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 year’s 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]

*Rambur’s 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]

Rambur’s 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 Drake’s Beach.

Pacific Forktail

Western Forktail

Familiar Bluet

Tule Bluet

“Borthern” Bluet – in the marshy area/pond at Drake’s Beach, Pt. Reyes

Common Green Darner

California Darner* [*possible but would be several months later than ever seen before, so this is a ‘head’s 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 26^th 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

Rambur’s 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  (2^nd 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

Rambur’s 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 (2^nd 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 Matt’s 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 (Emma’s 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 (2^nd 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 we’d 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

Payne’s 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

Emma’s 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

Rambur’s 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, ¼ 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 by’07 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) – he’s 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 lake’s 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, Brewer’s 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
Seyferth’s 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:

Doug’s 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

Emma’s Dancer – many seen: MM1, RR

Sooty Dancer – a few: MM1, RR

Vivid Dancer – many seen, including sentinel guarding: Doug’s 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

Rambur’s 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
Owen’s 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 22^nd and lower numbers along upper Coyote Creek in Henry Coe State Park. On the 23^rd 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 (Mother’s 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

Rambur’s 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 couldn’t 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

…….

Sacramento 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.

……

Imperial 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

Rambur’s 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

Rambur’s 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]

Rambur’s 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
 
February
 
February 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.

Rambur’s 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.

**Rambur’s 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

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New County records, reported in 2009, from prior years:

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