, males and females found. One pair seen tandem ovipositing
above the water line.
Boreal Bluet - at least one male identified in hand, several more blue than
dark bluets seen.
Arroyo Bluet - at least one male identified in hand, several more dark
than blue bluets seen.
Western Forktail - a few mature females netted, possibly one male seen
Common Green Darner - a few males seen, one pair in tandem ovipositing.
California Darner - a few males seen, looking for 'yummies'!!
Western Pondhawk - a few seen, all green in color, either females or young
males
Eight-spotted Skimmer - many seen, including tandems, wheels and ovipositing
females
Common Whitetail - many males seen
Flame Skimmer - 1-2 males seen
Blue Dasher - at least one male seen well, several others suspected to be
this species
Variegated Meadowhawk - at least one teneral male seen
Cardinal Meadowhawk - several males seen well
Red-veined Meadowhawk - many seen, inc. mature males and teneral males, pairs
in tandem and in wheel, and ovipositing with tandem guarding
Striped Meadowhawk - at least two teneral males seen
Black Saddlebags - at least one male seen
16 species seen - a very good day!
June 4, 2009
Humboldt County
Sean McAlllister
Cock Robin Island, Eel River Estuary
Lestes dryas (Emerald Spreadwing) CA Chart #106; OC # 314428
Lestes stultus (Black Spreadwing)
June 2, 2009
Siskiyou County
Kathy Biggs
Mt. Shasta City, pond next to the hospital
Vivid Dancer - abundant
Pacific Forktail - many
California Darner a few
Blue-eyed Darner a few
8-spotted Skimmer - 2+ males
Cardinal Meadowhawk several
Black Saddlebags at least 1 male
.
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Pine Valley Creek on June 2 (accessed from the Pine Valley Wilderness Trailhead)
Grappletail(s) the young males observed here on May 28th and 29th were still flying.
May
May 31, 2009
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Coachella Valley Preserve, McCallum
Trail, Elev. 560; 8:15-11:15, 80-90F, 10% stratocumulus, light breeze NW.
Paiute
Dancer, Argia alberta 2
Vivid
Dancer, A. vivida >30
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 1
Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum
corruptum 2
Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax
longipennis 3
Comanche Skimmer, Libellula
comanche 2
**Neon Skimmer, L. croceipennis 1M [new early date, old date 6/14/2008]
Flame Skimmer, L. saturata 12
Marl Pennant, Macrodiplax
balteata 1
Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata 2
Wandering Glider, Pantala
flavescens 1
Spot-winded Glider, P. hymenaea 1
Note: The McCallum Oasis pond
is being drained and managed to restore a dwindling desert pupfish refuge
population that has been decimated by invasive crayfish, mosquito fish and
guppies at this site. This pond will be dry for at least four months. The
Wilhelm Grove spring and marsh should mostly be available for odeing this
summer.
May 30, 2009
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
Ogier Ponds, along Coyote Creek north of Morgan Hill
23 spp.; highlights - Western River Cruiser, Beaverpond Baskettail, Red Saddlebags
California/Aztec Dancer 30 (several confirmed Californias)
Vivid Dancer 8
Tule Bluet 60
Familiar Bluet 1
Pacific Forktail 15
Western Forktail 2
Black-fronted Forktail 1
Exclamation Damsel 5
Common Green Darner 14
Blue-eyed Darner 18
Pacific Clubtail 6
Western River Cruiser 1
Beaverpond Baskettail 1
Western Pondhawk 6
Eight-spotted Skimmer 5
Widow Skimmer 7
Flame Skimmer 24
Blue Dasher 10
Wandering Glider 1
Common Whitetail 2
Cardinal Meadowhawk 2
Black Saddlebags 8
Red Saddlebags 1
May 29, 2009
Siskiyou County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Our McCloud pond, Mt. Shasta Forest, 4700 ft., 80F 11:00
Western Forktails, matures and emerging
Darner sp.
12-spotted Skimmer - 2+ males
4-spotted Skimmer - 3+ males, one female ovipositing
.
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve pond
15 spp.; highlights - Spotted and Black Spreadwings, Red-veined Meadowhawks
Spotted Spreadwing 2 males (possibly more)
Black Spreadwing 25+
Vivid Dancer 4
Tule, Arroyo, and Northern/Boreal Bluets (approximately equal percentages
among 100+ bluets)
Pacific Forktail 10
Western Forktail 1
Common Green Darner 8
Blue-eyed Darner 10
Flame Skimmer 10
Common Whitetail 1
Cardinal Meadowhawk 5 (incl. one tandem pair)
Red-veined Meadowhawk 12 (several tandem pairs)
Striped Meadowhawk 12 tenerals
The only odonates along upper Stevens Creek near Camp Costanoan above Stevens
Creek Reservoir were a pair of Red Rock Skimmers and two Vivid
Dancers.
May 28, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Pine Valley Creek, 11:00-12:30, mostly sunny, light breezes, 77 degrees
American Rubyspot
California Dancer
Vivid Dancer
Western Forktail
Grappletail 1 M photos (Seldom seen in San Diego County)
Pacific Spiketail 1
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Flame Skimmer
May 27, 2009
Shasta County
Ray Bruun
north Bechelli Lane in Redding
*Pale-faced Clubskimmer Brechmorhoga mendax - patrolling a beat next to a new silver Infinity G35 sports car (not mine, unfortunately).
May 28/29, 2009
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
Oka Ponds, located along Los Gatos
Creek in Campbell, , I had only a few minutes to check for Odes but I quickly
found 3 male Red Saddlebags. Today I returned at midday and was
able to spend a bit more time there. Highlights were 15+ Red Saddlebags
and a Western River Cruiser. A complete list follows:
California/Aztec Dancer 50+ (the few males identified were
California)
Vivid Dancer 8
Tule, Arroyo, and Familiar Bluets among 120+ bluets
Pacific Forktail 80
Black-fronted Forktail 1
Common Green Darner 20
Blue-eyed Darner 6
*Western River Cruiser Macromia magnifica 1
Western Pondhawk 30
Widow Skimmer 3
Flame Skimmer 40
Blue Dasher 12
Wandering/Spot-winged Glider 2 unidentified
Variegated Meadowhawk 7
Cardinal Meadowhawk 1
Black Saddlebags 30
Red Saddlebags 15+
May 25, 2009
Shasta County
Ray Bruun & Rob Santry
Lake McCumber and a small pond near Lake McCumber
**Dot-tailed Whiteface Leucorrhinia intacta There were many flying, including tenerals,
full adults, and pairs in wheel. This is a reliable spot for them. Early in the season Dot-tailed is the most
numerous dragonfly here. [ties
early date]
**American Emerald Cordulia
shurtleffi at
the pond and at Lake McCumber; same age ranges as L. intacta. [new early
date, old date 5/28/2001]
May 24 & 25, 2009
Alpine County
Don Roberson & Rita Carratello
it was interesting to note that it 'feels' like early April from an odeing perspective here. Although we checked some locales
that have had many odes in summer (e.g., Hope Valley Lake, Indian Creek Reservoir, Heenan Reservoir) we saw only a couple Variegated Meadowhawk
and one female Common Green Darner.
Mono County 25 May 2009; 1100-1230, hot, calm, sunny
DeChambeau Ponds
Familiar Bluet 4 (2 males, 2 females of probable i.d.)
Blue-eyed Darner 20, including wheel
Variegated Meadowhawk 8, inc. tandem ovipositing on pond #1, which is the pond with the hot spring inlet. A new, small hot spring (with 120 degree water per the local USFS
hydrologist we met) has just erupted, within the last couple of days, next to pond #4; one male Variegated had already staked it out as territory.
Desert Whitetail 1 male circling pond #2
..
Inyo County
Fish Slough
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Giant Darners 2 on 24th and one on
the 25th
May 23, 2009
Sacramento County
Tim Manolis
Led a dragonfly watching walking for Sacramento
Audubon along the American River Parkway from about 10:30 a. m. to 1:30 p.m. We
saw:
Bluets -- 100s, emergence
still going strong, many tenerals. Only Familiar and Tule
Bluets were netted (Arroyo Bluet possible here, one netted here last
month).
Pacific Forktail -- about 50 seen.
Western Forktail -- a few males seen,
fewer than 10.
Exclamation Damsel -- still going strong,
100+ seen, a fair number in tandem or wheel.
Common Green Darner -- about 6 seen.
Pacific Clubtail -- one male netted, 1-2
others seen.
Sinuous Snaketail -- 10-15 seen, 2
females netted.
Western Pondhawk -- 40+ seen, females
seen ovipositing, one female seen eating a damselfly.*Widow Skimmer --
about 20 seen, most tenerals or otherwise still not fully mature, away from
water.
Common Whitetail -- 80-100 seen, many
mature males patrolling the shoreline, but also fair number of immatures away
from water and some tenerals seen.
*Twelve-spotted Skimmer Libellula
pulchella -- 12 seen, mostly mature males.
Flame Skimmer -- 2 seen.
Blue Dasher -- 10+.
Black Saddlebags -- 8 seen.
Water levels along the
river here are much higher than on the same date last year, and the overall
level of activity seems a bit delayed compared to last year at this time.
.
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Fish Slough
Gray Sanddragon -
our first of year
Santa Clara County for
odes during the period 19-23 May. Highlights were Red-veined Meadowhawks
and emerging Striped Meadowhawks at all three locations, Black Spreadwings at
two, and early Spotted Spreadwings at one.
May 22 & 23, 2009
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
Arastradero Preserve in Palo Alto
I saw large numbers of recently
emerged individuals there on the 22nd and lower numbers along upper
Coyote Creek in Henry Coe State Park. On the 23rd there were large
numbers at Rosendin Pond at Anderson Lake County Park, all in Santa Clara
County. Although there was minor variation in the extent of dark markings
on the abdomen and the conspicuousness of the pale stripes on top of the
thorax, I think that the same species was represented in all three cases.
4 representative photos of "tenerals" taken have been
confirmed:
*Striped Meadowhawks Sympetrum pallipes
- generally showing very little marking on the abdomen
Variegated Meadowhawks - tenerals at Rosendin Pond
that showed the typical well-patterned abdomen.
Red-veined Meadowhawk Sympetrum
madidum - 12 or
more (including 3-4 tandem pairs) at Arastradero, I had 4 at Henry Coe
yesterday, and today at Rosendin Pond I had 7 (including a tandem pair. Photos
confirmed.
.
Trinity County
Ray Bruun
Big French Creek
I happened upon a young male Common
Whitetail perched some vegetation. I searched in vain
for habitat in the vicinity (the river and creek were the only obvious water).
The only still water was in a roadside ditch, but this water seemed too shallow
(couple of inches deep) for Common Whitetail (though there were several female Western
Forktail flitting about).
Humboldt County
Berry Pass pond
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1
California Darner - 1 - photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bruunphoto/3557092522/sizes/l/
Blue-eyed Darner probable - 1
Aeshna spec. - 2?
*Swift Forktail Ischnura erratica - perhaps 20 (most
numerous ode) - photos: male [last report 2009]
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bruunphoto/3554399613/sizes/o/ & female
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bruunphoto/3554399613/sizes/o/
No/Bo Bluet - several
.
San Bernardino County
Peter Siminski
Mojave River at BLM Afton Canyon
Preserve Campground, N35.03802 W-116.38354, Elev. 1400; 10:00-12:00, 80-90F,
10% cumulus, light breeze NW.
California Dancer, Argia
agrioides 1 in
hand.
Paiute Dancer, A. alberta >25 including tandem pairs.
Familiar Bluet, Enallagma civile 13 (1 in-hand)
Black-fronted Forktail, Ischnura
denticollis
>75 including tandem ovipositing pairs.
Desert Firetail, Telebasis salva 12 including one tandem pair.
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 1
Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum
corruptum ~14
Western Pondhawk, Erythemis
collocata 2
Comanche Skimmer, Libellula
comanche 12
Flame Skimmer, L. saturata ~18 including one tandem pair.
Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata 2
Spot-winged Glider, Pantala
hymenaea 1
..
Santa Clara County
22nd
Steve Rottenborn East Fork Coyote Creek,
Henry Coe State Park
California/Aztec Dancer 2
Vivid Dancer 1
Northern/Boreal Bluet 5
Pacific Forktail 1
Western Forktail 5
mosaic darner sp. 5 females
Western Pondhawk 1
Eight-spotted Skimmer 2
Flame Skimmer 1
Red-veined Meadowhawk 4
Striped Meadowhawk 15+ recently emerged tenerals
..
Santa Clara County
23rd
Steve Rottenborn
Rosendin Pond, Anderson Lake County Park
*Spotted Spreadwing Lestes congener 3 males (terminal appendages
and spots on underside of thorax seen well); 20 or more other spreadwings were
noticeably smaller than the more common Black Spreadwings, so there were likely
more Spotteds present
Black Spreadwing 150+, about 10% mature males (plus many immature males
with terminal appendages well seen)
Northern/Boreal Bluet 2
Tule Bluet 18
Pacific Forktail 3
Western Forktail 7
Eight-spotted Skimmer 1
Variegated Meadowhawk 4 recently emerged tenerals
Cardinal Meadowhawk 1
Red-veined Meadowhawk 7 (incl. one tandem
pair)
Striped Meadowhawk 120+ recently emerged tenerals
May 22, 2009
Siskiyou County
Tom Kogut
the Yreka area. First stop was
around noon at the Randolph Collier Rest Area on I-5:
River Jewelwing (common)
Pacific Clubtail (20+)
*Great Basin Snaketail Ophiogomphus morrisoni
(one male)- got a good look at it but it bailed before I could click
the shutter button (ooooh, the pain...)
Next stop was Hudson Road from 1:30 p.m. to
3:30 p.m (sunny and 85 degrees, with light winds), where I again spend about 6
hours of quality time from 0930 to mid-afternoon under sunny skies, 80 deg.
temps and mostly calm conditions, with only occasional light winds (i.e.
perfect!). Cumulative list as follows:
River Jewelwing (abundant)
American Rubyspot (20+, mixed in with Jewelwings)
Emma's Dancer (common)
Vivid Dancer (much less common than Emma's)
Western Forktail (a few observed)
Beaverpond Baskettail (8 observed foraging near river and
along road, one photographed)
California Darner (common, several wheeled pairs)
Pacific Clubtail (very common, about 10 wheeled
pairs; photographed although they were quite camera shy)
Sinuous Snaketail (10+, all very fresh; also very
flighty, but every snaketail I was able to view through binoculars was a
Sinuous, which I have observed here in Washington).
Cardinal Meadowhawk (one male)
Really enjoyed the lower Shasta
River and Hudson Road, which is a superb spot for both dragonflies and birds!
.
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Fish Slough #1
Blue Dasher our first of
year in Inyo
Mono County
Fish Slough #3
lots of the
following species
4-spot Skimmers
8-spot Skimmers
Desert whitetails
Flame Skimmers
A number of these:
darners, sp.;
pondhawks;
black saddlebags a few
hoary Skimmers,
dashers;
lots of damsels
giant darner anax
walshinghami! One - new sight record for Mono County! CA chart #100
May 20, 2009
San Bernardino County
Rick Clements
Observed odes at park from 0900 to 1100.
Tule/Arroyo bluet several
Vivid dancer several
Pacific forktail few
Common green darner several
Blue-eyed darner several
Western pondhawk few
Blue dasher few
Cardinal Meadowhawk young male
Flame skimmer 6
Black saddlebags several
Red saddlebags 2
May 19, 2009
Siskiyou County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Shasta River @ Hudson Rd.
River Jewelwing - abundant, both sexes well represented,
most in foliage along the shoreline as it was windy.
Emma's Dancer - very many, both sexes, most in foliage
along the shoreline as it was windy - with was true of all but the darners.
Vivid Dancer - 1 male and 1 female
Western Forktail - 1 male
California Darner - 1 perching male-colored female
photographed alongside road, about 3 males seen patrolling the river edges
appeared to be the same species. We didn't see any Blue-eyed, but they could be
there too, as David Payne saw.
Pacific Clubtail - many seen alongside the river edges and
along the road, all appeared to be quite fresh, with eyes still gray colored.
Emerald sp appeared all dark with emerald green eyes
May 19, 2009
Santa Clara County
Arastradero Preserve, Palo Alto,
Black Spreadwing 30+ at upper pond
California/Aztec Dancer 2
Vivid Dancer 16
Northern/Boreal Bluet 3
Tule Bluet 5
Arroyo Bluet 1 (plus 150+ bluet spp. not scrutinized)
Pacific Forktail 50
Black-fronted Forktail 1
Western Forktail 5
California Darner 1
Common Green Darner 6
Blue-eyed Darner 14
Western Pondhawk 6
Eight-spotted Skimmer 6
Widow Skimmer 2
Flame Skimmer 14
Blue Dasher 16
Cardinal Meadowhawk 11
Red-veined Meadowhawk 12+ (incl. 3-4 tandem pairs) at upper pond
Striped Meadowhawk 40+ recently emerged tenerals
May 18, 2009
Contra Costa County
Rob Thomas
Briones RP, Maricich & Sindicich Lagoons,
11am-2pm, 80, sunny turning hazy, gusty SW winds
Black Spreadwing 14, 1 tandem
Pacific Forktail 50+
Western Forktail 30+, 2 tandems
Black-fronted Forktail 17, 1 tandem
Tule/Arroyo type Bluets hundreds, lots of tandems
Familiar Bluet 3
Blue-eyed Darner 30+
California Darner 9
Common Whitetail 30+, three tandems
Eight-spotted Skimmer 3
Cardinal Meadowhawk 6
Blue Dasher 4
Black Saddlebags 3
Baffling was the absence of variegated
meadowhawk and lack of northern/boreal/familiar type bluets
.
Siskiyou County
Dave Payne
Hudson Road - sunny, hot, mid 90's with an afternoon breeze picking up. Fair amount of ode action happening. I could only stay about 15 minutes. I arrived at 1630 hrs.
River Jewelwing - ~25 or so, scattered along the "hot spot", both sexes well represented.
Emma's Dancer - 1 mature male
Northern Bluet - 1 pair in wheel, ~20 males scattered about
Western Forktail - 1 female, several males
Blue-eyed Darner - 4 males patrolling about
Pacific Clubtail - most abundant ode seen today. Many in brush along the dirt road. ~ 60 seen
An osprey and great blue heron were seen along the river.
I had neat view of a small Western Pond Turtle swimming upstream underwater for a short distance.
It vanished in the long waving vegetation on the river bottom.
..
Inyo/Mono Counties
Zach Smith
While not the best time to scope odes on the east side of the sierras, I did search a few spots while on a butterfly-collecting trip with my wife I was hoping to find comanche
and bleached skimmers, but was just too early. No dragons seen at the hot springs/alkali ponds east of mammoth, same goes for Hot Creek.
Not much was out but here is a list (zygopterans omitted, sorry):
Blue-eyed darner - many
California darner - few
Green darner - couple
Pacific spiketail - one, flying over sage on alluvium northwest of Big Pine. Is this possibly desert subspp? couldn't get much on abdomen color, but it looked more dark than light.
8-spotted skimmer - few, individuals foraging/patrolling over sage along wash nwest of Big Pine
Flame skimmer - one female, spring nw of Big Pine at base of sierra scarp.
Variegated m'hawk - ovipositing Dechambeau ponds
Cardinal m'hawk - one male, sage west of Big Pine
Black saddlebags - couple, Dechambeau ponds
Red saddlebags - couple, ovipositing Dechambeau ponds. first for me in the state.
May 17, 2009
Kern County
David Blue
China Lake Wastewater
Treatment Facility (NE of Ridgecrest)
Tule/Arroyo Bluet Enallagma
carunculatum/praevarum 1
Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna
multicolor 2
Bleached Skimmer Libellula
composita 3, tandem, ovipositing
Flame Skimmer Libellula
saturata 4, 1 F
Wandering Glider Pantala
flavescens 12
Spot-winged Glider Pantala
hymenaea 4
Variegated Meadowhawk Sympetrum
corruptum 2, T
Black Saddlebags Tramea
lacerata 1, F
Red Saddlebags Tramea
onusta 6
May 16, 2009
Inyo County
David Blue
Dirty Socks Spring
Paiute Dancer Argia alberta
6, ph.
Tule/Arroyo Bluet Enallagma carunculatum/praevarum 1, ph.
**Alkali Bluet Enallagma clausum
4, ph. M, F
Desert Forktail Ischnura barberi
3, ph.
Desert Whitetail Plathemis
subornata 2, M & F
Variegated Meadowhawk Sympetrum
corruptum 1
Black Saddlebags Tramea
lacerata 1
Red Saddlebags Tramea
onusta 1
Cottonwood Marsh, Owens Lake
California/Aztec Dancer Argia
agrioides/nahuana 20, ph. M, F, tandem ovipositing
Black-fronted Forktail Ischnura
denticollis 1, ph.
Western Pondhawk Erythemis
collocate 10, ph. M, F, ovipositing
Bleached Skimmer Libellula
composita 4, ph., tandem & ovipositing
Flame Skimmer Libellula
saturate 8
Desert Whitetail Plathemis
subornata 20, ph. M, F
Owen's River at Hwy 136 east of Lone
Pine
Alkali Bluet Enallagma
clausum 1, ph. M
Pacific Forktail Ischnura
cervula 2, ph.
Black-fronted Forktail Ischnura
denticollis 2, ph.
Mazourka Canyon Road,
east of Independence
Pacific Forktail Ischnura
cervula 1
Desert Firetail Telebasis
salva
3, ph., M, F
Western Pondhawk Erythemis
collocata 2, ph.
Flame Skimmer Libellula
saturata 2
May 15-17, 2009
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
We were invited to a dinner picnic along the Laguna de Santa Rosa, off Frei Rd., NW of Sebastopol. At around 3 pm we went down to the Laguna edge and we noted at least
40 darners (Rhionaeschna) flying low over the laguna and later over the meadow - this is many more than we usually see along the laguna, but we'd never been to this spot before.
Also seen were an 8-spotted Skimmer and a Cardinal Meadowhawk and damsels at a distance.
.
Sacramento County
Tim Manolis
Kathy's post about
seeing a swarm of Rhionaeschna on Sunday is intriguing, as I
observed a similar phenomenon in my backyard this past weekend
(Friday-Saturday) -- a feeding congregation apparently solely composed of Rhionaeschna
multicolor (all appeared to be similar in size and shape, and
those that flew closely enough to me to be seen well looked like that species),
foraging over my next-door neighbor's yard. I estimated 30-40 individuals
at the height of the feeding frenzy (Friday, fewer were present on
Saturday). Typically such feeding congregations of odonates darting
here and there at heights of 10-50 feet over my yard in summer are
dominated by Pantala spp., with some saddlebags and occasionally a
darner or two. I cannot recall ever before seeing such a May swarm
composed solely of Rhionaeschna. I typically, as I have on other
occasions this spring, see 1-to-a-few Rhionaeschna here and there,
including in my yard, but darner swarms are more typical of autumn than of
spring in my experience.
..
Mono County
Ron and Barbara Oriti
Fish Slough
Blue Dasher first they noted in
Mono; a number of other
dragons.
May 16/17, 2009
Modoc County
Steve Rottenborn
I spent the weekend looking for birds and
odes with visits to Goose Lake, Surprise Valley, Modoc NWR, Crowder Flat Road on
the Modoc Plateau, and the Pit River west of Canby. The annual
compilations of trip reports on Kathy Biggs's website don't include any reports
from Modoc County earlier than June, and I was unable to find any odes up there
during my last visit in mid-April, so I was curious to see what would be flying
by mid-May. I ended up recording 17 species, though none of the
northeastern CA specialties were yet in evidence. All my time at the hot
springs northeast of Cedarville was spent along the creek and in the meadow
south of CR 18 fed by Seyferth/Glenn's Hot Spring. Sand Creek, farther
southeast along CR 18, was completely dry. The reach of Pit River near
the large pullout north of Alturas along Highway 395 was quite high, and I
found no odes there at all. Stough Reservoir near Cedar Pass had no odes
(high-elevation, too early in the season). A summary by species follows:
*Western Red Damsel Amphiagrion abbreviatum: Literally
1000s in a sedge meadow near Three Springs Ranch on southwestern side of Goose
Lake, a few at Seyferth Hot Spring and Modoc NWR, 200+ at two ponds along
Crowder Flat Road 21.5 and 22.0 miles north of Highway 299
Emma's Dancer: 1 along Pit R. west of Canby
Paiute Dancer: 110+ males (+80 females probably of this species) at
Seyferth Hot Spring
Vivid Dancer: 10 at Three Springs Ranch, 1 at Seyferth Hot Spring, 1 near
Ft. Bidwell in northern Surprise Valley, 5 at Pit R. west of Canby
*Boreal Bluet Enallagma boreale: 1 male identified in hand
at a pond at about mp 22.0 on Crowder Flat Road; the only other bluets were 2
Northern/Boreal types at Three Springs Ranch
Pacific Forktail: small numbers (2-6 per location) at Three Springs
Ranch, Seyferth Hot Spring, Modoc NWR, ponds on Crowder Flat Road, and Pit R.
west of Canby
Black-fronted Forktail: 18 at Seyferth Hot Spring
Western Forktail: 200+ at Three Springs Ranch, 30 at Seyferth Hot
Spring, 3 at Modoc NWR, 22 at two ponds on Crowder Flat Road, 40 at Pit R. west
of Canby
Common Green Darner: 1 at Three Springs Ranch, 5 at Modoc NWR
Blue-eyed Darner: pair in wheel in wet roadside ditch near Ft.
Bidwell in northern Surprise Valley
Pacific Clubtail Gomphus kurilis: 1 recently emerged male
at Pit R. west of Canby
Western Pondhawk: 12 at Seyferth Hot Spring
Hoary Skimmer: 2 at Seyferth Hot Spring, 1 near Ft. Bidwell in
northern Surprise Valley
Four-spotted Skimmer: 65 at Three Springs Ranch
Spot-winged Glider: 90 at Modoc NWR; I thought I had a Wandering
Glider there also, but the photos are poor and inconclusive
Desert Whitetail: 2 at Seyferth Hot Spring, 1 along Sand Creek
Variegated Meadowhawk: 4 at Three Springs Ranch, 200+ at Modoc
NWR, 1 at pond on Crowder Flat Road
May 16, 2009
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
CDFG San Jacinto Wildlife Area, Elev. 1430, N33.87209, W-117.11984; 8:20-11:50, 70-90F, cloudless, light air.
Tule Bluet, Enallagma carunculatum 2 in-hand, but probably ~50 seen.
Familiar Bluet, E. civile 6 in-hand, but probably hundreds seen including many tandem ovipositing pairs.
Pacific Forktail, Ischnura cervula 3
Black-fronted Forktail, I. denticollis >25
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 7
Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna multicolor >15 including one tandem pair.
Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum corruptum 17 including three tandem ovipositing pairs.
Western Pondhawk, Erythemis collocata 8
Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis 8
*Mexican Amberwing, Perithemis intensa 7
Flame Skimmer, Libellula saturata 1
Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata >25 including one tandem pair.
Red Saddlebags, T. onusta >30 including many tandem pairs.
Wandering Glider, Pantala flavescens 14 including three tandem ovipositing pairs.
Spot-winged Glider, P. hymenaea 1
.
Stanislaus County
Don Roberson with Rita Carratello
Del Puerto Creek, 8-11 a.m.; mostly birding but
~1 hour odeing; warm & calm
California Dancer 2 for sure, based on photo review; at different
site then next set
Aztec/Calif Dancer 25+ = have photo of only one tandem; both m
& f show only 1 small spot on seg 2, which is a typical Aztec feature
but apparently can also be shown by Calif. Both species recorded for STA
Vivid Dancer 15 (more wooded parts of stream)
*Northern Bluet Enallagma annexum 100+, many tandems
ovipositing. Photos of sev. male appendices are consistent with i.d.
Obviously, with this many, Boreal is a possibility. Both recorded for STA
Tule Bluet (presumed) 6 (3 tandems) had abdomen pattern of Tule/ Arroyo;
resumed Tule on habitat
Common Green Darner 5
Blue-eyed Darner 10
Flame Skimmer 40
Blue Dasher 2
Western Pondhawk 1 m, 1 f
Common Whitetail 1 m
Variegated Meadowhawk 1 f
Ceres wastewater treatment ponds, 12:30-1:00
p.m.; hot
Wandering Glider 50+
.
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
at what I am calling the Black Mountain Warm Springs, north of the radio observatory; these show up on the maps as simply "warm springs"
Giant Darner
Flame Skimmer
*Hoary Skimmer Libellula nodisticta
Mazourka Springs
Nothing!
May 14, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Santa Margarita River, east and west of the Sandia Creek Drive bridge crossing, North of Fallbrook, 11:30-1:30, clear, light breeze, 72-75 degrees.
American Rubyspot >10
Vivid Dancer few
Familiar Bluet few (1 in hand)
Tule Bluet many (2 in hand)
Pacific Forktail 5
Black-fronted Forktail 2
Desert Firetail 1
Common Green Darner 3
Giant Darner 2
Blue-eyed Darner 4
*Gray Sanddragon Progomphus borealis 8 wheel (joined, flew around briefly, landed on sandy bank, and remained in the wheel for about 4 minutes before uncoupling)
Cardinal Meadowhawk 2
Blue Dasher 3
Western Pondhawk 1
Flame Skimmer >6
Red Rock Skimmer 5
Black Saddlebags 2
Red Saddlebags 1
.
Shasta County
Ray Bruun
near Nora Lake in Shingletown
*Bison Snaketail Ophiogomphus bison - photographed a young male
May 12, 2009
Shasta County
Kathy & Dave Biggs, Laura Christman
Battle Creek Wildlife Area (below Coleman Fish Hatchery) off Balls Ferry Rd
Pacific Forktail
Tule Bluet
Common Green Darner
*Grappletail Octogomphus specularis I female, photo taken
Sinuous Snaketail
8-spotted Skimmer
Blue Dasher
Western Pondhawk
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Black Saddlebags
(following species also seen by Ray Bruun the previous weekend on May 9)
Vivid Dancer
Black-fronted Forktail
May 11, 2009
Siskiyou County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Soda Springs, Squaw Valley Rd, McCloud;
4-4:15 66F
Swift Forktail 4-5 total; 1-2 mature males, 1-2 females, 1
teneral female
May 12, 2009
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
at a small creek in Buttermilk,
**Pacific Spiketails Cordulegaster dorsalis deserticola [earliest date in at least the last 10 years]
May 10, 2009 (Mothers Day)
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Small pond on private property near Julian, elevation approximately 4000 feet, 10:30-12:15, sunny, light breezes, 75-79 degrees.
Black Spreadwing >30, photos Emergence in progress, thrilling to see! Tenerals glistened in the sunshine,
immatures perched on emergent reeds with wings held flat above abdomen like Pond Damsels, later flew to nearby
grass blades and shrub stems, 5-40+ feet from the pond, to bask and finally spread their wings. Females
outnumbered males in a ratio of about 2 to 1. Green iridescence prominent on portions of thorax and abdomen in
both sexes. Lestes stultus rare in San Diego Co.
Tule Bluet >5
Bluet sp. unidentified
Western Forktail >10
Pacific Forktail 4
Giant Darner 1M fly-by, going east to west; usually found at elevations below 3000' [Tim Manolis, Dragonflies
and Damselflies of California]
Blue-eyed Darner 1
*Red--veined Meadowhawk Sympetrum madidum 6
photos Immatures flew up from up from emergent
vegetation and dispersed to perches, some close-by
the pond, others far away.
rarely seen in San Diego County.
Cuyumaca Rancho State Park, Minshall Trail, little pool by the trailhead, 1:00-1:30.
*Aztec Dancer Argia nahuana 4 (two in hand) photos
Western Forktail >6
Cardinal Meadowhawk 1
.
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos Palmas
Preserve, Elev. -100; 7:50-13:30, 80-100F, cloudless, calm to light breeze SE.
California Dancer, Argia agrioides 1 in-hand
*Powdered Dancer, A. moesta 2
Blue-ringed Dancer, A. sedula 25
Vivid Dancer, A. vivida 1
Familiar Bluet, Enallagma civile 3
Desert Forktail, Ischnura barberi 7
*Citrine Forktail, I. hastata 2
Ramburs Forktail, I. ramburii 24
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 1
Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna multicolor 1
*White-belted Ringtail, Erpetogomphus compositus 1
Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum corruptum 2
*Red-tailed Pennant, Brachymesia furcata 18
Western Pondhawk, Erythemis collocata >100 including tandem pairs and ovipositing females.
Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis >100
*Comanche Skimmer, Libellula comanche >30
Bleached Skimmer, L. composita 21 including one tandem pair
Widow Skimmer, L. luctuosa 3
Flame Skimmer, L. saturata >50
Roseate skimmer, Orthemis ferruginea 7
*Marl Pennant, Macrodiplax balteata >70 including one tandem pair ovipositing.
Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata 14 including two tandem pairs
Red Saddlebags, T. onusta 4
.
Sonoma County
Linda Petrulias
I had several exclamation damsels at the mouth of Austin Creek where it flows into the Russian River and a nice
female 8 spotted skimmer that looked just like the picture in the book.
.
Trinity County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Carville Loop, beaverpond-like pond, created from road embankment, just in from
the southern entrance on north
side of road; 2:30-3:00 76F
Pacific Forktail Ischnura cervula - 3 females: photo of immature female, dead
mature female found floating on
water, andromorphic female netted - COUNTY
RECORD VOUCHERS CA Chart #7 OC#: 312869
Swift Forktail Ischnura erratica
- several males, 2 brown females & 1 green female seen - COUNTY SIGHT
RECORD ONLY CA Chart #7
Darner sp, Rhionaeschna sp - ~3 males seen. Probably Calif.
Darner, R. californica, but not for certain....would
have been county record
Flame Skimmer - 1 male seen briefly
May 9, 2009
Alameda County
John Hall, David Edwards
Sunol Regional Wilderness
David and I followed Alameda Creek downstream from the Visitor Center and upstream from the far parking area.
California Dancer 2
*Emma's Dancer Argia emma 4
Vivid Dancer 80
Bluet,sp 5
Northern Bluet 6
Arroyo Bluet 1
Pacific Forktail 1
Western Forktail 6
Exclamation Damsel 4
Mosaic Darner,sp 5
Pacific Clubtail 10
Red Rock Skimmer 13
*Common Whitetail 1
Cardinal Meadowhawk 3
.
Siskiyou County
Dave Payne
Hudson Road in the Lower Shasta River Canyon this afternoon. It was sunny, with temps in the mid 70's. I noticed
a few odes in the area. It appears ode activity is just starting along the Shasta River. Here is what I found:
*River Jewelwing Calopteryx aequabilis - 1 female
Northern Bluet - several adults
Cardinal meadowhawk - 1 male
Green Darner - 1 teneral, very pale, very fresh
Pacific Clubtail- many tenerals ~ 35, several first flights, about 15 adults
May 8, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Santa Ysabel Creek, Clevenger Canyon North Trail, San Dieguito River Park, 12:00-2:15, clear, light breezes, 84 degrees.
American Rubyspot 1
California Dancer > 12 (several in hand)
*Lavender Dancer Argia hinei 1 [only report 2009]
Vivid Dancer >5
Northern Bluet >6 (several in hand)
Black-fronted Forktail 4
Desert Firetail 5
Cardinal Meadowhawk 1
Flame Skimmer 6
May 7 & 12, 2009
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Fish Slough
*Desert Whitetail Plathemis subornata one on May 7, and we saw another there on the 12th, both were young males, with white on their wings.
May 7, 2009
Contra Costa County
Rob Thomas
Hidden Lakes Park, 11am-1pm, mid 70s, clear,
light NE breeze
Pacific Forktail
Western Forktail
Tule Bluet several tandems
Familiar Bluet
Vivid Dancer several tandems
Variegated Meadowhawk several tandems
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Blue-eyed Darner several wheels (1 20ft above field over
100yds from water)
Flame Skimmer
Blue Dasher 1 immature female
May 6, 2009
Contra Costa County
Rob Thomas
Briones RP, Maricich & Sindicich Logoons, 11am-2pm, upper 60s, partly to mostly cloudy, gusty SW winds
Pacific Forktail
Western Forktail
Black-fronted Forktail
Tule Bluet several wheels
Familiar Bluet
Northern/Boreal type Bluet
Variegated Meadowhawk several tandems
Cardinal Meadowhawk one tandem
Blue-eyed Darner one wheel
California Darner
ovipositing female darner unidentified to
species (no males present at same lagoon)
Eight-spotted Skimmer 1 teneral
Alhambra Creek, 2-2:30pm
A quick check of the beaver ponds in
downtown Martinez (dreams of beaverpond baskettail) turned up nothing save a
couple bluets, trash and numerous big carp.
May 5, 2009
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Fish Slough, at Pupfish
Pond
four-spotted skimmers, several,
common green darners, a few, including a
tandem pair, and
flame skimmer, one, our first of the
season.
Fish Slough #2 location
several unidentified
skimmers flying fast -- the wind was blowing them around a
bit -- suspect that they might have been four spots, but
couldnt get a close enough look to ID them.
black saddlebags, our first of the
season.
Mono County
Silver Canyon Canal (actually a
part of upper McNally canal)
saw variegated meadowhawks, a couple.
# - we saw something interesting,
quite windy, we started seeing a number of other dragonflies.
I couldn't get a good look at them with the
binoculars at first, but they all looked the same and flew the
same way, so I suspected that they were all one
kind. Finally one went into a bush, and perched, so we
got a good look, and photos --- spot-winged
glider!! Then another perched. I started
looking more
carefully at the ones flying, and a couple
times got a good enough look to see that they were spot
wings. There must have been at least a
couple dozen of them. It was fun to finally see more than just a
couple of dragonflies at a time!
May 3, 2009
Fresno County
Jill Rucker
Near San Joaquin River
The location was just north of this intersection that you can see w/aerial view
the river, the spillway, the Madera and Fresno County lines:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Fresno&state=CA&address=W+Nees+Ave+%26+N+Palm+Ave&zipcode=93711&country=US&latitude=36.85178&longitude=-119.80524&geocode=INTERSECTION[Madera
County has not had Exclamation Damsels reported, so they should be looked for
next year! - kb]
Exclamation Damsel Zoniagrion
exclamationis - pair
photographed
San Joaquin River below Palm & Nees Avenues in Fresno
Exclamation Damsel Zoniagrion exclamationis
- female photographed photo record, CA Chart #107; OC#: 317462
May 2, 2009
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
seasonal pond in
Anderson Lake County Park in Morgan Hill,. The pond is reached by parking
at the
north end of Holiday
Drive, which is on the west side of Anderson Reservoir, and hiking about
1/4-mile
north toward
Anderson Dam. This is a fairly small, shallow pond lined by sedges and
spikerush. It is
typically dry by
early June.
I was fortunate to
witness a sizeable emergence of Black Spreadwings; I estimated at least
500
individuals, many emerging from (or
having just emerged from) their exuviae. A very small percentage
(perhaps 2-3%) were quite
green on the dorsal surface of the thorax and abdomen. None had blue eyes
yet.
Black Spreadwing - ~500 emerging
bluet sp. 2
Western Forktails 20
Pacific Forktails 8
Eight-spotted
Skimmer 1 (it had
just emerged from its exuvia)
April
April 27, 2009
Sacramento County
Tim Manolis
Lagoons along ARP behind
Rio Americano High School; ~2:00-3:30 p.m.; Sunny, breezy, mild
A return visit saw much
of the same as seen on 24 April, but also produced:
*Sinuous Snaketail Ophiogomphus
occidentis -- 3 definitely seen, probably more (i.e., unidentified
clubtails) leaving me convinced that I did see this species on 24 April as
well.
**Widow Skimmer Libellula
luctuosa -- 1 fairly young one [new early date, old date 5/5/2004]
Spot-winged Glider
April 25, 2009
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
After seeing a male Pacific Clubtail at the Ogier Ponds (located along Coyote Creek north of Morgan Hill in Santa Clara County) late yesterday afternoon,
I returned a bit earlier this afternoon to see what else might be around. The highlight was a male Beaverpond Baskettail (photographed);
although this species is reported as having been recorded here at the Ogier Ponds at http://www.odophile.com/text%20pages/forum%20text.htm,
it is not listed on Kathy's spreadsheet as having been recorded in Santa Clara County.
In addition, the following were seen in a
very limited area near the entrance gate, 3:00-5:00 p.m.(74 degrees F, breezy,
clear):
American Rubyspot 1
Vivid Dancer 15 (+30 dancer sp.)
Tule Bluet 5 (+10 bluet sp.)
Exclamation Damsel 8
Western Forktail 4
Pacific Forktail 15
Pacific Clubtail 3
California Darner 1
Beaverpond Baskettail Epitheca
canis - 1 male
photographed, new county record and southern expansion of known distribution
for species [photo record, CA Chart #102; OC #312647]
April 24, 2009
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
Oka Ponds in Campbell
California/Aztec Dancers - 15+
both of the males identified in the hand were Californias.
*California Dancers Argia
agrioides. [there have been prior
reports of CA/Aztec Dancers this year, but this is the first that have been
identified to species -kb]
Ogier Ponds along Coyote Creek north of Morgan Hill
*Pacific Clubtail Gomphus kurilis - a male photographed
.
Sacrametno County
Tim Manolis
Lagoons along ARP behind
Rio Americano High School; ~2:30-4:00 p.m.; Mostly sunny, breezy, mild
Pacific Forktail -- 100+
Tule Bluet -- 6 males netted
(there were 100s of bluets seen, but most teneral)
Familiar Bluet -- 6 males netted
Arroyo Bluet -- 1 male netted
Exclamation Damsel -- 80+
Common Green Darner -- 10
Blue-eyed Darner -- 1 male
Pacific Clubtail -- 3-4 (about 6 other
clubtails seen briefly in flight could have been this or Sinuous Snaketail)
Common Whitetail -- 12
Western Pondhawk -- 6
Blue Dasher 2
.
Shasta County
Ray Bruun
Nora Lake
Swift Forktail
April 21-24, 2009
Sonoma County
Alan Wight
Nagasawa Park in Santa Rosa, during
lunchtime visits:
Pacific Forktail many, all days
Western Forktail 3 on 4/21, 3 on 4/22
Bluet sp. many, all days, likely Tule
Bluets
Vivid Dancer 1 on 4/22
*Black Spreadwing Lestes stultus
1-3 all days,
first identified as Black Spreadwing on 4/24
California Darner 1-2 all days
Beaverpond Baskettail 1 on 4/22, 1 on 4/24
Western Pondhawk 1-3 all days
Eight-spotted Skimmer a few all days
Kathy &/or Dave Biggs
Bigsnest Pond, Sebastopol
Pacific Forktail many, all days
Western Forktail many, all days
Vivid Dancer 1 immature on 4/22 & 23
California Darner 1-2 all days
Blue-eyed Darner 1-2 most days, inc. one female
Cardinal Meadowhawk 1-3 all days, inc. ovipositing
April 22, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Escondido, Oak Hill Memorial Park Pond, 2:00-2:30, mostly sunny, 77 degrees
Vivid Dancer several
Familiar Bluet many
Tule Bluet many
Pacific Forktail 3
*Desert Firetail Telebasis salva 2 tandem ovipositing
Cardinal Meadowhawk 1
Flame Skimmer 3
.
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bigsnest Pond, Sebastopol
Pacific Forktail
Western Forktail
Blue-eyed Darner (1st of yr for pond)
Cardinal Meadowhawk
April 21, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
San Dieguito River Park, Del Dios Gorge Trailhead Pond
Familiar Bluet
Pacific Forktail
Black-fronted Forktail
Common Green Darner
Giant Darner 1*
Blue-eyed Darner
Flame Skimmer
Red Saddlebags
*This sighting marks the fourth Northern San Diego County location where I've observed Anax
walsinghami within the last 6 days; the others are Lake Dixon, Lake Poway, and the Santa Margarita River.
.
Sacramento County
Tim Manolis
Sacramento Bar/Bannister
Park; ~1:30-3:00 p.m. mostly sunny, some breeze, hot
Pacific Forktail -- 2-3
Western Forktail -- 12
Tule Bluet -- 20
Vivid Dancer -- 30-40 (many
ovipositing pairs along a small creek)
Dancer sp. -- a California/Aztec
type seen only; most likely California, which is found here annually, whereas
Aztec has never been seen at this site.
Western Pondhawk -- 4-5 (one blue male,
rest females or young males)
Common Whitetail -- 3 males
California Darner -- one patrolling male
Common Green Darner -- 8
Variegated Meadowhawk -- 1
April 20, 2009
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
Lower Stevens Creek
I checked lower Stevens Creek at La Avenida St.
in Mountain View, Santa Clara County, for San Francisco Forktails. This
is the only Santa Clara County location of which I'm aware where the species
has been reported in recent years (as recently as 2007). All four male
SF/Black-fronted Forktails that I examined in the hand, plus 5 or so more that
I was able to photograph, were Black-fronted.
Vivid Dancer 20+
Tule Bluet 1
Northern/Boreal/Familiar Bluet 1
Exclamation Damsel 3
Black-fronted Forktail 9 (plus 10+ unidentified SF/Black-fronted)
Pacific Forktail 4
Flame Skimmer 2
..
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Lake Poway, 12:30-3:30, sunny, light breeze, 93-98 degrees.
All species listed in April 13 report plus:
Giant Darner Anax walsinghami 3 patrolling, hawking, & hanging in shade
Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata 1 immature
*Common Whitetail Plathemis lydia 2 M & F
..
Colusa County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bear Creek @ Hiway 20. 96F
Vivid Dancer - Dave saw 2
No/Bo Bluet - dozens
Nothing else yet.
..
Contra Costa County
Rob Thomas
Briones RP, Sidicich and Maricich Lagoons; 10:00am-2:00pm, 76-91oF, clear, light northeast breeze
Variegated Meadowhawk 25+ (many tandems)
Cardinal Meadowhawk 7
California Darner 9
Blue-eyed Darner 5
Unidentified mosaics 13
Common Green Darner - 3
Pacific Forktail Lots
Western Forktail Lots
Black-fronted Forktail 6 males
Arroyo/Tule type Bluets 50+ (many tandems)
The number of forktails at all four lagoons,
both on the water and in the grass, was beyond my ability to count (especially
with all the giant crane flies added to the mix). Effort really went into
trying to pick out the black-fronted (of which I no doubt missed more then I
saw). Strange that I have yet to see a
Northern/Boreal/Familiar type bluet on the
lagoons.
Still plenty of newts and tree frogs, good
birds, plenty of butterflies, and wildflowers are doing well despite the hairy
vetch (nice areas of Chinese houses and narrow-leaf owl's clover). All in
all a
spectacular day.
.
Mono County
Ron &
Barbara Oriti
Mazourka Springs - there was
absolutely nothing there. How disappointing! Drove the short
distance north to the Billy Lakes, and saw a couple Darners and 3 or 4 variegateds,
but that was all.
April 19 - 24, 2009
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Pupfish pond, out in Fish Slough
*Four-spotted Skimmer Libellula quadrimaculata several brightly colored young specimens, 1st seen on 19th
Rhionaeschna darners - a couple
April 18, 2009
Santa Barbara County
David & Linda Blue
Santa Ynez
Recreation Area
A very brief stop at the first
water crossing on the Santa Ynez River. No netting was done, so neither the
California Dancer nor the Northern Bluet were separated from their look-alikes,
but there are no records of Aztec Dancer or Boreal Bluet for the county.
California Dancer Argia agrioides 1, ph.
*Sooty Dancer Argia lugens 1, ph., F, first CA
sighting for 2009
Northern Bluet Enallagma annexum 8, ph., multiple pairs
ovipositing
April 17, 2009
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
Monte Bello OSP,11:15-13:00, approx. 70 degrees F, sunny, light breeze
Sag pond along Canyon Trail:
*Swift Forktails Ischnura erratica 15 (12 males, 3 females, one ovipositing); 2 more males were a bit farther down the Canyon Trail at its junction with the Bella Vista Trail
Pacific Forktail1
Vivid Dancers 5
Pond below Gate 5:
Western Forktails 2
Pacific Forktails 10
bluet sp. 1
Vivid Dancer1
Cardinal Meadowhawk1
California Darners 2 male (plus 1 female mosaic darner, likely this species)
.
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Escondido, Jack Creek/Dixon Lake, 10:30-1:15, clear, light breezes, 70-75 degrees.
Vivid Dancer 6 tandems
Tule Bluet >20 tandems, wheels, ovipositing
Pacific Forktail 9
Black-fronted Forktail 2
Common Green Darner 2
*Giant Darner Anax walsinghami 1 (A Common Green Darner and a Blue-eyed Darner looked like pipsqueaks during a run-in with the!)
Blue-eyed Darner 6 wheels, ovipositing
Cardinal Meadowhawk 2
Flame Skimmer 5
April 16, 2009
Colusa County
Ray Bruun, Kathy & Dave Biggs
Battle Creek Wildlife Area, below Coleman Fish Hatchery, 2:30-3:30
No/Bo Bluet - some
Pacific Forktail abundant
Black-fronted Forktail a dozen or so
Common Green Darner 4-5
*Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis 5, teneral males and females seen
Variegated Meadowhawk - many
Cardinal Meadowhawk 4-5 males seen
April 13, 2009
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Sonoma Horticultural Gardens, Sebastopol, 3 4, 66F
*Exclamation Damsel Zoniagrion exclamationis - ~ 3 doz, inc. males, females, 1 tandem, all with
the blue exclamation marks, except 2 'brown form' males
Calif. Darner 1-3
Blue-eyed Darner - 1 female (perched, seen well)
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1 young female
..
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Lake Poway, 12:30-2:30, mostly sunny, light breeze, 72 degrees
Familiar Bluet
Tule Bluet
>1000 combined count, approximately 1 to 20
ratio of Familiar to Tule
Pacific Forktail 9
Common Green Darner 2 M
Blue-eyed Darner 4
Variegated Meadowhawk 1
Flame Skimmer 18
April 12, 2009
Sonoma County
Gloria & Harry Conley
Lynch Rd, backyard pond, Sebastopol
Cardinal Meadowhawk - ~20 emerged during the afternoon
They report smaller emergences the
prior days, with nearly 50% mortality one windy day.
April 6, 2009
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Sebastopol, 75F, only a light breeze and some humidity.
Eating lunch next to the pond was delightful - 4 species and lots of activity:
Pacific Forktail - 3 mature males
Western Forktail Ischnura perparva - 1 male, 2 mature females, already pruinose and bending their
'tails' whenever approached by a male to signal they had already mated and weren't interested. This
species only need to mate ONCE in a lifetime!
California Darner - 1 male
Cardinal Meadowhawk - at least 2 males and 2 females; lots of
'dogfights', wheels, and tandem ovipositing.
Inmperial County
Bob Miller
Algodones Dunes - While walking the doing bird surveys this morning I had a female Blue-eyed Darner.
It is the first ode I have seen in the dunes since I began walking every morning since April 1st. This one
was located about 10 miles SE of from Glamis at Hwy 78 and about 1.5 miles SW from the Railroad
tracks. The morning started out very nice with just a hint of a breeze and about 52 degrees when I
walked away from my vehicle at 0545. I found the dragon about 0845 and the wind was just starting to
get serious with gusts to 15mph. It was hawking insects in the wind shadow of several large Palo Verde
trees in one of the pockets. I finished my last waypoint just at 0900 and had about .9 miles walk back to
my vehicle. As I crossed over the open dunes the wind really kicked up and I got a good sand blasting
as there were no shortcuts. My Kestrel wind gauge hit a max. of 25 mph. At least it was not 125
degrees!!
.
Contra Costa County
Rob Thomas
Briones RP, Sidicich and Maricich
Lagoons;10:30am-1:30pm, 70s, clear becoming hazy, winds northerly 10-15mph
Variegated Meadowhawk 25+ (3 ovipositing
pairs)
Cardinal Meadowhawk 3 immatures
California Darner 6 (1 ovipositing female)
Pacific Forktail 50+
Western Forktail 50+
Arroyo/Tule type Bluets 25+ (wasn't
equipped to identify)
April 5, 2009
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos
Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100; 8:20-14:10, 60-80F, cloudless, light to gentle
breeze N.
CA/Aztec Dancer, Argia agrioides
or nahuana
1
Paiute Dancer, A. alberta >35 (two in hand) (2 tandem
pairs)
Blue-ringed Dancer, A. sedula 7 (2 in hand)
Vivid Dancer, A. vivida 3
Familiar Bluet, Enallagma civile >20 (two ovipositing tandem
pairs)
Desert Forktail, Ischnura barberi 1
Ramburs Forktail, I. ramburii >45
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 6
Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna
multicolor 2
Western Pondhawk, Erythemis
collocata
>40 (one ovipositing female)
Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax
longipennis
>75
**Bleached Skimmer, Libellula
composita 6
(one tandem pair) [new early date by one day kb]
Flame Skimmer, L. saturata >60 (one female ovipositing)
*Black Saddlebags, Tramea
lacerata 7
Red Saddlebags, T. onusta 3
Spot-winged Glider, Pantala
hymenaea 4
April 4, 2009
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bigsnest Pond, their Sebastopol
backyard
Pacific Forktail 2 M, 1 F ovipositing
Calif. Darner 1 M, young posed for over 2
hrs. for photos (hardening up we think)
Cardinal Meadowhawk 4, 3 m + 1 F, wheels and
ovipositing
Our first real day of Ode activity on the pond this year.
Shasta County
Ray Bruun and Rob Santry
Department of Fish and Game ponds along Coleman Road (by Battle Creek)
Pacific Forktail -- hundreds
Black-fronted Forktail -- hundreds (the Pacific were more common but not by much)
Ponds and ditches by Rob's house in Anderson
Dancer species (possibly Vivid--they were skittish, and we didn't bring a net or binocs) - 30+
Tule Bluet - 40+
Pacific Forktail - many
Variegated Meadowhawk - 1
Beaverpond Baskettail - 3
Common Green Darner 1
Monterey County
Don Roberson
Pacific Forktail ~5 @ Salinas wastewater ponds
California Darner 2 male @ Moonglow Dairy, Moss Landing
April 2, 2009
Colusa County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bear Creek @ HWY 20; fair and windy
no Odes
.
Glenn County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Sacramento Game Refuge, ponds around the visitor's center, fair, breezy
Pacific Forktails - ~ 10
Meadowhawk - 1 dull red, either a Variegated or female/young male Cardinal
.
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
"Oka Ponds" along Los Gatos Creek in Campbell
Pacific Forktails, 20+
Vivid Dancers, 2
Arroyo Bluet, 1
Common Green Darners, 3
Variegated Meadowhawks, 15
March
March 31, 2009
Alameda County
Alice Cavette
Mission San
Jose, Fremont
Vivid Dancer Argia vivida 1 young male
.
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Escondido Creek, Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve, 1:00-1:45, clear, light breeze, 73 degrees
*American Rubyspot Hetaerina americana 1 M 1 F
Vivid Dancer >50
Cardinal Meadowhawk 1
Variegated Meadowhawk 3
Flame Skimmer 1
Red Rock Skimmer 9 M 1 F Have lately noticed a number of Paltothemis lineatipes, both male
and female, flying from south to north, on a course similar to currently migrating Painted Lady butterflies.
March 30, 2009
Sonoma County
David A. Hofmann
Shiloh Ranch Regional
Park outside of Windsor - a leisurely wildflower/birding/butterfly/dragonfly
walk
Beaverpond Baskettail------1
California Darner--------------1
March 29, 2009
Marin County
Sulka
Muirwoods National Monument, near
the parking lot; very windy
California Darner - 1
March 28, 2009
Colusa County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bear Creek @ HWY 20; fair and calm
no Odes
March 27, 2009
Tehama County
Ray Bruun
Along the Sacramento River between Jelly's Ferry bridge and Inks Creek
*Beaverpond Baskettail Epitheca canis- two patrolling
March 26, 2009
Sonoma County
Gloria and Harry Conley
Sebastopol backyard pond; 73F
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1 immature at the pond and 1 emerging
Pacific Forktail - 1
March 25, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Ramona, Dos Picos County Park pond, 11-12:15, sunny, light breeze, 70-74 degrees.
Familiar Bluet 2
Tule Bluet 6
Western Forktail 3
Pacific Forktail >15
Common Green Darner 1
Darner sp. unidentified (not Anax junius)
*Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum 2 M
Variegated Meadowhawk 8
.
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
"Oka Ponds" along Los Gatos Creek in Campbell
Pacific Forktails, 20+
Vivid Dancers, 2
Arroyo Bluet, 1
Common Green Darners, 3
Variegated Meadowhawks, 15
March 22, 2009
Sonoma County
Kathy Biggs
Santa Rosa, Lake Ralphine, 2:30-3:15, 61F, breezy
Pacific Forktail 8: 5 mature males, 2 young males, all on the water;
one teneral female [not yet orange behind the eyes even] on hillside
That's it!March 21, 2009
Alameda County
Clark Sept
Oakland,
Cardinal Meadowhawk 1 m. I can say that this little guy was very interested in me! I've never seen a red dragonfly before!
March 20, 2009 First Day of Spring!
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs, Gloria & Harry Conley
Green Valley Rd, out of Graton. 60ish, 1-3
At the pond above the old Green Valley Lumber Mill
Pacific Forktail - 1 mature male
California Darner 1 over the old lumberyard
Also seen - 6 species of butterfly inc. CA Dogface butterfly, and the
Calypso Orchids were just starting to bloom
.
Contra Costa County
Rob Thomas
Briones RP 11am-1pm, 70ish, sunny,
light westerly breeze
Variegated Meadowhawk 30-50, frequent along the trails
and common around all four lagoons (including tandems
PacificForktail 2,
Sindicich LagoonHidden Lakes Park,
Martinez, 1:30-2:30pm, 70ish,sunny, light westerly breeze
Pacific Forktail 50+ (about 2/3 were immatures)
VariegatedMeadowhawk - 0, had 8 on Wednesday
..
Alameda County
Alice Cavette
Lake Elizabeth, Fremont
Pacific Forktail - Ischnura cervula --3 males and 5 females
..
Sacramento County
Thomas Roach
Ferrari Pond
Pacific Forktail several males and immature females
..
Yolo County
Greg Kareofelas
Knights Landing
Pacific Forktail male-colored female
March 19, 2009
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Their Sebastopol backyard
**Northern Bluet, Enallagma annexum - 1 teneral male emerged from Bigsnest Pond. [early date by 2 wks]
March 17, 2009
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
Ogier Ponds, along Coyote Creek between San Jose and Morgan Hill
Pacific Forktails, 6
Common Green Darner, 1
Variegated Meadowhawks, 12
March 16, 2009
Sonoma County
David Hofmann
Pine Flat Rd., Healdsburg, the Rebizzo/Doug Ellis seep
Vivid Dancer Argia vivida - ~4, all young, (none vivid yet!) in fact, one just emerging
..
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Lake Poway, 11:50-1:30, sunny, variable breezes, 65-72 degrees
Familiar Bluet & Tule Bluet >400 (combined count, approximately 1 to 4 ratio of Familiar to Tule)
Pacific Forktail 14
Common Green Darner 1M
Variegated Meadowhawk 13
Flame Skimmer 1M
March 15, 2009
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos
Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100; 7:00-13:10, 60-75F, cloudless, calm to gentle
breeze SW.
*Paiute Dancer, Argia alberta 8 (two in hand)
Blue-ringed Dancer, A. sedula 2
Vivid Dancer, A. vivida 5
Familiar Bluet, Enallagma civile >30
Desert Forktail, Ischnura barberi 5
Ramburs Forktail, I. ramburii >60
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 3
*Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna
multicolor 4
Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum
corruptum 5
*Western Pondhawk, Erythemis
collocata 9
*Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax
longipennis 3
Flame Skimmer, Libellula saturata >25
*Wandering Glider, Pantala
flavescens 4
*Spot-winged Glider, P. hymenaea 3
.
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
"Oka Ponds" along Los Gatos Creek in Campbell
Pacific Forktails, 25+
March 12, 2009
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Took a drive, mainly to bird watch.
Valley Ford (near coast), Gericke Rd
(lots of water and ducks), 1 pm 54F
anisopteran - 1 fly across the road
Guerneville, Armstrong Grove, Bullfrog Pond, 3 pm 60F
Variegated Meadowhawk - 3m, all on shoreline
Nothing else yet, but there were many West Coast Lady butterflies.
March 11/12, 2009
Inyo County
Cary Kerst
Death Valley
Vivid Dancer on 11th at Scotty's Castle & photo of male at Texas Springs on 12th
Variegated Meadowhawk 1 m on 12th at Texas Springs, photo
March 7, 2009
Shasta County
Ray Bruun
Battle Creek, temperature was in the mid to high 60s.
Vivid Dancer - a female, the first of season in our neck of the woods. There was also a dragonfly, almost certainly Variegated Meadowhawk.
March 2, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Ramona, Dos Picos County Park, 12:30-1:45, partly sunny with increasing clouds, calm, 80-78F
Bluet
sp. 6 teneral and unidentified
**Arroyo
Bluet Enallagma praevarum 3
(in hand) tandem, wheel, photo. [new early date 1 mo+]
Pacific
Forktail >10
Common
Green Darner 1
Variegated Meadowhawk >15
March 1, 2009
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos
Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100; 8:00-12:30, 65-85F, cirrus, light breeze SW.
*CA/Aztec Dancer, Argia sp. 1
Blue-ringed Dancer, A. sedula 5
Vivid Dancer, A. vivida 3
Familiar Bluet, Enallagma, civile 19 including one tandem pair
ovipositing.
**Desert Forktail, Ischnura
barberi 4 [new
early flight date by one day kb]
Ramburs Forktail, I. ramburii >40
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 10
Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum
corruptum 1
*Flame Skimmer, Libellula
saturata 4
.
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Escondido Creek, Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve 2:00-3:00, sunny with high clouds, light breezes, 82 degrees.
Vivid Dancer >25 mostly immature, on vegetation away from the creek
Red Rock Skimmer 4 M 1F ovipositing
Dixon Lake, 12:50-1:30
No odes sighted
Oak Hill Memorial Park, Escondido, 12:15-12:30
Vivid Dancer b
**Western Forktail Ischnura perparva 3M on soggy grass at northeast edge of pond [new early flight date by one day kb]
Variegated Meadowhawk 18
Lake Poway, 10:40-11:50
Familiar Bluet and Tule Bluet 214 combined count, approximately equal number of each, including adults, tenerals, immatures, & unidentified ...
combined count on previous four days with high temperature in parenthesis 2-28, 254 (86 degrees), 2-27,70 (70 degrees), 2-26, 58 (66 degrees), 2-25, 4 (62 degrees).
Pacific Forktail 11
Common Green Darner 1M
Variegated Meadowhawk 12
Red Saddlebags 1M
FebruaryFebruary 24/25, 2009
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Farmer Pond near Bishop
On the 24th, a few Variegated Meadowhawks
On the 25th, around noon, at least two dozen more. Photos taken, very fresh looking.
.
Alameda County
Alice Cavette
Lake Elizabeth, Fremont
Variegated Meadowhawk (there for last wk. or so)
February 21, 2009
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Thousand Palms Oasis, Coachella
Valley Preserve, Elev. 588; 11:00-1130, ~75F, hazy overcast, light air.
Vivid Dancer, Argia vivida 10
February 20, 2009
Contra Costa County
Rob Thomas
Briones RP, 1-3pm, upper 50s, hazy, light breeze out of NE
Variegated Meadowhawk - 7 strangely all were encountered in clearings along otherwise brushy or wooded trails. None were seen on
the grasslands or around the lagoons, which finally have some water.
*California Darner Rhionaeschna californica - 1 patrolling the Old Briones Road trail head.
Pacific Forktail - 3 Sindicich Lagoon, which was the only lagoon to not go completely dry. [first in northern CA]
Not odes, but... Coast-range newts were abundant in all four lagoons.
California Tortoiseshells were everywhere from basking on the roads to patrolling the crest trail.
.
Sonoma County
Alan Wight
Nagasawa Park, Santa Rosa
Pacific Forktail 2
Variegated Meadowhawk - 1-2
Common Green Darner - 1 male [new early date for Sonoma Co. by 3 ½ wks]
February 15, 2009
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos
Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100; 8:30-11:40, 50-65F, hazy overcast, light breeze
SW.
Ramburs Forktail, Ischnura ramburii 5
February 14, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Lake Poway
I counted just 7 teneral bluets and 1 Variegated Meadowhawk on my walk today; although partly sunny, air temperature was
52-59...in fact the temperature hasn't been above 59 in the last 8 days and lows have recently reached 33 and 34 and 37, plus there's
been measurable rainfall on 8 of the last 9 days... so when I couldn't find the female Red Rock Skimmer, last seen on the 10th, over the
preceding three days, I thought she'd succumbed to the long spate of adverse weather.
But today, there she was--likely the same female-- basking at the very spot where I'd first encountered one on the 5th! She pressed her
abdomen against the sun-warmed rock, (it was slightly warm to the touch, and much warmer than the air).
At one point, with binocs poised on her, a shadow caught my eye, and a male alighted on a rock about 20 feet from her! (fuzzy photo, but
unmistakable). A bit before that, while observing the female, I'd pondered her fine cryptic coloration, that blends in so well with the
speckled granite rock, and her solitary situation, wondering if she'd live long enough to encounter a male of the species at this early date
... and then a red Valentine comes flying her way.February 10, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Lake Poway inlet creek, 11:20-2:15, clear, cool, light breeze, 50-57 degrees.
Teneral bluets 4
Familiar Bluet 1
Tule Bluet 0
Pacific Forktail 4
Red Rock Skimmer 1 female (photo)
**Red Rock Skimmer Paltothemis lineatipes - Retrospectively, saw two on Feb. 5 (63 degrees with a storm approaching), but binocular view was too fleeting
And photos too blurry to be positive, so didn't report it. Today, after 5 successive days of rain, wind, and cold temperatures, observed one of them again, hawking
and basking close to the rock where I first saw it, and gained better views and photographs. [new early flight data by 5+ wks!!- kb]February 3, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Escondido Creek, Elfin Forest Preserve, 11:40-12:40, clear, light breeze, 77-80 degrees.
*Vivid Dancer Argia vivida 3 immature
Variegated Meadowhawk 1
February 2, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Lake Poway, 11:15-1:30 clear, warm, occasional breeze, 73-77 degrees
Familiar Bluet 66 tandems, wheels, ovipositing
Tule Bluet 54 tandems, ovipositing
Combined unidentified Enallagma civile or E. carunculatum 102
Enallagma tenerals 16
Total of all the above = 238
Pacific Forktail 13
Common Green Darner 2 M (M & F tandem ovipositing yesterday)
Variegated Meadowhawk 21 tandem ovipositing
**Red Saddlebags Tramea onusta 1 (photo) [new early flight date by 1 whole month- kb]
February 1, 2009
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn
Morgan Hill
Variegated Meadowhawk - a single individual
January
January 24, 2009
Kern County
David Blue
China Lake Wastewater
Treatment Facility (NE of Ridgecrest)
Variegated Meadowhawk Sympetrum corruptum 20+, including 1 tandem and 1 wheel
January 19, 2009
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Laguna Wetlands Preserve, Sebastopol, 1:45 - 2:15, 65F
Hardly any water: of 3 ponds, only one had a bit of water, but at it we found
Variegated Meadowhawk - 3 males, all on west facing slope on ground ~2 ft from the water, facing the water....probably hoping for females!
..
Sacramento County
Art Sharpio
West Sacramento 11.45-2.45. It hit
I rolled up my sleeves and unbuttoned my shirt.
Sympetrum--a minimum of 4 individuals, probably 6
January 16, 2009
Sacramento County
Tim Manolis
warm and sunshine - American River Parkway at the Glenbrook Access (the spot where the Stylurus olivaceus is often found
Variegated Meadowhawk 1
.
Santa Clara County
Steven Johnston
Henry Coe SP
Variegated Meadowhawk ("lots flying, some mating")
.
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Lake Poway* (see note below and sightings in prior week below & comments)
10:45-12:45, clear, mild, occasionally breezy, 66-77 degrees
Familiar Bluet 21 tandems, wheels, ovipositing
Tule Bluet 5M
Combined unidentified Enallagma civile or E. carunculatum 51
Enallagma tenerals 8
Total of all the above bluets = 85
Pacific Forktail 11, including immatures
Black-fronted Forktail 1 maturing male
Common Green Darner 2 M
Variegated Meadowhawk 42
Lake Poway continues to harbor higher numbers (see above for a typical recent day) than other areas nearby.
Lake Poway also logged 4 "last sightings" and 7 "new late flight dates" for 2008.
Possible reasons for these numbers, apart from unseasonable temperatures, include topography, shoreline sun angles, water purity,
varied water depths, ruderal and natural vegetation, lake management policies, and other factors.January 10-17, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Record high temperatures have been set somewhere in the county eac hday of this week,
and not since 1986 has San Diego experienced such along stretch of warmth in January.
During the week, I traveled to 14 sites where I've observed odes flourishing in spring, summer and fallof 2008,
to census their numbers in the "dead of winter" and to compare those findings to sightings at Lake Poway.
Here are the locations, all within about 10 mile radius of Lake Poway, visited during midday hours between January 10th and 17th:
1-17-09 Escondido Creek, Elfin Forest Preserve 0
1-15-09 Iron Mountain Pond, Poway 0
1-15-09 Lindo Lake, Santee 0
1-15-09 Miramar Reservoir 0
1-15-09 Santee Lakes Common Green Darner 1, Variegated Meadowhawk 3 tandem, ovipositing
1-14-09 Poway Creek and Rattlesnake Creek Variegated Meadowhawk 1
1-14-09 Pomerado Pond, Poway, Pacific Forktail 3, Variegated Meadowhawk 1
1-13-09 Dixon Lake, Escondido Variegated Meadowhawk 1
1-13-09 Lake Hodges 0
1-12-09 Kit Carson Park Pond, Escondido 0
1-12-09 Clevenger Canyon, Santa Ysabel Creek 0
1-12-09 Dos Picos Pond, Ramona Familiar Bluet 1, Pacific Forktail 1, Common Green Darner 1, Variegated Meadowhawk 6 tandem, ovipositing
1-10-09 San Diego River, Old Mission Dam & Oak Canyon Creek Variegated Meadowhawk 3
1-10-10 1-10-09 Kumeyaay Lake Variegated Meadowhawk 1
January 14, 2009
Alameda County
Alice Cavette
Fremont backyard
Variegated Meadowhawk Dragonfly Sympetrum
corruptum a male and a female
.
Monterey County
Steven Johnston
along High Peaks trail, Pinnacles Nat'l Mon., west side,
Variegated Meadowhawk (1 male)
.
Contra Costa County
Steve Rottenborn
Concord
Variegated Meadowhawk - a single individual
January 12, 2009
Sonoma County
Kathy Biggs
Sebastopol backyard pond
Variegated Meadowhawk Dragonfly Sympetrum corruptum - just came in for a second to check out the pond.
It didn't stay but that second, still, it was thinking about procreation!! It IS 83 out!!
This was quite likely the bug my neighbors found last week, not for certain though!
I've never had a dragonfly check out the pond in January before - maybe perch above the sunny driveway, but not come into the pond!
January 11, 2009
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos
Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100; 9:00-12:00, 64-78F, cirrus, light breeze SE.
**Ramburs Forktail, Ischnura
ramburii 5 [new
early flight data]
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 2
Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum
corruptum 8
*Roseate Skimmer, Orthemis
ferruginea 1M
[still part of known April - January flight season, so this may be late date
for 2008 season]
.
Glenn County
Bruce Deuel
Sacramento NWR. Clear, N wind,
75 degrees, 1430.
Variegated Meadowhawk 1 [furthest north report so far]
.
Sacramento County
Art Sharpio
northern
Sacramento
Sympetrum (no doubt corruptum)
January 10, 2009
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Pushawalla Palms Oasis, Coachella
Valley Preserve, N33.82560 W-116.28141, Elev.500; 9:15-12:30, 64-72F,
cloudless, light air N.
Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum corruptum 3
January 9, 2009
Sacramento County
Art Sharpio
Rancho Cordova
Sympetrum 1 [surely corruptum
kb]
.
Riverside County
Roger Labbett
Joshua Tree NP
Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum corruptum several, first seen near centre of the NP and then not far from Cholla Cactus Garden getting on towards Cottonwood.
January 7, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Lake Poway
11:00-1:30, clear, mild, 63-73 degrees
Familiar Bluet 54 tandems, wheels, ovipositing
**Tule Bluet Enallagma carunculatum 9 M [1st report 2009 new early date by 1+ months kb]
Damselflies 12 unidentified immatures and tenerals
Pacific Forktail 19, including immatures
Black-fronted Forktail 1M
Common Green Darner 2 M & F ovipositing
Variegated Meadowhawk 7
January 6, 2009
Yolo County
Art Sharpio
near Davis
Sympetrum - 2 [surely corruptum kb]
January 4, 2009
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Lake Poway
11:00-1:00, partly sunny, cool,
light breeze, 56-61 degrees
Pacific Forktail 1M
**Black-fronted Forktail Ischnura
denticollis 1M
(photo) [new early date]
Common Green Darner 1F ovipositing
Variegated Meadowhawk 3
.
Sonoma County
Schoch family
Sebastopol, Sparkes Lane back yard (Kathy Biggs' neighbors)
Variegated Meadowhawk - 1 f, they'd kept her alive in a butterfly
vivarium for 3 days. She had hardly any color left. They will release her
tomorrow.
January 1, 2009
Kern County
David Blue
Rademacher Hills, just south of
Ridgecrest
Lows over the last seven days:
28, 21, 21, 25, 25, 28, 26
Highs over the last seven days: 48,
46, 50, 55, 57, 60, 61
*Variegated Meadowhawk Sympetrum corruptum 1, 35.56377°N, 117.67835°W
.
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Lake Poway, 11:00-1:00, sunny, mild, calm, 59-70 degrees
**Familiar Bluet Enallagma civile 25 including immature and tandem [new early date by 1+ months]
Bluet sp. several unidentified immatures and tenerals
**Pacific Forktail Ischnura cervula 8 including an immature [new early date by 2 days]
**Common Green Darner Anax junius 1M [new early date by 10 days]
Variegated Meadowhawk 5
-----
New County records, reported in 2009, from prior years:
1. Shadow Darner, Aeshna
umbrosa, Modoc County, Sept. 28, 2008. Steve Robbenborn, photo
record. Pit River and Lower Lily Lake. CA Chart #102, OC # 312645
& 312646
at 41.9896°
N 120.2402° W