California's Year 2012 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 and/or the CalOdes Dragonfly discussion group on Yahoo!
date (month/day/year)
County (name of county where seen)
your name
place, etc.
species common name &/or scientific name - #s & other data, comments, etc.
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 (some new, but prior to 2011 records are listed at the bottom of the page)
OC= Odonata Central: http:/www.odonatacentral.org/index.php/PageAction.get/name/HomePage%20 - 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,
101
species (out of 114 known species) have been reported to this site
as flying in CA in the 2012 season.
22
new California
county records &/or upgrades to county
records have been reported this year
(this # may
include upgrades of previous sighting only records, newly accessed museum
collections and new reports of prior years data).
1 new California STATE
record has been
reported this year (see October 2)
`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> & to
Odonata Central: http://odonatacentral.bfl.utexas.edu/records/US_new_records.asp
for verification
December
December 20, 2012
Imperial County
Bob Miller
I walked 4.5 miles in
the Algodones Dunes Wilderness Area on 12-20 and had four
*Variegated Meadowhawk Sympetrum corruptum in the middle of the desert. [last report of 2012]
December 14, 2012
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson
Goleta
Variegated Meadowhawk - one
December 9, 2012
Santa Barbara County
Montecito
*Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna
multicolor -
one [last report 2012]
December 8, 2012
Point Reyes - Bear Valley
Visitor Center
Variegated Meadowhawk Sympetrum corruptum - OC#:385496
December 2- 3, 2012
Sacramento County
Tim Manolis
Sacramento
*Common Green Darner Anax junius [last report of 2012]
Variegated Meadowhawk
.
Marin County
Lelie Flint
Audubon Canyon Ranch, Bolinas
I was photographing mushrooms at ACR and saw a darner flitting around the yard.
I was really surprised given the torrential rain over the weekend and the cool day - low 60s.
However it looked like a *Common Green Darner Anax junius! [last report 2012]
December 1, 2012
Monterey County
Don Roberson & Rita Carratello
Carmel River mouth - overcast on arrival but clearing, then sunny & mild, but clouding up again when we left...
we are between storms in a weekend of stormy weather. When the sun was out it was muggy and warm, and odes were flying:
*Familiar Bluet Enallagma civile - 6 males 1 photo'd. 1 female; photo'd [last report 2012]
Common Green Darner, 5
Blue-eyed Darner, 7
November
November 28, 2012
Orange County
Doug Willick
*Flame Skimmer Libellula saturata
[last report 2012]
November 24, 2012
Alameda County
StephanTelm
Livermore
*eight-spotted skimmer (Libellula forensis) - buzzing in a vineyard near LLL. [last report 2012 a whole month late but no documentation]
November 22 Thanksgiving week
Riverside County
Matthew Dodder
During
Thanksgiving week, Cricket and I were in Salton Sea and Anza-Borrego Desert.
Good numbers of Common Green Darners at Unit One of the Sony Bono Salton Sea
Preserve, and in the desert pretty much all we saw were Variegated Meadowhawks.
November 26, 2012
Sonoma County
Gloria Conley
Ragle Park
Variegated Meadowhawk - one
November 23, 2012
Shasta County
Ray & Mary Bruun
Millville Plains
a pair of dragonflies in wheel -a long ways off, so I can't be certain of species, but I'm guessing Variegated Meadowhawk. Seems kind of late for this activity, at least this far north.
November 22, 2012
Sonoma County
Dave Biggs
Our Sebastopol
Pond
*Shadow Darner Aeshna umbrosa 1 perched near the pond [last
report 2012]
Meadowhawk
1, probably a Variegated but possibly a Cardinal, emerged from the fist tank
where I raise pollywogs outside.
November 21, 2012
Sonoma County
Alan WightI
Nagasawa Park
in Santa Rosa
Variegated Meadowhawks 2
.
Orange County
Doug Willick
Common Green Darner
November 17, 2012
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos
Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100; 7:40-10:40, 65-75F, cloudless to 10% cumulus,
calm to light air.
*American Rubyspot, Hetaerina americana 1 [last report 2012]
Blue-ringed Dance, Argia sedula 1
*Vivid Dancer, A. vivida 2 [last report 2012]
*Ramburs Forktail, Ischnura
ramburii 12
[last report 2012]
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 6
Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna
multicolor 5
Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum
corruptum 5
*Red-tailed Pennant, Brachymesia
furcata 2
[last report 2012]
*Roseate Skimmer, Orthemis
ferruginea
2 [last report 2012]
*Wandering Glider, Pantala
flavescens
1 [last report 2012]
16 November 2012
Sacramento County
Ali Sheehey
Bufferlands
NWR
Variegated Meadowhawk
November 14, 2012
Sonoma County
Alan Wight
Agilent Technologies site on Fountaingrove Parkway, Santa Rosa
Blue-eyed Darner another late male for Sonoma County.
northern Santa Rosa
Blue-eyed Darner - a perched male; I was able to see the appendages and T-spot quite
well. A new late record for Sonoma County.
November 10, 2012
Monterey County
Don Roberson
Laguna Grande Park, Seaside,
*Pacific Forktail Ischnura cervula [last report 2012]
November 4, 2012
Siskiyou County
Dave Payne
a lonely male Variable/Shadow Darner showed up searching for a female. Missed her by 24 hours.
November 3, 2012
Siskiyou County
Dave Payne
a female Variable/Shadow Darner was observed ovipositing on moist wood around the edge of the pond. That same female flew over to my arm and began probing my fleece jacket.
Does that count as ovipositing?
She quickly flew off and resumed ovipositing or at least probing moist wood once again.
This occurred during the mid afternoon, when the sun was shining on my pond.
November 2, 2012
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs, Sandra
Hunt-von Arb
Lichau Road @
Copeland Creek, Cotati; temperature only 49F when we first arrived and saw
Spreadwings! ]ast report 2012]
*Great Spreadwing Archilestes grandis 4 or more males, 1-2 females, a few
seen at 10:45 and more again at 1:30.
As with Alan, some were seen right from
the bridge over the creek (1:30). Photos to be posted soon. These were a lifer
for Sandra yay!!
Now she can go look for them in Del
Norte County where they would be a record!!
Variegated Meadowhawk 1 or more, in field west of bridge
Fairfield Osborn Preserve, Lichau Creek (private, need permission to enter)
Great Spreadwing 1 male
Variegated Meadowhawk 4 or more, scattered, none on water
November 1, 2012
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson
San Jose Creek in Goleta.
*Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympterum illotum [last report of 2012]
*Black-fronted Forktail Ischnura denticollis [last report of 2012]
Vivid Dancer
October - NEW STATE RECORD MADE (Oct. 2) -
October 28, 2012
Sonoma County
Alan Wight
Lichau Road, Cotati
Great Spreadwing - 2-3 individuals, including a female solo ovipositing into the bark of a young White Alder tree
.
San Bernadino County
B.J. Stacey
Prado Regional Park
*Mexican Amberwing Perithemis intensa photo of a male [last report
2012]
Bluets in wheel
.
Riverside
County
Peter Gaede
Blue-ringed Dancers Argia sedula {last report 2012]
October 27, 2012
Mono County
Barbara & Ron Oriti
Fish Slough
*Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna palmata
[last report 2012]
October 20, 2012
Sonoma County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb
Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility in Petaluma
Blue-eyed Darners - half dozen flying (def. blue faces)
darner - blue colored
*Tule Bluet Enallagma carunculatum one [last report of 2012]
Variegated Meadowhawk one
.
Imperial County
Bob Miller
ttp://blog.southwestbirders.com/?p=46Alamo River Wetlands ProjectShank Rd; 10:21 AM - 11:40 AM
Comments: Submitted from BirdLog for Android v1.6 About 90 degrees light breeze.
Roseate Skimmer
Mexican Amberwings
Variegated Meadowhawk
*Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata [last report 2012]
*Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata [last report 2012]
Blue-eyed Darner
Familiar Bluet Enallagma civile
Ramburs Forktail
October 18, 2012
Sonoma County
Alan Wight
Spring Lake, Santa Rosa
Variegated
Meadowhawk
*Striped Meadowhawk Sympetrum pallipes [last report 2012]
.
Mono County
Barbara & Ron Oriti
Green Creek
*Black Meadowhawk Sympetrum danae [last report 2012]
October 16, 2012
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson
San Jose Creek in Goleta
I hadn't checked the concrete-lined section of creek
. for a couple of weeks, and was surprised to find a lot of action
. The Flame Skimmers and Desert Firetails seem to be gone
Common Green Darners
Cardinal Meadowhawks Sympetrum illotum
Vivid Dancers,
Black-fronted Forktail Ischnura denticollis
Great Spreadwing I was pleasantly surprised when an adult (male?) made an appearance. I didn't expect to see one on the coastal plain. I put a photo of it in my folder.
.
Marin County
Len Blumin
Ft. Mason Community Garden
Variegated Meadowhawk
October 13, 2012
Humboldt County
Tony WestKamper
Van Duzen River Bar 40d 29' 52.11N X 123d 59' 49.80"W
A heavy mist last night made everything damp and as the day warmed up, muggy.
Even after noon there was still lots of dew droplets on the spider webs, and the air was heavy and smelled like the San Francisco Flower House.
Common Green Darners (6+)
*California Spreadwings Archililestes californica (3+) [last report 2012]
Variegated Meadowhawks (2+)
The numbers are the ones I could positively ID.
The + indicates that there were others beyond my range which appeared similar in size, shape, and flight habit and were most likely the mentioned species.
I watched the Darners take many many small flying termites which are currently on the wing around here.
A quick change of course and tiny gray wings fluttered delicately to the ground, the only evidence of a violent encounter in the air.
October 12, 2012
San Bernardino County
Juddy Canello
North Etiwanda Nature Preserve, San Gabriel Mountains
Great Spreadwing Archilestes grandis male photo CA Chart #127, OC# 385195
October 6, 2012
Humboldt County
Tony WestKamper
Van Duzen River within 100 meters of 40d 29'54.25N X 123d 59' 48.80"W
Variegated Meadowhawks 2
California Spreadwings 2
several unidentified species. Although these were unidentified I can say with assurance I saw no Common Green Darners.
I did watch one largish mosaic darner which was chased away by a spreadwing which subsequently landed near enough that I could make an identification.
.
Marin County
Noah Arthur
Drakes Beach
at Outer Point Reyes
RED-VEINED MEADOWHAWK - adult male in the willows
October 4, 2012
Modoc County
Kevin McKereghan
Cottonwood Creek, 3 miles (or so)
south of New Pine Creek
*Autumn Meadowhawk Sympetrum vicinum - a female photographed, CA Chart #124, OC# 382094 [last repot 2012]
Striped Meadowhawks - many
*Band-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum semicinctum - a few [last report 2012]
Black Meadowhawk Sympetrum danae - at least 1
Common Green Darners - a few
Aeshna type darners - some, likely Shadow Darners, which were fairly abundant here at Labor Day.
.
Orange County
Doug Willick
*Neon Skimmer, Libellula
croceipennis 2
[last report 2012]
October 2, 2012
Riverside County
John Green
His Riverside ranch (Black Widow Ranch)
**Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa) new state record, species #114 CA Chart #123, OC#382034
Although we do have a small pond on our 5.5 acre spread (The Black Widow Ranch), the pondhawk was photographed in our vegetable garden(!).
it was present only that one time
September
September 28, 2012
Mono County
Barbara & Ron Oriti
Fish Slough
Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis
September 23-24, 2012
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bigsnest Wildlife Pond, Sebastopol
Variegated Meadowhawk male
Cardinal Meadowhawk young male on 24th
Aeshna sp.
males and female
September 22, 2012
Santa Cruz County
Scot Peden
Rancho del Oso
#Common Green Darner - scores and scores of them today
#Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna palmata male photographed flying over Waddell Ck. .5 miles from the ocean, CA Chart#113, OC# 382231
.
David Simson
#Variegated Meadowhawk - male
.
Marin County
Tania Pollak
a couple ponds around Abbott's Lagoon
*San Francisco Forktail Ischnura gemina - these are at small stock ponds and a road side swale -- separate from the core Abbott's Lagoon population, but same part of Pt. Reyes. [last report 2012]
Am hoping to get up for one more day there to sample some more ponds. The population at Abbott's Lagoon is strong, as it was last year.
.
Monterey County
Don Roberson & Rita Carratello
Carmel River
#Paddle-tailed Darner A. palmata in flight over small ankle-deep puddles near the mouth of the Carmel River
The only prior location for Monterey County was a small pond at Elkhorn Slough NERR near Moss Landing, from 22-29 Oct 2006
http://creagrus.home.montereybay.com/Paddle-tailedDarner.html
September 19, 2012
Inyo County
Barbara & Ron Oriti
Owens Dry Lake
*Comanche Skimmer Libellula comanche [last report 2012]
September 16, 2012
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Andreas Canyon,
Indian Canyons, Agua Caliente Indian Reservation,
N33.76046 W-116.54852, Elevation 850; 8:20 11:00, 85-95F, cloudless, calm to
light air.
American Rubyspot, Hetaerina americana 21
CA/Aztec Dancer, looked like Argia agrioides
1
*Sooty Dancer, Argia lugens 3 [last report 2012]
Vivid Dancer, A. vivida 15
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 1
*White-belted Ringtail, Erpetogomphus
compositus 2
[last report 2012]
Neon Skimmer, Libellula
croceipennis 2
Flame Skimmer, Libellula saturata 6
*Red Rock Skimmer, Paltothemis
lineatipes 9
including ovipositing female. [last report 2012]
*Pale-faced Clubskimmer, Brechmorhoga
mendax 5 [last
report 2012]
September 15, 2012
Siskiyou County
Ray Bruun, Kathy & Dave Biggs
Soda Springs on Squaw Creek, McCloud
Meadowhawk sp - 1-2
Common Green Darner - ~12, all females or young males
Pondosa, Big Bear Flat (far SE edge of county, off Hwy 89) 12:30-2:30. ~80F
This is a large marshy area fed by springs with a series of permanent ponds with running water between them. Nearby is a seep where Ray has found Petaltails in season.
Vivid Dancer - ~12
No/Bo Bluet - ~6
Pacific Forktail Ischnura cervula 2 m
*Western Forktail Ischnura perparva 6, m & f [last report 2012]
Common Green Darner - ~12
Shadow Darner 2-3, 2 males in hand, photographed
Blue-eyed Darner - ~3
Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis 1-2
*Twelve-spotted Skimmer Libellula pulchella 1-2 [last report 2012]
*Widow Skimmer Libellula luctuosa 1-3 (difficult to separate from the multitude of black-winged grasshoppers!) [last report 2012]
Blue Dasher/Western Pondhawk 1
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1 m
Meadowhawk sp (Variegated?) - `5
Autumn Meadowhawk - 1-4, maybe more. Ray caught one female which we kept as a voucher since this area is ~100 miles east of the only other Siskiyou County record for this species near Happy Camp
September 14, 2012
Siskiyou County
Ray Bruun, Kathy & Dave Biggs
Fruit Growers pond, Hilt (private property, received permission to enter from Terry Silvestri)
Tule type Bluet - some
Western Forktail 1 seen by Ray
Common Green Darner 2-3
Darner sp. 2-3
Blue-eyed Darner - ~3
Eight-spotted Skimmer 1-2
Twelve-spotted Skimmer 1-2
Flame Skimmer 1-2
Also seen on the pond, one River Otter photographed
At a nearby spring fed wet ditch
*Pacific Spiketail Cordulegaster dorsalis- 1 m [last report of 2012]
Shasta Valley Wildlife Management Area (east of Montague)
B=Bass Pond, Five=stop 5 (recently filled pond), T=Trout Lake (terribly windy by this stop)
Tule Bluet some
No/Bo Bluet some
Pacific Forktail a few (T)
Western Forktail a few
Common Green Darner
Blue-eyed Darner - ~3
Eight-spotted Skimmer 1-2
Twelve-spotted Skimmer 1-2
Flame Skimmer 1-2
Widow Skimmer 1 m
Striped Meadowhawk - 1-4
Variegated Meadowhawk - 1-4
Band-winged Meadowhawk 1 m (Five)
Black Saddlebags 1-2 (B)
September 13, 2012
Inyo County
Barbara & Ron Oriti
Owens Dry Lake
*Desert Whitetail Plathemis subornata [last report 2012]
September 12, 2012
Santa Clara County
Leslie Flint
Monte Bello Pond. noon to 1:00. Temp around 75 degrees.
Striped Meadowhawk - 10
California Spreadwing - 12
Common Green Darner - 2-3
It was pretty hot down by the pond, and I didn't have time to check all around the edges; the meadowhawks and the spreadwings were constantly being annoyed by bees.
.
Siskiyou County
Dave Payne
#Klamath River from Wingate Bar to Independence Bridge.. We were greeted by another small swarm of
Common Green Darners over the water at Wingate Bar. They showed up as the sun had just started to light up the water.
Canyon shadows had just receded. There were about 75 dragons flitting about. They escorted us downriver to the confluence with Clear Creek.
After that I did not notice them again. It was calm and just beginning to heat up when we encountered them at about 11 am.
At the end of the day I found an adult Common Green Darner in the parking lot of the market in Happy Camp. This guy had been beheaded by an auto collision. It was literally still kicking, and a perfect specimen, but just minus a head.
Kathy & Dave Biggs
McCloud dragonfly Roost backyard pond, 4700
*Variable Darners Aeshna interrupta - 1-4 or more, [last report 2012]
.
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson
school field in Goleta
Common Green Darners apparently ovipositing on a school field. As I mentioned before, there is great stream habitat within a few hundred yards of the site.
There were at least 3 pairs flying around the field. They would land frequently, and I attempted to sneak up on them but could only get within a few feet.
The female would move her abdomen around just as she would do in water, suggesting that ovipositing was indeed taking place.
I checked out the soil under the grass, and it was slightly damp.
Earlier in the day I visited the nearby San Jose Creek
Common Green Darners were ovipositing in a more traditional fashion.
However, I did see a lone female land on the concrete bank of the creek, and I took some pictures of her as she seemed to attempt to oviposit in a rough section of the concrete. Hmmm...
This section of the creek--about 30 feet in length, concrete lined, and with a trickle of water running through it-- has held 11 species of odes in the past 10 days:
Red Rock Skimmer
Flame Skimmer
Black Saddlebags
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Common Green Darner
*Spot-winged Glider Pantala hymenaea [last report 2012]
Vivid Dancer
Black-fronted Forktail
Vivid Dancer
CA/Aztec Dancer
*Desert Firetail Telebasis salva, a few apparently quite uncommon in our neck of the woods. I've included a photo of the firetail in my album on CalOdes. [last report of 2012]
.
Mono County
Ron Oriti
Dechambeau Ponds
Black Meadowhawk photographed
Blue-eyed Darner- photographed
*Spotted Spreadwing Lestes congener photographed [last report 2012]
September 9, 2012
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson
Rattlesnake Canyon
*Great Spreadwings Archilestes grandis
*Walker's Darners Aeshna walkeri - 5 [last report 2012]
Pacific Spiketail 1
September 7, 2012
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson
Goleta, a school within a couple of hundred yards of San Jose Creek.
Common Green Darners flying in tandem and ovipositing in the creek in the past week, but today
Common Green Darners - flying over the playing field, some of which were in tandem.
I was surprised to see the pairs frequently landing on the grass, the females apparently egg laying.
I got close to a few, and the females appeared to be pushing their abdomens into the dirt below the grass.
September 6, 2012
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Nagasawa Park
in northern Santa Rosa.
2:15-3:15, 75-74F
Things were slow there except for the Blue-eyed Darners which seem to be
everywhere right now.
Vivid Dancer - 1m
Tule type bluets - 2 dozen
Pacific Forktail - 1m, 1f
Blue-eyed Darner - 1 dozen or more
males
Green Darner 1-2 m
Flame Skimmer - 1-3m
*Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis - a dozen [last verified report 2012]
Variegated Meadowhawk - 1-2
Black Saddlebags - 1-2
Turns out Alan Wight was there just ahead
of us. He saw all but the Vivid Dancer (seen away from the water) and added
Eight-spotted Skimmer 1m
and at our Sebastopol backyard Bigsnest Pond -
Pacific Forktail - 2
Blue-eyed Darner - a few every few
mins, don't know whether one came by repeatedly or what...
Flame Skimmer - 1m for a few seconds
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1m for a few
seconds
September 4, 2012
Yolo
County
Stephan Telm
North
Davis Pond: 1600, 99F, sunny with a slight NW breeze
Tule bluets: many (several dozen)
Familiar bluets: argia emma many [last report 2012]
*Emma's dancer : many
Pacific forktails; several
Flame skimmer: 1
Widow skimmer: over a dozen (one female was seen eating a
damselfly)
Blue dashers: about a dozen males (decreasing from earlier in
the year) and my first female sighting
Common green darners: over a dozen One
landed for a picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36618387@N06/7935059392/
September 3, 2012
San Bernardino County
Jan Hintermerster
ODD BEHAVIOR: I visited Blair Ranch
in preparation for a hike that I will lead with Karen DeMello on Sunday.
Blair Ranch is a
not-yet-open-to-the-public property adjoining Rancho Canada del Oro off McKean Road between
Morgan Hill and San Jose. The destination point of the
hike is a stock pond.
Part of the pond has been
trampled by cows and has somewhat dried out.
The cow hooves have left deep
circular depressions, maybe eight or so inches deep and several inches across.
As I walked through this area, I saw
a female mosaic darner fly out of
one of the pits. This surprised me a bit, but a few seconds later,
I saw a female mosaic darner fly
into one of the pits (sorry, I did not attempt to id), When I peered
inside I could see the darner on the wall in the shadows ovipositing into the
damp sides of the pit.
These pits are a few feet from
vegetation and open water and although the surface is dry enough to walk on,
the sides of the pits are damp.
I did not realize that darners would
oviposit in soil. Is this a common practice?
September 2, 2012
San Bernardino County
Peter Siminski
Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, Elev.
2500; 7:20-9:30, 57-82F, 25% cumulus, gentle breeze.
Vivid Dancer, Argia vivida >25
Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna
multicolor 6
Neon Skimmer, Libellula
croceipennis 1
Shasta County
Ray Bruun.
Lake McCumber
Band-winged Meadowhawk (Sympetrum semicinctum) - Female
.
Siskiyou County
Bob Claypole
Klamath River on the Klamath River
Pacific Spiketail female ovipositing in backyard under a sprinkler!
.
Modoc County
Steve Rottenborn
North Emerson Lake, southwest of Eagleville in the South Warner Mountains; at an elevation of approximately 7750 ft,
this site is pushing the known elevation limits in the state for Spotted Spreadwing and Saffron-winged Meadowhawk, according to Manolis Dragonflies and Damselflies of California.
I think ode numbers were low due to the late date at this elevation; this would be an interesting spot to check earlier in the season:
Bluet sp. 1
Spotted Spreadwing 4 (including one tandem pair)
Variable Darner 10
Common Green Darner 2
Variegated Meadowhawk 1
*Saffron-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum costiferum 2 last report 2012
Striped Meadowhawk 3 (including a female ovipositing in sedges above the current waterline)
Stough Reservoir, north side of Highway 299 at Cedar Pass:
Northern/Boreal Bluet 5
50+ darners (Variable > Paddle-tailed > Shadow)
.
Sonoma County
Leslie Flint
Adobe Canyon Road in Kenwood, which leads to Sugarloaf Ridge State Park 4:00
a swarm of Odes just off the deck - flew like gliders - that jerky flight... no binoculars, - wandering or spot-winged, but there were at least 50
.
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Benton Crossing
**Great Basin Snaketail Ophiogomphus morrisoni a few - last report 2012 & New Late date, old date 8/24/2001
September 1, 2012
Shasta County
Ray Bruun
Old Cow Creek Meadow
Blue-eyed Darner (Rhionaeschna multicolor) Female
.
Humboldt County
Tony WestKamper
Common Green Darner...too many to count
Western River Cruiser Macromia magnifica last report 2012
*Gray Sanddragon Progomphus borealis (1) [last report 2012]
Widow Skimmer 1 male, two females (Photo posted)
American Rubyspot 1 male
Sooty Dancer several individuals inc. a blue-form female one pair mating
.
Peter Siminski
Thousand Palms Oasis, Coachella
Valley Preserve; Wilhelm and McCallum groves and ponds; Elev. 560, 7:30-9:45,
80-95F, cloudless, light breeze NW.
CA/Aztec Dancer, Argia sp. 1
Vivid Dancer, A. vivida >25
*Desert Forktail, Ischnura
barberi 4 [last
report 2012]
Ramburs Forktail, I.
ramburii 10
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 8 including one pair in tandem.
Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna
multicolor 3
including one pair in wheel.
Red-tailed Pennant, Brachymesia
furcata 1
Western Pondhawk, Erythemis
collocata 7
Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax
longipennis 5
Comanche Skimmer, Libellula
comanche 6
Flame Skimmer, L. saturata 4
*Marl Pennant, Macrodiplax
balteata 1
[last report 2012]
Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata 4
Spot-winged Glider, Pantala
hymenaea 1
.
Modoc County
Steve Rottenborn
Three Springs Ranch, along CR 48 on the southwest side of Goose Lake:
Northern/Boreal Bluet 1
Western Forktail a few
Variable Darner 15
Common Green Darner hundreds slowly flying southward along the edge of
Goose Lake in late afternoon; they were flying slowly as though foraging, and
flying into the southerly wind, but they were all moving in the same direction
as though migrating
Blue-eyed Darner 1
Eight-spotted Skimmer 1
*Hoary Skimmer Libellula nodisticta
3 (last report 2012)
Black Meadowhawk 1 male
Band-winged Meadowhawk a few
Householder Reservoir, Forest Service Road 47N37, north of CR 73/181,
northeastern Modoc Plateau:
Common Green Darner 5
Saffron-winged Meadowhawk 15 (some tandems, some ovipositing in shallow
water)
Band-winged Meadowhawk 3
Striped Meadowhawk 20 (including tandems)
Green Spring Reservoir, south of CR 73/181, northeastern Modoc Plateau:
Spotted Spreadwing 1
Bluet sp. a few
Variable Darner 20
Common Green Darner 20
Twelve-spotted Skimmer 4
Saffron-winged Meadowhawk 40 (some tandems, some ovipositing in shallow
water; included 2 tenerals that probably emerged that day,the only tenerals of
any species I saw during the trip)
Striped Meadowhawk 15
Small pond on north side of CR 73/181 at milepost 7.00, northeastern Modoc
Plateau:
*Northern Spreadwing Lestes disjunctus 1 (last
report 2012)
Variable Darner 10
Common Green Darner 20
Twelve-spotted Skimmer 2
Saffron-winged Meadowhawk 1
Striped Meadowhawk 15
Willow Creek and associated pond at about milepost 0.6 along CR 73/181,
southeast of Crowder Flat, northeastern Modoc Plateau:
Bluet sp. a few
Western Forktail a few
Variable Darner a few
Paddle-tailed Darner 5+
Shadow Darner 15+
Twelve-spotted Skimmer 1
Striped Meadowhawk hundreds
August
August 31, 2012
Modoc County
Steve Rottenborn
County Road (CR) 38 east of Eagleville, Surprise Valley:
Spotted Spreadwing 1
Band-winged Meadowhawk a few
Striped Meadowhawk hundreds
CR 1 just north of the Modoc/Lassen County line, southern Surprise Valley:
Common Green Darner 10
Blue-eyed Darner 3
Western Pondhawk 2
Flame Skimmer 2
Band-winged Meadowhawk 8
Black Saddlebags 1
Applegate Hot Springs, along CR 15B northeast of Cedarville, Surprise Valley:
Black-fronted Forktail 25
Western Forktail 25
Tule Bluet 2
Common Green Darner 1
Western Pondhawk 50
Comanche Skimmer 20
*Bleached Skimmer Libellula composita 4 (2 males, 2 females, one ovipositing);
(last report of 2012)for what its worth, these 4 were all in shallow-water
areas with relatively short-grazed vegetation
where the water spread out into the
meadow, whereas the Comanche Skimmers and Western Pondhawks
were concentrated more along the defined channel with
deeper water and taller emergent
vegetation upstream from where the Bleached Skimmers were
Flame Skimmer 1
Variegated Meadowhawk 2
Band-winged Meadowhawk 6
Lake Annie, northeast of Ft. Bidwell, northern Surprise Valley:
Paddle-tailed Darner 2
Tule Bluet hundreds
Pond on SW side of CR 9 just west of CR 1, in North Warner Mountains SW of Ft.
Bidwell:
Northern Spreadwing 1
Western Forktail many
Variable Darner 40
Common Green Darner 10
Blue-eyed Darner 5
*Common Whitetail Plathemis lydia
3 [last report 2012]
Striped Meadowhawk 8
.
San Luis Obispo County
Peter Gaede
private home, 35.3795°, -120.0652°,
Elev. 2036 feet
Flame Skimmer Libellula
saturata 1
male, CA Chart #112, OC# 382215
August 29, 2012
Mono County
Ron Oriti
Dechambeau Ponds
Black Meadowhawks - some photographed.
.
Santa Clara County
Matthew Dodder
The two ponds along East Bayshore Road
in Palo
Common Green Darner (many, including several in tandem, and ovipositing. I saw a pair
perched up close)
Blue-eyed Darner (fewer than I has seen on previous visits, but still second only in
abundance to CGDarner)
Variegated Meadowhawk (maybe 6,
incluidng two pairs coupled and ovipositing)
Cardinal Meadowhawk (only one male
staked out at a tiny puddle behind the utility buildings)
August 28, 2012
Siskiyou County
David Payne
Klamath River - floated from Wingate Bar to Ferry Point on the Klamath River.
#We put-in around 1000 hrs on a smokeless morning.
Upon immediately hitting the water I noticed we were in the company of a moderate size swarm of Common Green Darners.
There were over one hundred dragons flitting about over the river, as they were backlighted by the morning sun.
Most seemed to be heading downriver or at least congregating in the area of Wingate Bar.
We floated a short distance and stopped. The breeze had picked up and I quickly lost track of the dragons.
At the end of day I noticed one lone Common Green Darner at Ferry Point, some six miles downriver. The winds had picked up and were strong and steady upriver all afternoon.
Not sure where the green darner swarm ended up, but they were fun to float through when we started out. I had the sence that they were on the move to somewhere.
These are among the first common green darners I I have noticed along the river and by far the most concentrated group. Many looked fresh and only a few had blue abdomens.
.
San Diego County
Jamie Simmons
Elfin Forest, Escondido Creek
Red Rock Skimmer - 1 male (photos)
American Rubyspot - 3 (2 males photographed)
Pale-faced Clubskimmer - 2 (marginal photos of one in flight)
Flame Skimmer - 1
California Spreadwing - 1 (photo)
Vivid Dancer - 1 female with deformed wings? (photos)
Bluet spp. (photo as yet unidentified; may remain as such)
August 27, 2012
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Benton ( private 1,000 acre ranch
owned by the Eastern Sierra Land Trust, with meadows, small
springs/creeks, and two large ponds. We do an ode survey here for
ESLT twice a year).
*Western Red Damsel Amphiagrion abbreviatum -- 2
- last report of 2012
August 26, 2012
Humboldt County
Tony WestKamper
Van Duzen River I waded a couple of miles up stream from my usual haunt.
Common Green Darners (Many)
Western River Cruiser (several)
*Bison Snaketail Ophiogomphus bison (several) [lst report 2012]
Clubtail - 1 Unidentified (photo posted in my photos) Note abdomen 9/10 all black, thorax mostly dark.
Sooty Dancers (many)
American Rubyspot (several)
Damselfly -1 Unidentified (note short abdomen)
August 25, 2012
Santa Barbara County
Peter Gaede and Hugh Ranson
Santa Ynez River along Paradise Road between the Lower Oso Picnic Area and Red Rock Trailhead (0945-1430).
Familiar Bluet - 1.
Northern/Boreal Bluet - 2.
bluet sp. - 6.
*California Dancer Argia agriodies - 3 (one examined in hand). [last report 2012]
Sooty Dancer - 13.
Vivid Dancer - 3.
*Giant Darner Anax walsinghami- 1. Seen flying at the stream crossing below the Red Rock Trailhead parking area. Last report 2012
Common Green Darner - 8.
Blue-eyed Darner - 2.
Gray Sanddragon - 2. Found at one of the three location -- the Red Rock stream crossing.
*Serpent Ringtail Erpetogomphus lampropeltis - 3. Best spot for viewing/photographing was the stream crossing just above the Falls Picnic Area. [last report 2012]
Flame Skimmer - 22.
Pale-faced Clubskimmer - 1. Seen flying along the stream below the Lower Oso Picnic Area.
Red Rock Skimmer - 12.
.
Sacramento County
Ethan Winning
Sacramento
common green darner a teneral female perched on the side of the house
August 23, 2012
Santa Clara County
Ken A. Wilson
CHRP, Fremont
Blue-eyed Darner (photo in flight: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaeagles/7849006206/in/photostream)
August 22, 2012
Alpine County
Leslie Flint
Near Blue Lakes Road
White-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum
obtrusum-
(ttp://www.flickr.com/photos/kaeagles/7849006206/in/photostream) [last report
2012]
August 21, 2012
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Big Pine area
**Desert Spiketail Cordulegaster dorsalis deserticola 1 - last report 2012
August 20, 2012
Madera County
Steve Summers
Jackass Meadow boardwalk area, Sierra N.F., off Beasore Rd.
Striped Meadowhawk - several
.
Mono County
Leslie Flint
Whitmore Hot Springs
Desert Whitetail Plathemis subornata - - (photo obtained) [last report 2012]
August 19, 2012
MonoCounty
Leslie Flint
deChambeau ponds
Saffron-winged Meadowhawk
Tuolumne County
Siesta Lake near White Wolf in Yosemite
*Saffron-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum costiferum
August 18, 2012
San Francisco County
Don Roberson
Ft. Point - 5 p.m.
SF Forktails - at least 4 male (got nice photos without disturbing them at all)
Western Forktail -a male, and a couple females not yet sorted
.
Humboldt County
Tony Kurz
Onion Lake
Shadow Darner
Paddle-tailed Darner
August 15, 2012
Siskiyou County
Bob Claypole
Fire Lookout atop Mt Bolivar above the Scott Valley and the tiny town of Callahan
Wandering Glider Pantala flavescens - sight record, CA Chart #33 - he had 3 flying around the lookout, instead of having only Pantala sp., we can now upgrade it to species
..
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Lake Ralphine
Tule/Arroyo type Bluet some
*Arroyo Bluet Argia praevarum 1 seen well this species, but historically Tules outnumber Arroyos at this site [last report 2012]
Blue-eyed Darner several males
Darner sp. (non-Rhionaeschna type) several, probably Shadow Darners
Eight-spotted Skimmer a few
Widow Skimmer - many
Flame Skimmer many
Common Whitetail a few
Blue Dasher 1 female, possibly some males
Western Pondhawk - many
Variegated Meadowhawk 2 males
Blue-eyed Darner
Variegated Meadowhawk
.
Los Angeles County
Ron and Barbara Oritis daughter Debbie
Los Angeles Arboretum
Mexican Amberwings - a couple of them
August 12-14, 2012
Del Norte Los Angeles County
Stephan and Justin Telm
Family vacation:
Darlingtonia Bog off Hwy
199 near Gasquet (104F, sunny):
Vivid dancer
Western forktails Ischnura perparva a female photographed for upgrade of Blitzs Sight only record, CA Chart # 115, OC #381259
Emma's Dancers
Snaketail sp. -- looked like bison or sinuous
Middle fork of the Smith River
about 4mi west of Gasquet (91F, sunny)
Sooty dancers (three or four)
Bison snaketail (1) while I was swimming in the Smith River
(of course) -- no pics
For vacation pics,
including a few odes see:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36618387@N06/sets/72157631133919074/
August 13, 2012
Sonoma Los Angeles County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bigsnest Wildlife Pond, Sebastopol
Flame Skimmer 1 male
Cardinal Meadowhawk 2 males
Blue-eyed Darner males and females
.
Santa Clara County
Matthew Dodder
Matadero Creek along East Bayshore Road
in Palo Alto
Blue-eyed Darner (first time I'd seen one perch! Also copulation wheel, ovipositing)
Common Green Darner (in-tandem ovipositing)
Variegated Meadowhawk (very quarrelsome today, chasing Common Green Darner away)
Tule Bluet
.
Humboldt Los Angeles County
Tony Kurz
Myer's Flat
along Eel River
Gray Sanddragon
Pale-faced Clubskimmer
August 12-14, 2012
Humboldt Los Angeles County
Stephan and Justin Telm
Family vacation:
12th - 1 Black
saddlebags at Dry Lagoon (high 50s & foggy) -- no pics
13th - 1 Black
saddlebags at Moonstone
Beach (high 50s &
foggy) -- no pics
14th -
Several Mosaic darners (Species not
ID) cruising high at campground b/w Prairie Creek and Lost Man Creek exits
(70s)
August 12, 2012
Humboldt Los Angeles County
Sandra Hunt-van Arb & husband Mitch
Christmas Prairie Lake (just south of hwy 299 as the crow flies); 80's (noon-3pm).
Thirteen species were found- not bad at all for a remote lake at ~2300'
The lake is probably just over 5 acres in size surrounded by sedge meadow/bog and
praries as well as forest.
The lake is on private timberland behind a couple locked gates.
Paddle-tailed Darner*- Many- mostly patrolling lake edge-one in wheel-Had three
in hand to verify species- the only darner species found.
Common Whitetail- Many along the lake edge
Twelve-spotted Skimmer - Many along the lake edge
*Four-spotted Skimmer Libellula quadrimaculata - Few along lake edge and prairie [last report 2012]
Flame Skimmer-two perched on vegetation at the edge of the lake
Striped Meadowhawk*- many-likely into 100's- mostly in prairie or tall grass
along the road and in lower branches of trees- Many in wheel
Cardinal Meadowhawk - few- along the shore
Blue Dasher_- few- along shore in one small area-only observed males
*Mountain Emerald Somatochlora semicircularis*- several in sedges along the lake (lower elevation than
mentioned in Tim Manolis' California book as well as Kerst & Gordon's Oregon book) Last report 2012
Black Saddlebags - one female- flying high and then cruising along north end of lake
Northern Spreadwing* - hundreds- possibly into 1000s. 100's in wheel or tandem.
Could constantly hear the wings in the sedges when they were ovipositing. All
along shore in sedges and nearby prairie.
Tule Bluet*- 5-6
Western Forktail- Many - lakeshore vegetation
Pacific Forktail- 1 female - lakeshore vegetation
in hand)
Tony Kurz
while kayaking the Eel River
Bluet sp.
Emma's Dancer
Sooty Dancer
American Rubyspot
Darner Sp.
Western River Cruiser
Bison Snaketail
Gray Sanddragon* quite a few - started near Hidden Springs campground on the gravel bar and all through Myer's Flat area
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Flame Skimmer
Pale-faced Clubskimmer* many - They were actually one of the most abundant dragonflies.
Tony Westcamper
Van Duzen River
California Dancer (Argia agrioides)(First I've seen here)
Widow skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) (2)
Western River Cruiser Wheel (Macromia magnifica) Several
.
Santa Clara County
Matthew & Cricket Dodder
Sandy Wool
Lake, and Spring
Lake at Ed Levin Park in Milpitas, very hot and
windless
Blue-eyed Darner
Black Saddlebags
Blue Dasher
Variegated Meadowhawk
Tule Bluet
SPRING LAKE:
Blue-eyed Darner
Black Saddlebags
Variegated Meadowhawk
Tule Bluet
(copulation wheel)
Vivid Dancer
(very pleased when we were able to see the arrowheads along the abdomen
)
August 11, 2012
Marin Los Angeles County
Kathy & Dave Biggs +MO
Five Brooks, Pt. Reyes National
Seashore
Flame Skimmer
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Striped Meadowhawk
Blue Dasher
Western Pondhawk
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Black Saddlebags
Common Green Darner
Blue-eyed Darner
Pacific Spiketail
Northern or Boreal Bluet
Western Forktail
.
Trinity County
Tony Kurz
Mad River
near Ruth Lake Dam
Blue-eyed Darners
August 10, 2012
Santa Barbara County
Peter Gaede and Nick Lethaby
Cuyama Valley
Spotted Spreadwing Lestes congener 6, male
photograph, CA Chart #112. OC # 378608
Black-fronted Forktails
Pacific Forktails
Widow Skimmer - one
Common Whitetail one
.
San Luis Obispo County
Twitchell Reservoir
Desert Forktail Ischnura barberi male photograph, CA Chart #112. OC # 378609
August 9, 2012
Humboldt Los Angeles County
Tony Kurz
Eel River down in Humboldt Redwoods State Park - William's Grove north of Myer's Flat along the Eel. mid 70's with a wind speed of 1-4 mph I
Pale-faced Clubskimmer - 2 males patrolling over the river in their small territories chasing away any dragonfly that flew into its territory; also a single female that flew in to lay eggs dipping her abdomen in the river.
Pacific Spiketail
Bison Snaketail LOTS!
Darner sp.
American Rubyspot
Emma's Dancer
.
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Owens River at Benton Crossing
Saffron-winged Meadowhawks
August 8, 2012
Marin County
Len Blumin
Bolinas Lagoon is tidal (i.e. not
really a "lagoon"), so no odes in it, but a few nearby ponds can be
productive.
At the north end of the lagoon there
is a poorly marked intersection where the Bolinas-Fairfax road enters from the
right.
Drive in 120 yards to view a pond on
your right.
I watched 2-3 male Twelve-spotted
Skimmers in a "king-of-the-pond" skirmish. They would
occasionally pause to rest in the nearby vegetation, where they were easily
spotted.
No damsels there, and one lonely Cardinal Meadowhawk.
Repair of the boardwalk at the
Martin Griffin Preserve's Monday/Tuesday ponds prevented access.
Next canyon North is Garden Club
Canyon, with Parson's
Pond, which had Blue-eyed Darner but
no visible damsels. Water very low.
August 7, 2012
Los Angeles County
Dave Welling
Piru Creek at
Frenchmans Flat, 100 deg, winds calm
10:30AM - 12:30PM
serpent ringtails - 25+ in a 200' sq area -no mating pairs yet -
lots of shy guys I guess
california dancers - several & many tandem pairs
pale-faced Clubskimmer - a lone male (lonely)
common green darners - several
giant darners - 2
blue-eyed darners - 2-3
flame skimmers - several
dancers/bluets - tbd
.
Siskiyou County
Leslie Flint
Gumboot Lake
*Crimson-ringed Whiteface Leucorrhinia glacialis last
report 2012
August 5, 2012
San Francisco County
Michael Plank & wife
Fort Point
San Francisco Forktail - a photo in blues magic album on CalOdes shows one caught by one thin thread of a web. It worked its way to freedom.
Vivid Dancer
Familiar Bluet
Black-fronted Forktail
.
Santa Clara County
Matthew Dodder
Arastradero Open Space Preserve
Common Green Darner (4) (also saw in tandem, ovipositing)
Blue-eyed Darner (8) (also saw copulation ring, in tandem, ovipositing)
Flame Skimmer
(4)
Blue Dasher
(10) (also saw copulation ring, ovipositing)
Cardinal Meadowhawk (4) (also saw ovipositing)
Black Saddlebags (4) (also saw in tandem)
Pacific Forktail (3) (also saw copulation ring)
Tule Bluet
(2)
Vivid Dancer
(1)
August 4, 2012
Imperial County
David Welling
El Centro City park pond and nearby
pond
Mexican amberwing - visual only, many flying
August 3-6, 2012
Del Norte County Blitz
Southern team 1= Sandra Hunt-von Arb, Tony Kurz (Tony the younger), Chris Heaivilin, Tony Westkamper
(Tony
the Elder), and Ken Mierzwa
Northern
team 2 = Kathy & Dave Biggs, Leslie
Flint
key to places
(in order visited by team) :
LP=Lagoon
Pond- off Lagoon Creek along HWY 101 North of Klamath River
41°35'36.43"N 124° 5'53.66"W, visited August 2, 2012, Tony
Westkamper en route to Blitz. Too foggy on the 3rd.
MP=Mill
Pond just S of mouth of Klamath River- Southern coastal edge of county
visited August 3, 2012, team 1 only 41.52321° N
124.04807° W
MCA=Mill Creek Acquisition- Gravel
Pit Pond, (Elkhorn Slough Rd
off Hamilton Rd)
southern Del Norte County, just north of the Klamath River
on US101 visited August 3, 2012, Team 1 only (2nd most spp in one
location on Blitz)
MC=Mill Creek-
across road from above pond visited August 3, 2012, team 1 only
KC(R)=Knopki Creek (Rd), northern Del Norte County, off US199
visited August 3, 2012, team 2 only (Dipper also seen)
DSK=Darlingtonia seep along Knopki
Creek Rd. (aka 18N07) visited August 3 & 6,
2012 (dueling Petaltail vs Spiketail seen by Team 1)
EP=Emerald Pond (5000) Knopki
Creek Rd/18N07 just before Youngs
Peak road split visited
August 3 & 6, 2012 (large bright blue colored shrimp & Newts also seen)
SL=Sanger
Lake (5100), ~15 miles up Knopki Creek Rd to 18N02, NE edge of county
visited August 3 & 6, 2012 41.90177° N 123.64879° W
RVD=Rudy Van Deventer County Park
-Smith River North Bank Road camped there August 3 - 6, 2012 (Marbled
Murrlets heard) 41.85324°
N 124.12200° W
PGB=Peacock Gravel Bar Smith River
North Bank Road
to South Tanoak visited August 3, 2012, team 1 only
SC=Sand Camp (South Fork Smith River)
off Go Road
visited August 4, 2012
DSG= Darlingtonia seep along Go
Rd. (aka South
Fork Road, aka Co Rd 427, aka 15N01) visited
August 4, 2012 (NEW site for Black Petaltail!)
DL=Dry Lake
(1500) - Go Rd,
to Big Flat Rd
(CoRd 405) visited August 4, 2012 (most spp in one location during Blitz;
osprey & nest seen)
P=Pond on Big Flat road/ Associated
with Hurdygurdy Creek (aka CoRD 405) between GO Road and Dry Lake.
RL=Rattlesnake Lake
(1575), off Go Rd. & USFS 15N02 visited August 4,
2012 (bullfrogs :-()
TD=Tolawa Dunes State Park Ponds -
North End visited August 4, 2012 (Cinnabar moths and caterpillars)
DT=Darlingtonia Trail - off Hwy 199
north of Gasquet visited August 5 & 14, 2012 (HUGE alligator lizard)
PF=Panther Flat, Middle Fork
Smith River,
off Hwy199 visited August 5, 2012 (Stream Orchids and Scarlet Monkeyflower) 41.84162°
N 123.93283° W
M=Madrone (Middle Fork
Smith River)
off Hwy 199 visited August 5, 2012
GF=Grassy Flat (Middle Fork
Smith River)
off Hwy 199 visited August 5, 2012
RQ= Rock Quarry - off Hwy 199
visited August 5, 2012
EMC=Short Dead
End Road w/ Bridge @ Eighteen Mile Ck. off Hwy 199 (old Hwy 199-
just West of Rock Quarry- north side of Hwy) visited August 5, 2012 (larval
form Pacific Giant Salamander & Foothill Yellow-legged Frogs)
WL=Whiskey Lake (4900), ~17 miles up Knopki Creek Rd. (41.9221948/-123.6452627)
visited August 6, 2012 41.92232° N
123.64538° W (Bolanders Lily)
SM=Sedge Meadow (~5000) unnamed at
fork of 18N07-Sanger Lake/Youngs
Valley Trail Rd. visited August 6,
Species list with place abbreviations (photos
can be seen on Dropbox at https://www.dropbox.com/home/Dragonfly%20Blitz2012
)
*California Spreadwing Archilestes
californicus MCA CA#119 OC# 381181,
first report of year, team 1
Northern Spreadwing
L. disjunctus EP, DL,
TD, WL OC#:379412, SM
*Emerald Spreadwing L. dryas EP, SM,
SL [last report 2012]
*Black Spreadwing Lestes stultus MCA,
SC [last report 2012]
California Dancer, Argia agrioides DL
Emma's Dancer, Argia emma RVD CA # 121 OC # 378335, PGB, SC, DT, PF
Sooty Dancer, A. lugens PF
(OC# 379415)
Vivid Dancer, A. vivida
DSK, DSG,
DL, RL,
DT, PF,
M, RQ, EMC
*Northern Bluet, Enallagma annexum specimen record - DL
CA Chart #7, OC # 381288,
RL [last report 2012]
*Boreal Bluet, E. boreale -
MCA, SL OC# 379414), WL, SM (Aug. 6, last definite report of 2012)
Pacific Forktail Ischnura cervula LP,
MP, MCA,
DL, TD
Western Forktail I. perparva LP, MCA, MC, DL, TD, DT CA #115, OC# 381259
(4 county record damsels)
*Black Petaltail Tanypteryx hageni DSK,
SL, DSG last report 2012
Variable Darner Aeshna interrupta specimen record SL, WL (CA #7 OC # 379399 & 379409), EP
Common Green Darner Anax junius
DL, RL, TD, PF
*California Darner Rhionaeschna californica - MP, MCA, DL, TD (last report 2012)
Blue-eyed Darner R. multicolor MP,
MCA,
DL, RL, TD, PF
*Grappletail Octogomphus specularis
MC,
KC, PF (OC# 379416)
[last report 2012]
Bison Snaketail Ophiogomphus bison SC, , DSG, PF
Pacific Spiketail Cordulegaster dorsalis DSK, DL, RL, EMC
*American Emerald Cordulia shurtleffii EP, WL,SL
[last report 2012]
*Mountain Emerald Somatochlora semicircularis EP
Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata
(ungrade from sight record only) MP
CA# 119, OC# 379497, DL, P
**Chalk-fronted Corporal Ladona julia
new late flight date by one day,
but old late date was from 1953 59 yrs ago!! SL (OC# 379413379413), RL
*Crimson-ringed Whiteface Leucorrhinia glacialis SL
last report 2012
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Libellula forensis
MCA,
DL, P, RL
Twelve-spotted Skimmer Libellula pulchella specimen record RL,
WL CA#7 OC# 381287
Four-spotted Skimmer Libellula quadrimaculata WL CA #7,OC# 379410,
EP
Flame Skimmer Libellula saturata RVD CA# 121 OC# 379498, MCA,
DL
Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis MCA CA#119 OC# 381182 ,
DL,
P
Common Whitetail Plathemis lydia
MCA, CA#119 OC# 379500; MP, MCA,
DL
Variegated Meadowhawk Sympetrum
corruptum RVD, MCA
, KC(R), RL, GF
Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum MCA, DL, RL, TD
*Red-veined Meadowhawk Sympetrum madidum MCA,
P last report 2012
Striped
Meadowhawk Sympeturm pallipes TD CA #122, OC#
381155381155, MCA, DL, P, TD
**Autumn Meadowhawk Sympeturm vicinum MCA CA# 111,
OC# 381183381183 -- specimen record, first report of year
(unexpected!!) new
early date by 23 whooping days, team 1 - 3 teneral females]
Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata MCA CA# 111, OC# 381184, TD, WL
10 county record dragons
10+4=14 county
records (photo records unless otherwise mentioned)
37 total species seen; county list
increased from just 29 species to 43 (2 records were upgrades of sight only
records)
From 4th
lowest species list in CA (58 counties, many as large as eastern USA
states) to a respectable 40th placement
August 3, 2012
Del Norte County (day 1, Interior Group, CalOdes Blitz)
Kathy & Dave Biggs, Leslie Flint
Knopki Road - 3 Darlingtonia seeps right next to the, adorned with Tiger Lilies and 5-finger ferns.
Black Petaltail at 2nd and 3rd seep.
At 2nd seep we watched a male Black Petaltail (Tanypteryx hageni) in a face to face duel with a male Pacific Spiketail (Cordulegaster dorsalis).
They circled that way for nearly a full minute before the Spiketail gave it up and moved on. Was this territorial, or was someone hungry?
At a tiny pond, barely the size of 3 standard picnic tables, we risked broken bones getting down the scree slope.
There we found 3 species of "Emeralds": American, Mountain and Spreadwing (Cordulia shurtleffii, Somatochlora semicirularis and Lestes dryas)!
A 4th species at this site was the Northern Spreadwing (L. disjunctus). We named the pond, which was surrounded by tall sedges, "Emerald Pond".
Sanger Lake (5100') hosted plentiful Chalk-fronted Corporals (Ladona julia), many Boreal Bluets (Enallagma boreale) and a few Crimson-ringed Whitefaces (Leucorrhinia glacialis).
But, alas, no darners would enter our nets, which was maddening because we were quite certain they were Variable Darners (Aeshna interrupta), which would be a first record for the county.
Our "also seen" list included Grappletail (Octogomphus specularis) and an American Dipper on Knopki Creek found on the way in towards Sanger Lake.
.
Santa Clara County
Karen DeMello
As a consolation for not being able
to go on the Odes Blitz this weekend, I asked 2 Palo Alto
friends to accompany me to Foothills Park in the Palo Alto
hills (Foothills Park
is open only to Palo Alto
residents and guests). Believe it or not this is the first time I've
looked at odes this summer -- and it's already August! We
walked around the pond from 5 to 6:30 PM and saw:
Mosaic (species) Darner
Common Green Darner (several males)
Flame Skimmer
(LOTS; several in tandem & ovipositing)
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Widow Skimmer
(LOTS; many perched on cattails)
Black Saddlebags (LOTS; several in tandem)
Variegated Meadowhawk
Blue Dasher
(LOTS; males)
Much to my surprise there were almost
no damselflies. We saw a California/Aztec
Dancer near the dam, and some sort of
Forktail
(Black-Fronted? Only had a brief look and then it flew off) near the
waters edge by the boat ramp.
August 2, 2012
Inyo County
Dave Welling
Black Rock Springs south
of Bishop - Inyo County.
*Olive Clubtail Stylurus
olivaceus photos taken, last report 2012
August 1, 2012
Santa Clara County
Matthew Dodder
Matadero Creek along East Bayshore Road
in Palo Alto, San Mateo County
during lunch.
Work on the creek itself meant I
concentrated on the still water beside the channel:
Common Green Darner (5) saw a male grappling female as
she oviposited.
Blue-eyed Darner (3)
Black Saddlebags (2) in a squabble with the
Common Green Darner
Variegated Meadowhawk (3)
Meadowhawk sp. (1) It did not look like
Variegated or Striped because i saw no stripes on thorax. It also had very
little red on wings so I did not consider Cardinal at first, but perhaps it was
a female, or a young male Cardinal. Any thoughts?
Several bright blue Damselflies
were working the edges of the creek. They were too distant for me to identify,
but appeared to be California / Aztec
Dancers.
No Eight-spotted Skimmers
were seen today, although two days ago one was present.
.
Modoc County
Kevin McKereghan
Cottonwood Creek, 3 miles s of New Pine Creek
*Black Meadowhawk Sympetrum danae
July
July 31, 2012
Siskiyou County
Kathy & Dave Biggs; Celise Sharpe & Dennis Ball
The Ode highlight was MANY Ringed Emeralds, most just emerging. Wildflowers, butterflies and Cascade Frogs were great too.
ttp://www.flickr.com/photos/26704961@N03/7693813022/in/photostream/We visited Gumboot Lake (GL) off Road 26 off of Lake Siskiyou Rd, ~18 miles west of Mt. Shasta City
ttp://www.flickr.com/photos/26704961@N03/7693627556/in/photostream/Little Gumboot Lake (LGL) about 1/4 mile hike in from GL.
Gumboot Creek (GC) about 1/3 mile further off Road 26 from the turn off to GL.
"Sweet Spot" (SS) - a mossy spring another mile up Road 26 from GC with a pond and then a wet meadow below it.
*Spotted Spreadwing Lestes congener - one male in hand by Dave at GL
Northern Spreadwing - many on north side of GL, many emerging
Vivid Dancer - several at GC & SS, the ones here are always quite differently marked than elsewhere, esp. the females
Pacific Forktail - very few GL
Western Forktail - very few GL
Grappletail - 4-6 at GC, perching on rocks in the creek
Common Green Darner - only 2 or more GL
Variable Darner - by far the most common darner, at least a dozen in hand at GL & LGL; one at GC
California Darner - one male in hand GL
Black Petaltail - some at all sites; over a dozen seen, a few landed on us.
Emerald sp. - some at GL & LGL. Mt. Emeralds were seen at this site many years ago....
American Emerald - 1 in hand GL
*Ringed Emerald Somatochlora albicincta - many at LGL including a female ovipositing within feet of where a male was emerging; a few at GL (in hand) ONLY report 2012
A nymph of this species was seen at LGL looking for an emergence site. This was in a shallow muddy area of the lake, right next to where a Ringed Emerald was emerging
Chalk-fronted Corporal - 4-6 seen at GL
Crimson-ringed Whiteface - 10-20, all but 2 seen at GL, 2 at LBL
*Hudsonian Whiteface Leucorrhinia hudsonica - ~10 L, most so dark we had to have them in hand to see the red atop abdominal segments (last report 2012)
Eight-spotted Skimmer - some at GL & LGL
Twelve-spotted Skimmer - some at GL & LGL
Four-spotted Skimmer - many at GL & LGL; few at SS
Meadowhawk sp. - one at LGL by Dennis, possibly a Variegated Meadowhawk
20 species - wonderful day. Monk's Hood was blooming everywhere.
.
San Luis Obispo County
Peter Gaede
I visited a small seep north of Soda Lake on the Carrizo Plains and found and photographed
*DESERT WHITETAIL Plathemis subornata - a female seen CA CHART #112 OC# 378288 - potentially the furthest west this species has been recorded
DESERT FORKTAILS - four, which brings number of locations this species has been found in SLO to three.
All of these locations are in alkaline areas less than 10 miles from each other. The species was first recorded in the county about 7 miles west of this location on May 14 of this year.
All locations are in the eastern part of the county, and at least two are completely dry most of the year.
Desert Firetail Telebasis salva (6)
Vivid Dancer (many)
Flame Skimmer Libellula saturata (10) Photo record CA Chart #112, OC
# 382215
Cardinal Meadowhawk (2)
Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis (3) Photo record CA Chart #112, OC #378289
July 30, 2012
Shasta County
Michael & Muriel Plank
McCumber and Thatcer Mill Pond in the afternoon. Both are off of Hwy. 44 between Shingletown and Mt.
Thatcher Mill Pond:
Red-veined Meadowhawk
*Dot-tailed Whiteface Leucorrhinia intacta last report 2012
Western Pondhawk
Hoary Skimmer- A first for us.
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Four-spotted Skimmers
Northern Bluet
Pacific Forktail
Northern Spreadwing
Lake McCumber:
Band-winged Meadowhawk
Red-veined Meadowhawk
Striped Meadowhawk
*White-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum obtrusum
Black Saddlebags
Western Pondhawk
Common Whitetail
American Emerald
California Darner
Common Green Darner
Northern Bluet
Western Forktail
Northern Spreadwing
.
Marin County
Leslie Flint and Len Blumin
Audubon Canyon Ranch - we checked out the ponds to see what Odes we could find.
At what we call Monday/Tuesday ponds there were blue-eyed darners and cardinal meadowhawks along with Vivid Dancers.
Garden Club Canyon where the stream is still
Pacific Spiketail. I found one female ovipositing in the creek. Then, we saw a beautiful male skimming close to the surface of creek, but never stopping of course for a photo.
Parson's pond
red-veined meadowhawk - a new Ode for me at ACR.
.
San Francisco County
Leslie Flint
Ft. Point in SF . The fog was rolling in and the temp was just around 60
SF Forktail A lifer. When the temp dropped to 57 and the fog was fully in, there were no damsels to be found in the ditch.
.
Santa Clara County
Matthew Dodder and wife
Matadero Creek along Frontage Road:
July 30, 2012
Blue-eyed Darner
Common Green Darner
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Variegated Meadowhawk
Striped Meadowhawk
California / Aztec Dancer (not certain, too distant)
.
San Diego County
Ken A. Wilson
Mission Trails Regional Park
*Mexican Amberwing Perithemis intensa
.
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Dechambeau Ponds, north of Mono Lake
Saffron-winged Meadowhawks
.
Tulare County
Steve Summers
Sequoia N.F.--Log Cabin Meadow
Vivid Dancer
Mountain Emerald
July 29, 2012
Santa Clara County
Matthew Dodder and wife
Coyote Point Marina and Freshwater Marsh
Striped Meadowhawk (not absolutely certain about this one
)
.
Tulare County
Steve Summers
Tule River spillway below Success Dam
Desert Firetail - 1
July 28 & 29, 2012
Nevada County
Jim Laughlin
Stopped by the two rest areas on I-80 just west of Truckee and checked out some of the odes on both lakes.
Variable Darner
Shadow Darner
*Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna palmata
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
American Emerald
Emerald Spreadwing
Northern Spreadwing
Western Forktail
Bluet spp?
July 28, 2012
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson
Pacific Spiketail Cordulegaster dorsalis - photographed an upgrade from sight only record for the county. CA chart #120 OC #378602
San Diego County
Vic Berardi
Batiquitos Lagoon just
south of Carlsbad
Neon Skimmer Libellula
croceipennis a male
Blue-eyed Darners - a few
.......
San Mateo County
Matthew Dodder and wife
Russian Ridge pond by visitors
center:
California / Aztec Dancer
Black Saddlebags
Skyline Ridge OSP Horseshoe Pond
Blue-eyed Darner
Common Green Darner
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Black Saddlebags
Montebello OSP (Gate 5 Pond): July 28, 2012
Blue-eyed Darner
Blue Dasher
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Flame Skimmer
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Common Whitetail
Common Green Darner
.
Shasta County
Teri & Jay Thesken
Cold Boiling Lake, Lassen National
Park, about .7 mile from the Kings Creek picnic area parking lot, at about
6800' elevation
Crimson-ringed Whitefaces - ~60
.
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti and Dave Welling
Owens River at Benton Crossing
Great Basin Snaketail - OC# 382335 a female
Saffron-winged Meadowhawks - OC# 382337- several mostly somewhat teneral
*Cherry-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum internum OC# 382336 - males and females photographed, last report 2012
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Trinity County
Tony Kurz
Mad River south of the town of Ruth
Sooty Dancer (female)
Walkerks Darner
Pacific Clubtail Gomphus kurilis last
report 2012
**Beaverpond Baskettail Epitheca canis NEW LATE
FLIGHT DATE last report 2012
Red-veined Meadowhawk
Striped Meadowhawk
Western Pondhawk
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
..
Siskiyou County
Alan Wight
Colliers Rest stop, I-5
*Sinuous Snaketail Ophiogomphus occidentis 5+
Last report 2012
July 27, 2012
Santa Clara County
Matthew Dodder and wife
Palo Alto Flood
Control Basin and Adobe Creek
Blue-eyed Darner
Blue Dasher
July 26, 2012
Siskiyou County
Kathy & Dave Biggs; Celise Sharpe & Dennis Ball
Martins Dairy, wet meadow off Harris Creek Rd. and Juanita Lake, all west of Macdoel (off Hwy 97)
Spreadwing sp (not Emerald) ONE at JL
Vivid Dancer several
Familiar Bluet some at JL
Pacific Forktail a few at JL
Western Forktail MANY at JL
**Canada Darner Aeshna canadensis one female who had fallen into the water after emergence at JL.
This is the 3rd known site for this species in Sisk. Co. and new early flight data by 2+wks ONLY report of this species this year!!
California Darner many feeding swarms at both MD and meadow. 11 in-hand or seen well, 3X as many females as males.
Probably some of this species and Blue-eyed in feeding swarms at JL
Blue-eyed Darner a few in hand, both males and females found
Interestingly no other Darner species were found, not even a Common Green!
Snaketail sp. one at JL, totally unexpected.
Pacific Spiketail males and an exuvia found at meadow
Dot-tailed Whiteface abundant at JL
Eight-spotted Skimmer abundant at JL
Twelve-spotted Skimmer abundant at JL, some at MD
Common Whitetail some males and females noted at JL
Variegated Meadowhawk only one or two seen all day
Red-veined Meadowhawk several found
Striped Meadowhawk several found
Black Saddlebags - one seen at the Sharpe/Ball home in Big Springs
Also seen: American Dipper a family at MD, 3 old nests under the bridge over Creek and one in recent use
And, in our McCloud home pond on the 27th, instead of a 12-spotted Skimmer:
Splish splash - a Bear in our Pond!!
July 25, 2012
Siskiyou County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
McCloud River, Camp 4
Bluet sp. - few
Grappletail 1-2 males
Darner sp. (Aeshna type) a few
Pacific Spiketail female ovipositing, male on territory
Dragonfly Roost Pond, McCloud
Darner sp. (Aeshna type) - several
Twelve-spotted Skimmer males; females ovipositing
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1
.
San Francisco County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb
Fort Point, mid morning, overcast relatively warm (~68deg?), calm.
*San Francisco Forktail Ischnura gemina- 3 females and 4 males. They were moving quite slow, likely due to lack of sun (I easily caught one of them with my fingers...no net).
I suspect there would have been more with favorable weather.
vivid dancer - 1 female
.
Ventura County
Peter Gaede
Matilija River
Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis male CA Chart #112 OC# 378653
.
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Dechambeau Ponds, north of Mono Lake
Saffron-winged Meadowhawks 30th. We have also seen them at the Owens River at Benton Crossing, July 28 and August 9.
July 24, 2012
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
*Cherry-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum internum males and females photographed
.
Tulare County
Steve Summers
Atwell Island BLM--Ton Tache Wetlands
Familiar Bluet
Black-fronted Forktail (possibly this species)
July 23, 2012
Tulare County
Steve Summers
Sequoia NF--Upper Grouse Valley (upper pond)
Familiar Bluet
Black-fronted Forktail
Common Whitetail 1 male photographed
Twelve-spotted Skimmer Libellula pulchella male photographed CA Chart #92, OC# 377971
Blue Dasher
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Tule River--about 400 feet downstream from the Globe Dr. (Mountain Road 172A) bridge
American Rubyspot 40
Emmas Dancer male photographed
Sooty Dancer several seen
Pacific Spiketail male photographed
July 22, 2012
Santa Barbara County
Nick Lethaby
I spent a couple of hours looking at
odes along Manzana Creek by the NIRA Campground up in the San Rafael Mountains.
American Rubyspot common
Vivid Dancer
common
*Lavender Dancer Argia hinei fairly common, photographs
confirmed by Tim Manolis [ONLY report 2012]
California/Aztec Dancer at least a few
Serpent Ringtail 16
Gray Sanddragon - 7
Flame Skimmer
10+
Red Rock Skimmer Single female seen egg laying and another found dead
July 19 & 20, 2012
Marin County
Len Blumin
along the creek below the road at Laurel Canyon, just west of the Nicasio Reservoir dam.
*Exclamation Damsel Zoniagrion exclamationis (20th) last report 2012
shore of Bon Tempe where the creek comes down from Lake Lagunitas
Cardinal Meadowhawk (19th)
..
Lassen County
Ray Bruun
I ran into a budding young entomologist accompanied by his parents and three brothers.
The boy (about 8 years old) had a small insect net. When I asked as to his luck, he happily produced from his backpack a bug cage teeming with grasshoppers, as well as three dragonflies.
Among the latter was a Spot-winged Glider. Had I been thinking, I would have photographed it, as I later found out this species only has a sight record for Lassen County. Now I guess there are two.
July 18 & 20, 2012
Del Norte County
Tony Westkamper
Van Duzen River - couple of hours of warmish muggy weather following two rainy days and all the insects were taking full advantage of it
rubyspot - my first of the season. Interestingly enough I always spot a female first by a week or so
Emma's Dancer Argia emma (county sight record upgraded at Blitz)
Sooty Dancer
Western River Cruisers
a large Ode - predominately blue in color, flies very fast, and never alights [sounds like a Blue-eyed Darner kb]
Common Whitetail 2 females
July 18, 2012
Siskiyou County
Kathy & Dave Biggs; Celise Sharpe & Dennis Ball
Road into Mt. Bolivar fire look out
Darner sp. several
Pacific Spiketail ~4
Glider sp. several, again just a sight record
.darn!!
Pond along road into Kangaroo Lake (rd closed for construction)
No/Bo Bluet some
Pacific Forktail - few
Western Forktail few
Aeshna type darner - some
Common Green Darner some
Dot-tailed Whiteface some
Crimson-ringed Whiteface - one
4-spotted Skimmer some
12-spotted Skimmer some
.
Alameda County
Alice Cavette
Fremont
*Walkers Darner Aeshna walkeri two
.
Humboldt County
Tony Kurz
Four-spotted Skimmer
July 16, 2012
Siskiyou County
Kathy & Dave Biggs; Celise Sharpe & Dennis Ball; Stephan & Justin Telm
White Deer Lake Heidi George led us to this under redevelopment site. Large shallow lake had already dried up to be just a dugout pond. 77F but a fierce wind developed. 10:30-noon
Darner sp. at least 12
Blue-eyed Darner - two in hand, one of each sex, perhaps all were this species. Of note is that everywhere we went, darners were found in small groups of 12 or so
.they seem to be forming feeding swarms
Common Whitetail 2 males
Twelve-spotted Skimmer 1 male
Meadowhawk sp. 1 male
Also seen there were Mountain Bluebirds and a Red-breasted Sapsucker feeding a newly fledged young.
Due to a punctured oil pan, Stephen and Justin had to leave the group at this point.
Pumice Stone Well 4-4:30, Fierce wind, temp dropped from 70 to 63F; 80% overcast; by the time we left, no Emeralds were flying.
Emerald Spreadwing quite a few
*Lyre-tipped Spreadwing Lestes unguiculatus quite a few; all just newly emerged and very yellow in color (none seen on the 11th) ONLY date reported in 2012
Western Forktail - two pruinose females
Darner sp. - 1
Emeralds - ~6
American Emerald - one in hand; it is likely that Mt. Emeralds were also present
Crimson-winged Whiteface -1-2 mature males
.
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Laws Canal
Olive Clubtail Stylurus
olivaceus one - photos taken
July 15, 2012
Siskiyou County
Steve Rottenborn
Colliers Rest stop, I-5
*Sinuous Snaketail Ophiogomphus occidentis -quite a few there.
July 14, 2012
Siskiyou County
Steve Rottenborn
Colliers Rest stop, I-5
*River Jewelwing Calopteryx aequabilis (last report 2012)
July 13-18, 2012
Plumas County
Rob Thomas
Family vacation so no hardcore odeing but did manage a fairly good list as we explored the Sierra Valley and surrounding area.
No bluets and few darners were ID'd to species.
Little Truckee River, Sierra Co, 14 July
(very disappointing as we explored three good looking areas)
*Great Basin Snaketail Ophiogomphus morrisoni 1
Lake of the Woods, Sierra Co, 14 July
Bluets
Paddle-tailed Darner
unID'd darners
American Emerald
Chalk-fronted Corporal
Crimson-ringed Whiteface
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Red-veined Meadowhawk
Cold Creek, Sierra Co, 14 July
Pacific Spiketail
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Four-spotted Skimmer
Marble Hot Springs Road, Plumas Co, 13 July
bluets
Pacific Forktail
Western Forktail
Blue-eyed Darner
unID'd darners (many)
Dot-tailed Whiteface
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Blue Dasher
Band-winged Meadowhawk (thousands)
Black Saddlebag
Sierraville Cemetery Ponds, Sierra Co, 13 July
Emerald Spreadwing
bluets
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Four-spotted Skimmer
Common Whitetail
July 13, 2012
Humboldt County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb and Chris Beatty & wife, Tony Kurz
I had the fortune of being able to go out with Chris Beatty (Santa Clara University) and his wife to collect Black Petaltails for his genetics study.
Tony Kurz was also with us for the Horse Mountain Sites. We started at the Horse Mountain Rock Quarry Site.
Gary Bloomfield had gone there to revisit the site last weekend and found an additional wet area above the original site and had a couple of adults.
Second we went to another fen nearby but in a different watershed- below the radio towers.
There we went to the suspected this site (both wet areas). site I had visited with the RRAS field trip participants. We found MANY adults as well as many nymphs.
The fen actually goes a few hundred meters below the road along the power lines. This is the largest site in Humboldt County to date.
Third we visited the Big Hill Site on Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation- after getting permission to go there (I work there part time, Chris was allowed to go with me as his guide).
I had gone there yesterday to scout and see if I could find a larger fen associated with the roadside seep.
There is a larger fen above the road and I saw ~6males and at least 2 ovipositing females yesterday. Today we found several Adults and nymphs here- as well as several exuvia.
Fourth we went to a site I just discovered on yesterday's Scouting trip based on a suggestion of the Senior Biologist-on the Hoopa Valley Reservation in upper Pine Creek.
Yesterday I had one ovipositing female. It's a very small site and it is suspected that there may be many of these micro-sites along one of the roads (I will investigate that later, we ran out of time).
We did find a couple of nymphs at two "micro" sites. We are still not sure if these two spots should be split or lumped... they are 0.4miles apart as a dragonfly flies, but on opposite sides of the ridge.
I also had a sighting report from a coworker at Hoopa- in Mud Springs, not far from the Big Hill site. Different water source, and likely a separate site.
So- in summary... Since June 27th, Humboldt County has gone from zero confirmed Petaltail sites to Four (maybe 5) confirmed sites.
1 additional site that needs verification, and a couple more areas that need to be checked out based on potential habitat. AWESOME!
Titlow Hill Rd
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
.
Sonoma County
Alan Wight
Tule Bluet - 1
Common Green Darner - 1
Blue-eyed Darner - 1
Darner sp. - 2+
Black Saddlebags - 2+
Flame Skimmer - 2+
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 4+
Common Whitetail - 2
Western Pondhawk - 3+
Blue Dasher - 5+
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1
July 11, 2012
Siskiyou County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Medicine Lake Highlands entered from the Bartle area on Hwy 89, taking Harris Springs Rd. and then Medicine Lake Rd, looping back to Harris Springs Rd. by going by Little Mt. Hoffman
and Little Glass Mt. to Pumice Stone Well.
All species were seen at all locations unless otherwise noted:
Warm day without wind, 84-86F
Blanche , Bullseye , & No Name Lake (that truly IS its name!), Paynes Springs, all ~6,000-6,500' 11:00 -2:30.
These are all small lakes and we had hoped for Petaltails at the Springs, but yet again, no, and we've never found them there.
The habitat seems ideal, but it is not on serpentine soils...
Emerald Spreadwing - some at all locations, but 10,000-50,000 at No Name Lake!! Most amazing!!
No/Bo Bluet - many all locations
Western Forktail - just one or two pruinose females at each site
Darner sp., not Anax - only 1-2 at each location
American Emerald - a few at the inlet to Bullseye lake (in hand
Crimson-winged Whiteface - about 1/4 the # of Dot-tailed (in-hand IDs)
Dot-tailed Whiteface - many
12-spotted Skimmer - many at all locations
*Striped Meadowhawk Sympetrum palllipes just 1 or 2 immature females at each location
Little Medicine Lake 3-4:00
Same species as above, inc. American Emerald, many
Pumice Stone Well 4:30- 5:00 (we hope to return to this location again on Monday as it was late and slow there and we want to search again for the Sedge Sprites we found last year)
This site is a small dug (LONG ago) pond with a greater sedge marsh that dries up as the season advances.
Same species as above, plus
Pacific Forktail - 1 mature male
Darner sp. - 1-2
Blue-eyed Darner (one dead on water surface this species)
Emeralds - 2-3 dozen
*Mountain Emerald Somatochlora semicircularis - 1 in hand, usually we find ! 1/5th of emeralds to be this species there
(no Crimson-ringed Whiteface at this site and no Meadowhawks this late visit)
Also seen:
Mature BALD EAGLE circled and circled Pumice Stone Well. It was HUGE and each circle overlapped the previous by about 1/8th as it slowly departed.
There are no fish in Pumice Stone Well.
A single PIKA was seen at Jot Dean Ice Cave and another heard across the road. These are the first PIKAs we've been able to find there in a decade
....but perhaps that is because this trip we went the loop the opposite direction as usual and hit this site 'early' at ~10:00 and spent a half hour there.
Quite a few Great Arctic Butterflies were seen, a few at most stops.
July 9, 2012
Siskiyou County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Soda Springs/Squaw Creek, 2 miles south of McCloud off Squaw Creek Rd. 3-4PM, 86-88F, breezy
Northern Spreadwing 1 young male
Pacific Forktail mature and immature males and females in small #s
Western Forktail mature and immature males and females
Blue-eyed Darner 1 male
Aeshna-type Darner 1 male
Pacific Spiketail 1 ovipositing female
Western Pondhawk a few males
Twelve-spotted Skimmers 12+ males, 2-3 females ovipositing
Common Whitetail 24+ males, 2 females ovipositing
Variegated Meadowhawk 1 male
?-faced Meadowhawk 1 male, facing away, either a Cherry-faced or White-faced (weve never seen either species there before)
And, at our McCloud homes pond the Variable Darners keep emerging and the 12-spotted Skimmers keep ovipositing.
Only other odes this week there were a female Cardinal Meadowhawk (no male in sight this week and she hasn't been ovipositing) and a mature female Pacific Forktail.
July 8, 2012
Modoc County
Michael Plank and wife
Ash Creek Campground, Southeast of Adin Off of Highway 299. A beautiful warm day. We went to see Pacific Spiketail and the Great Basin Snaketail. New for us. We were not disappointed. Lots of birds also
River Jewelwing Calopteryx aequabilis
American Rubyspot
Vivid Dancer
*River Bluet Enallagma anna last report 2012
Western Forktail
California Darner
Pacific Clubtail
Grappletail
Great Basin Snaketail
Pacific Spiketail
Western Pondhawk
Eight-spotted Skimmers
Twelve-spotted Skimmers
Common Whitetail
Band-winged Meadowhawk
July 7, 2012
Trinity County
Sean McAllister and Amber Transou
headwaters of the Mad River
about 13 miles upstream of Ruth Lake, above Three Forks, upstream from the small bridge that crosses the river there
GRAY SANDDRAGON (Progomphus borealis) 1 photo record, CA chart #117, OC# 377302
Flame Skimmers - two
Emma's Dancers
- a few
unidentified Bluets some
.
Fresno County
Tony Kurz
Huntington Lake It was beautiful weather and pretty warm for 7500 feet. Temp- 88F
afternoon wind 10-15mph down along lake, Clear sunny skies
On Rancheria Falls Rd which turns off of highway 168 just after China Peak Ski Resort and just before the town of Huntington
MOUNTAIN EMERALD Somatochlora semicirularis one. Photo record. CA Chart #119, OC#??
I think this species that was eventually expected to show up in the county since they are in Tulare County.
The Emerald was about 2.8 miles up Rancheria Falls Rd at 8090 feet just cruising along the road in Red Fir Lodgepole habitat.
The only other species I had along that road in several locations higher up
Darner species, a female
The last species I got towards the end of the day around 1715 in the remaining light along the lakeshore edge was
WESTERN RED DAMSEL Amphiagrion abbreviatum (lifer)
.
Kings County
Steve Summers
Private-Westlake ponds: irrigation run-off settling ponds.
Desert Forktail Ischnura barberi at lease 30 seen, PHOTO RECORD CA Chart #92, OC # 377263
July 1-7, 2012
Mendocino County
Noah Arthur
Wente Boy Scout Camp (private and
inaccessible to the general public) man-made
EIGHT-SPOTTED SKIMMERS - swarms of males, only five or six females
WIDOW SKIMMERS
- present but uncommon.
ODD Skimmer
4 males seen, 2 collected; no females.
July
5, 2012
Los Angeles County
Dave Welling and Ron Oriti
Piru Creek @ Frnechmans
Flat; 86 deg, sunny, slight breeze - from 10:30AM to 2:00PM
Lavender Dancer
Gray Sanddragon
Giant Darner
.
Tulare County
Tony Kurz
Bartlet Park (below Dam of Lake Success)1130-1300; temp- 85F; no wind
exact location- 11 S 0326718 using NAD83 3991964
Bluet Sp.
Desert Firetail
Common Green Darner
White-belted Ringtail (lifer)
Variegated Meadowhawk
Blue Dasher
Western Pondhawk
Widow Skimmer
Flame Skimmer
Black Saddlebags
Upper Globe Dr. Springville; 1330-1430; temp- 88F; no wind; exact location- 11 S 0336344 using NAD83 3997526
American Rubyspot
Sooty Dancer (lifer)
Widow Skimmer
Pale-faced Clubskimmer (lifer)
on Fork of Tule River near Wishon Campground; 1520-1645; temp- 93F; wind- 1-5mph
Vivid Dancer
*Aztec Dancer Argia nahuana (lifer) [last verified report 2012]
Bluet sp.
Darner sp.- probable Shadow because of its behavior staying in the shadows.
Grappletail
Pacific Spiketail
July 4, 2012
Siskiyou County
Tim & Annette Manolis, Kathy & Dave Biggs
Dragonfly Roost Pond, Mt. Shasta
Forest, McCloud the
Biggs private yard
*Variable Darner Aeshna interrupta a female
emerged, and at about 9 am when she flew, she went up at about a 70-80° angle,
clear up until she went out of sight!
Four other new darner exuvia found
on the pond were keyed out by Tim to this species
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Libellula pulchella two emerged this morning, one crawling 45 ft from the
pond, crossing the gravel driveway to emerge on a boulder.
Later that morning
another was found on the planting bed on the side of the house, ~15
Two dueling males and a
female ovipositing were also seen
Tim & Annette Manolis
Gumboot Lake
*Shadow Darner Aeshna
umbrosa 1 dead on lake surface
I brought 8 exuviae home
with me. It looks like I have:
Aeshna interrupta 3
Libellula quadrimaculata
3
Libellula pulchella 2
which squares relatively
well with what I saw flying (good numbers of the two skimmers, a few Aeshna
out over the lake I couldn't ID for sure -- although you and I know well from
our observation of that female interrupta
emerging from your pond that they can leave their emergence site and disperse
far away very quickly!
.
Tulare County
Tony Kurz
Springville, 1030-1200, Temp- 93F, no wind, clear sky, Location- 11S 0332667 UTM 3997551
Bluet Sp.
Black-fronted Forktail (lifer)
Desert Firetail (lifer)
Common Green Darner
Blue-eyed Darner
Blue Dasher
Western Pondhawk
Widow Skimmer
Common Whitetail
Flame Skimmer
Black Saddlebags
..
Sacramento County
Jon Martin, Tim Manoliss son-in-law found a male
dragonfly in the parking lot of the Crocker
Art Gallery
this afternoon,
It was in remarkably
good shape (for a dead one)
*Olive Clubtail Stylurus
olivaceus one dead male, ID by Tim Manolis
..
Shasta County
Michael & Muriel Plank
Stillwater
Creek just off of Old 44 Dr. which is just east of Redding
Flame Skimmers
Pale-faced Clubskimmers
Black Saddlebags
Western Pondhawks
Widow Skimmers
Twelve-spotted skimmers
Common Green Darner
White-belted Ringtails--A tip from Ray Bruun
Gray Sanddragons
Sooty Dancers
American Rubyspots
July 2, 2012
San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties
Leslie Flint
Monte Bello and Alpine Ponds along Skyline Blvd. - coolish and a bit windy.
Alpine Pond has been "cleared" of a lot of the shoreline cattails so there aren't as many Odes there as in the past and if they are there, they aren't easy to find anymore.
In contrast, the pond at Monte Bello is really overgrown so you can't even really get to the edge. However there were several dragonflies present.
*Swift Forktail Ischnura erratica - Monte Bello pond - last report 2012
Cardinal Meadowhawk
8-spotted Skimmer
Red-veined Meadowhawk (Santa Clara)
.
Alameda County
Alice Cavette
Fremont
*Walkers Darner Aeshna walkeri one female
.
Humboldt County
Tony Kurz
Albee Creek Campground HRSP
Spot-winged Glider
July 1, 2012
Humboldt County
Stephen Telm
Cold Canyon Reserve 1030-1430 71-91F Occasional
light breeze
Very little Ode activity in the
valley. Down by the Now-dry creek, there was nothing.
At one hole that was still wet
(after the Homestead Trail crosses the creek), two Emma's dancers were seen (and two common garter snakes, as well)
One the trail between here and the
former goat shed, another two Emma's
dancers (male) and three Vivid
dancers (1M/2F) were seen
At the fork, we took the Blue Ridge
Trail
Here we saw dozens of Black Saddlebags patrolling.
Also patrolling was a clear-winged
species that stayed too far away for easy ID, but I think they were Variegated Meadowhawks (immature
coloring)
June
June 30, 2012
Humboldt County
Redwood Region Audubon Society Dragonfly Trip Led by Sandra Hunt-von Arb, Attending: Gary Bloomfield, Rob Fowler, Pete Haggard, Tony Kurz
(the die hards who came on this field trip despite the 100% chance of rain!- Thank you guys for coming!)
Weather: warm, muggy, partly cloudy turned to intermittent rain
Location: USFS Route 1 (Titlow Hill Rd), From Hwy 299, to Horse Mountain, to Spike Buck Mountain.
Horse Mountain: Showed the group the Petaltail burrows and nymphs- these were located based on notes taken by Gary Bloomfield from early June 2002!!
Located on 5N38 road which is technically closed due to natural occurring asbestos- but the nymphs looked good.
Consider this a micro-site based on descriptions of habitat I've seen/heard about.
See pictures for habitat and burrows- most burrows were at a base of a large boulder-very interesting.
No flying animals seen, but the weather was not optimal. Did see one teneral female damselfly flitting around, but could not get ID as it kept moving.
Checked out some other serpentine springs on the gated road that comes off 5N36 road. Looks similar to other site, but no burrows were observed- will check it out on a sunnier day.
Spike Buck Mountain- Buck Flats. 2 pothole type ponds in prairie.
A two dragonfly nymph species (one darner species, one unknown), and probably 2 damselfly nymph species (based on coloration/pattern of late stage nymphs with swollen wing pads).
Several sizes, including some without visible wing pads.
Skipped nearby Mud Lake, as the day before I'd checked it out and it was only as big as a dining room table and filled with tadpoles fighting to finish their transformation in time.
Shady Pond (Self named: between Spike Buck mountain and Clear Lake along the road)- 3 ponds with large trees and lots of downed logs and surrounded by large rock formations.
No adult dragonflies, nor any nynphs- but Tony reported having seen Whitetials here in the past, as well as a darner patrolling the pond edge (I suspect it was a shadow darner- based on habitat).
Skipped Clear Lake due to rainy conditions- but based on my previous day's visit, it looks like a good Emerald spot- will look there on a sunnier day.
Willow Creek Pond- headwaters of Willow Creek (the creek, not the town) (private)- along Titlow Hill Road a few hundred meters south of Caltrans Station/Hwy 2993 landowners-
Rob had permission from several years ago so we went with that- One landowner specifically said no to me, so middle part of this long pond is technically "off limits".
Four Spotted skimmer- few (one seen whirring and then flew off)
California Darner- few (including one patrolling between the cattails)
Pacific Clubtail- many- all very teneral and looked like they probably emerged that morning. Many Pacific Clubtail exuvia found both on logs and at the base of cattails
(ID based on comparing exuvia taken that still had a clubtail perching on it).
Cardinal Meadowhawk- single male- cold and wet
Eight-spotted Skimmer- single male- cold and wet
Northern Bluet- one confirmed in handfew NOBO's
Pacific Forktail- many
Although the weather was not ideal (to say the least)- it did turn out to be a great trip.
We already have at least one more CalOdes member from this event, and it looks like we'll be getting more regular reporting from Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte Counties
(that's where we all work and or tromp around!!)
June 29, 2012
Humboldt County
Tony Kurz
Briceland Rd west of
Garberville
Western River
Cruiser- Briceland Rd west of
Garberville
Common Whitetail - Briceland Rd west of
Garberville
American Rubyspot, Tooby Park
Flame Skimmer, Tooby Park
Western Pondhawk, Tooby Park
June 27, 2012
Humboldt County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb
Hoopa Reservation (Big Hill Road near Mud Springs--County Road so public may access).
Black Petaltail Tanypteryx hageni
1 male photographed, CA Chart #111, OC# 376578
.
Colusa County
Leslie Flint
I decided to do some birding first so went north to Maxwell and from Sites, north on Peterson Road. There was a small stream where I had
12-spotted Skimmer
Western Pondhawks
Widow Skimmers
Flame Skimmers.
Along this road I saw hundreds (maybe thousands) of
Variegated Meadowhawks [#possibly a migratory related event? kb]. (All were fairly yellow rather than red.) It seemed as though every stalk had one perched on it.
From there I traveled down the Lagoda Road to Leesville and then Bear Creek Road south. I had never ventured on this road above the Hwy 20 bridge so what at wonderful surprise to find spots
along the creek where one could just walk down to the edge (without battling the star thistles).
One particularly good spot just north of the Wilbur Springs Bridge had little waterfalls and riffles so I spent quite a bit of time there, where I saw...
Pale-faced Clubskimmer - 4
White-belted Ringtail many
Gray Sanddragon many
Flame Skimmer - many all along the creek
Giant Darner - one here and about 3 at the Bridge
Common Green Darner
Black Saddlebags - 6-10
American Rubyspot - many
Sooty Dancer - many
Bluet sp. - also many but I didn't really look at them.
I checked the creek at the Hwy 20 bridge where there were lots of predominantly
Flame Skimmers
Giant Darners
Green Darners
.
Mono County
David Welling
De Chambeau ponds
*Alkali Bluet Enallagma clausum - photo of the one male seen ONLY report 2012
June 26, 2012
Shasta County
Peter Gaede
Grassy
Creek, northwest of Juniper
Lake, LVNP
American Emerald
15
.
Contra Costa County
Susan Nelson
El Sobrante driveway
Pacific Spiketail - fuzzy picture of it sitting on her driveway!
.
Santa Clara County
Steve Rovell and sons
Ogier Ponds
Pacific Forktail - many
Exclamation Damsel - many
Desert Firetail - 3 (two in wheel)
little blue damsels - got to check my photos
Blue-eyed Darner - many
Common Green Darner - 8
Western Pondhawk - 4
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 4
Widow Skimmer - 2
Flame Skimmer - 8
Blue Dasher - 1 female
Black Saddlebags 1
June 25, 2012
Lake County
Michael and Muriel Plank
Guenoc pond
Flame Skimmers
Widow Skimmers
Eight-spotted Skimmers
Western Pondhawks
Blue Dashers
Black Saddlebags
Common Green Darners
Colusa County
Bear Creek the wind was blowing and temperature was not real warm.
American Rubyspot
California Dancer
Emma's Dancer
Vivid Dancer
Gray Sanddragon
Common Green Darner
Giant Darner
Western river Cruiser
Widow Skimmer
Flame Skimmer
Variegayed Meadowhawk
Black Saddlebags
.
Plumas County
Peter Gaede
Willow Lake - Winds
and cold temps seemed to keep odes down, so overall numbers very low.
Tule Bluet many;
two males in hand
Western Forktail some
Pacific Forktail
several
Beaverpond Baskettail 2;
one female and one male netted. First time I've seen these at this location.
Chalk-fronted Corporal 1
Four-spotted Skimmer 10
Dot-tailed Whiteface 1
Hudsonian Whiteface
1
..
Tehama County
Ray Bruun
Bennet Creek just upstream of Round Valley Rd,
5.7 air miles SW of Paskenta,
Northern Bluet Enallagma
annexum Photo
record, CA Chart #55, OC # 376466
June 24, 2012
Sonoma County
Dave and Kathy Biggs; Len Blumin, Leslie Flint and Linda Pertulias + MO
a field trip for Madrone Audubon - Pine Flat Rd, east
of Healdsburg.
STILL NO BLACK PETALTAILS. The site at MM10 has not produced one for 4 yrs.
now. They have a 5 yr. nymph stage, so there is a BIT of hope...
Great day, only 10 species, but a much nicer day than that indicates..
Our first stop was at Ferguson Springs where Vivid Dancers were all we found. The spring is grown over about 6'
high with Tisal - Hoary Skimmers wouldn't stand a chance there now.
Then we stopped at "Doug's Seep", just above the Ribizzo Ranch. The Grappletails were out in FORCE. We saw
males, females, wheels, young ones...at least a dozen...AND, Linda felt
something on her bare ankle (she was in sandals) - she looked down just in time
to see Rattles disappear off her foot and into the foliage. Thank goodness that
Rattlesnakes aren't aggressive, and that none of us stepped on it! There were
plenty of Vivid Dancers there too.
Our next stop, for lunch, was at Little Sulfur Creek and the pond on city of Santa Rosa Property. There
we were able to compare Cardinal and
Red-veined Meadowhawks with each other and a Flame Skimmer. Both the Cardinal and the Flame demonstrated their
preferred ovipositing techniques. Northern/Boreal
Bluet were also seen as were some either Rainbow Trout &/or Steelhead.
At MM10 site, well, the change is UNBELIEVABLE. A Cardinal Meadowhawk was in the pool where Alan Wight once
photographed a female Petaltail ovipositing. There were a few Vivid Dancers there too.
No Odes were present at MM1 site on our way down the road (well, except one
female Bluet).
We paid the day fee of $5/car at the Alexander Valley Campground on the Russian River. There we found many American Rubyspots and Emma's Dancers, but darn, no Cruisers
or Bison Snaketails, etc.
.
Plumas County
Peter Gaede
Little Willow Lake,
LVNP
Northern Bluet
2 in hand, plus about 20 No/Bo that may have also been this species.
Vivid Dancer
a few.
Western Red Damsel
a few.
Western Forktail
a few.
Crimson-ringed Whiteface
Abundant. 100+ seen; 8 males netted and examined in hand. This lake is
approximately 1 mile northwest of Willow
Lake, the known location
for Belted Whiteface, so I wanted to check for them here.
.
Yolo County
Todd Easterla and Kevin Guse
Davis Creek Reservoir
these dedicated and insane birders hiked about 16 miles along Rayhouse Road from
the low water bridge at Cache Creek to Davis Creek Reservoir (near the
Homestake Mine) and back.
The road is closed to vehicles from Yolo County.
They started the hike around 4:00AM and returned around 4:30PM.
The area is in the northwestern
mountains of Yolo
County. The
habitats include lake and stream, shallow wetlands, pine-oak woodland, and
chaparral.
The weather was cooler than average.
Todd noted the following Odes:
Common Whitetail
Widow Skimmer
White-belted Ringtail
Black Saddlebag
Blue-eyed Darner
Common Green Darner
Giant Darner
Mosiac Darner
Vivid Dancer
Emmas Dancer
Sooty Dancer
Wish I had more time to Ode and had
a net and camera ready.
.
Humboldt County
Tony Kurz
Crannell Rd
Cardinal Meadowhawk
.
Santa Cruz County
Alex Rinkert
Soda Lake
Arroyo Bluet
- One specimen taken (now residing at the UCSC Museum of Natural History
Collections)
Vivid Dancer-
One specimen taken (now residing at the UCSC Museum of Natural History
Collections)
Exclamation Damsel - One specimen taken (now residing at the UCSC Museum of Natural
History Collections)
Black-fronted Forktail - One
specimen taken (now residing at the UCSC Museum of Natural History Collections)
Western Forktail - One specimen taken (now residing
at the UCSC Museum of Natural History Collections)
Pacific Forktail - One specimen taken (now residing at the UCSC Museum of Natural
History Collections)
Blue-eyed Darner - One specimen taken (now residing at the UCSC Museum of Natural
History Collections)
June 23, 2012
Yolo County
Stephan Telm
North Davis (Northstar) Pond:1300-1330, low 70s, breezy
Blue dashers
-- numerous
Common whitetails -- numerous
Widow skimmers --
numerous
Black saddlebags -- a few
Flame skimmers
-- 2 (the first of the season in this location)
Pacific forktails -- 4 few
UC Davis Arboretum, Ruth Storer
garden:1345-1415, low 70s, breezy
No odes seen, though a few Black saddlebags and immature Variegated Meadowhawks were patrolling
along the creek/pond
Putah Creek Reserve, more east than
last time, hiking west -- near the California Raptor Center 1430-1600, low 70s,
breezy, though somewhat shielded
Blue dashers
-- numerous/patrolling
Common whitetails -- numerous/patrolling
Widow skimmers -- numerous/patrolling
Black saddlebags -- numerous/patrolling
Variegated Meadowhawks -- a few immatures patrolling
Emma's dancer
-- 1
CA/Aztec dancer -- 2
Vivid dancer
-- 2
Tule bluet
-- 1
Pacific forktails -- a few
.
Sonoma County
Dave & Kathy Biggs; Ken A. Wilson + MO
Pepperwood Preserve, NE of Santa Rosa.
The day was cool and breezy, but at
least by the afternoon fieldtrip portion of the workshop, we had temps. of
64-66F.
This is a private preserve; reservations must be made for admittance. We
visited Turtle, and the upper Twin Pond. *=both ponds
We were able to show many of the participants dragonflies in-hand, and to
observe many behaviors. All in all we saw 14-16 species:
Black
Spreadwing - MANY emerging, a few mature males and females seen, many
nymph found*. In hand.
Vivid Dancer
- 1 mature male at Turtle Pond. In hand.
Bluet species - 1 male at Twin Pond
Pacific Forktail - 1 male at Turtle
Pond. In hand.
Western Forktail
- immature and mature males and females. In hand.
Common Green Darner - 2 males at
Twin Pond
Western Pondhawk
- MANY at Twin Pond. We observed them preying on other Odes, mating,
ovipositing, the whole deal!
Blue Dasher - a few males and one
ovipositing female. Twin Pond. In hand.
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 1 mature
male at Turtle Pond.
Common Whitetail - 1 female at Twin
Pond.
Cardinal Meadowhawk - a few,
including tandem ovipositing. Twin pond. In hand.
Red-veined Meadowhawk - some. * In
hand.
Stripped Meadowhawk - MANY, most
just emerging, none mature.* In hand.
Black Saddlebags - 1 male, Twin Pond
Also seen: Darner sp. (not Anax); possible Glider sp. alongside driveway
At Turtle Pond, we had at least 7 pond turtles.
At Twin Pond Kathy netted (from the water) many salamander/newt puppies and
also Chorus Frog Pollywogs
At the small pond above Twin Pond we saw mating Water Pennies.
This is a lovely place to teach a workshop with a state-of-the-art education
center and thousands of acres of wildlands.
June 22, 2012
Tuolumne County
Leslie Flint
Tuolumne Meadows, just across from the Visitors Center.
*American Emerald Cordulia shurtleffii a female photographed
4-spotted skimmer (also seen here on June 19)
Both odes were numerous in the Meadow.
June 21, 2012
Mono County
Leslie Flint
Dechambeau Ponds
90 minutes from 11:00 - 12:30. The temp was in the upper 80s and the wind was howling. There were lots of Odes on all the ponds but there were probably many more in the brush given the wind.
*Red Saddlebags Tramea onusta (2) - really a surprise and got great looks [last report 2012]
Black Saddlebags - a few
8-spotted skimmers - dozens everywhere
Blue Dasher - many
Western Pondhawk - a few
Flame Skimmer - only a few which surprised me because they were everywhere in the Owens Valley yesterday.
Common Green Darner - 1
Variegated Meadowhawk 2
Bluets - many
Pacific Forktail - many
Western Forktail - a few
Vivid Dancer - many
.
Los Angeles County
Dave Welling
Piru Creek near Frenchman's Flat
Cloudy and cool till about 11AM. Odonate activity got pretty good around 11:30AM - stayed till about 2:30PM. Became sunny, slight breeze and about 85 deg.
northern bluets (enallagma annexum): many and many in copula
sooty dancers (argia lugens): >20
american rubyspots (haeterina americana): >25 and many in copula
zygoptera - a few others, but could not id.
common green darners (anax junius): >20 many in copula
GIANT DARNERS (anax walsinghami): at least three males patrolling - could not get photos
*SERPENT RINGTAILS (erpetogomphus lampropeltis): at least three males
flame skimmers (libellula saturata): >15 appeared to be all males
plus garter snake hunting tadpoles and small fish
Siskiyou County
Tim and Annette Manolis
Copco Lake
We saw the Eastern
Phoebe at the fish hatchery (calling on one of the wires across the river just
upstream from the one-lane bridge)
Sinuous Snaketail Ophiogomphus occidentis -quite a few
there.
At Collier Rest Area
were the usual suspects, lots of jewelwings
and rubyspots (got some poor quality
pix of males of each perched on the same tule stem). All the spot-winged
skimmers I definitely IDed there were 8-spots,
and they were common (one nice Flame
Skimmer there, California Darner
over the river, Emma's Dancers,
etc.).
Shasta County
Michael Plank & wife
Coleman fish Hatchery Rd.. East of Cottonwood, Very windy.
Dot-tailed Whiteface
Flame Skimmers
Spot-winged Glider--1
Blue Dashers
Western Pondhawks
Widow Skimmers
Common Whitetail
Twelve-spotted Skimmers
Eight-spotted skimmers
Common Green Darner
Pacific Clubtail
Sinuous Snaketail
.
Tehama County
Peter Gaede
Before heading
over to Lassen Volcanic National Park (LVNP), I made a quick stop just north of
Red Bluff and walked along the Yana Trail from Jelly's Ferry Road.
Highlight
was seeing a Bison Snaketail along
the trail.
Widow Skimmers were
abundant.
Wilson's Lake, Stopped here for a couple of hours
Four-spotted Skimmer 8
*Chalk-fronted Corporal Ladona julia 25
*Crimson-ringed Whiteface Leucorrhinia glacialis 4
Hudsonian Whiteface 1
male
Dot-tailed Whiteface 200+
Twelve-spotted Skimmer 15
Common Whitetail
1 male
Plumas County
Drakesbad
Meadow, LVNP, north of Chester,
June 21:
Tule Bluet a
few
BLACK PETALTAIL 1
Hudsonian Whiteface
1
June 18-20, 2012
Siskiyou County
Kathy Biggs & Nancy Bauer
On the 18th - Shasta River at Hudson Rd. It was cool that day, only in the 70s with a breeze. We arrived around 11, but it tookawhile for the Jewelwings to appear.
River Jewelwing - maybe a dozen or less. Few females seen
American Rubyspot - fewer than Jewelwings
Emma's Dancer - many, and many emerging this day
Vivid Dancer - a few along the road
Western Forktail - 1 male, 1 female
Pacific Clubtail many
Sinuous Snaketail - some, mostly females seen
Common Green Darner - at least one male
Rhionaeschna species, probably California Darner, at least one male seen
Common Whitetail - 3 males seen (one with only 3 wings), 1 female
Also seen: the Chats were quite noisy!!
On the 19th we went to Gumboot Lake, Celise Sharpe joined us.
Although there was no snow, it was still early there. Weather was in the 70s, mild.
We walked into Little Gumboot too. Checked out Gumboot Creek where it crosses the road and also a 'secret' pond above that.We hoped for Black Petaltails, but found none
*Boreal Bluet Enallagma boreale - common and exuviae piled up on top of each other all along the shoreline
Emerald sp. - 1 seen looked like it could have been a baskettail, 2 others might have been American or Mountain Emeralds
Common Green Darner - 1-2
Twelve-spotted Skimmer - a few, one emerging
But the wildflowers were gorgeous already! And the butterflies were plentiful!!
On the 20th we stayed near our McCloud pond. 79F, mild
No/Bo Bluet - 1 female
Pacific Forktail - 1 male
Darner sp, 1, probably CA Darner
12-spotted Skimmer - 2-3 males, 1 female who came in about once an hour in the afternoons for 10 mins at a time.
She seemed to try to slip in under the male's 'radar', but when grabbed, willingly formed a wheel.
Then he'd hover guard her. When she went to leave, he'd try to get her back to the pond, but she just wouldn't.
I swear, I could hear her say, "Not now honey, I laid them all. Give me time to make some new eggs."
Common Whitetail - 1 male last wk, not seen this week
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1 male, only seen this week
Also seen: Great Arctic (butterfly), White-headed Woodpecker, Blue Grouse, Common Nighthawk, and 5 types of warblers
June 20, 2012
Mono & Inyo Counties
Leslie Flint with Ron and Barbara Oriti
INYO County:
Great Basin Snaketail at the Owens River (wow); Band-winged Meadowhawk at some ponds near Bishop;
MONO County:
Desert Whitetail at Whitmore Hot Springs
Hoary Skimmer!! at "Pond 3" along Fish Slough
plus oodles of other things I have already seen but great to see in a new county.
Most of the damsels were vivid dancers, but we really didn't look at them much - all bluets and dancers; nothing not blue!
June 19, 2012
Humboldt County
Tony Kurz
Mill Creek
Eight-spotted Skimmer
June 17/18, 2012
Trinity County
Sean McAllister and Amber Transou
We checked out a couple of spots in the
Hayfork area and easily tallied 23 species (*photographed):
Salt Creek, two brief stops(one each on the 17th
and 18th), a few miles south of Hayfork along Hwy 3.
American Rubyspot
Vivid Dancer*
Emmas Dancer*
Pacific Clubtail*
Grappletail*
Bison Snaketail*
Western River Cruiser
Ewing
Reservoir (June 18th
only); This is an excellent location for odes and ode-ing. It is a large
reservoir with emergent vegetation throughout the entire near-shoreline, which
has easy access along the entire perimeter (several miles)
Sooty Dancer
Northern (type) Bluet*
Tule (type) Bluet*
Pacific Forktail*
Common Green Darner*
California Darner*
Beaverpond Baskettail*
Dot-tailed Whiteface*
Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis * Photo record, CA Chart
#116, OC # 376397
Western Pondhawk*
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Twelve-spotted Skimmer*
Widow Skimmer*
Common Whitetail*
Flame Skimmer*
Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata SIGHT record,
CA Chart #116
June 17, 2012
Santa Barbara County
Nick Lethaby
I got permission to check Zaca Lake
today. This is the only natural lake in the county and I was hoping there might
be some relict populations of odes from times when some species had a wider
distribution prior to people draining many of the states marshes, especially
as the lake is free of agricultural runoff (but not introduced fish).
Unfortunately I only saw common species. I will probably try this location
earlier in the year to check for species like Black Spreadwing and California
Darner. All odes were at the Lake unless
stated:
Sooty Dancer
(second stream crossing) 1
Vivid Dancer
(second stream crossing) 6
Pacific Forktail very common
Familiar/Tule Bluet very common
Northern/Boreal Bluet 2+
Blue-eyed Darner 3+ (one confirmed in hand)
Cardinal Meadowhawk 10
Flame Skimmer
15
Widow Skimmer
2-3
W. Pondhawk
2 females, no males seen despite checking many Blue Dashers
Blue Dasher
very common
June 16, 2012
Colusa County
Jim Laughlin
Spent the morning at Bear Creek in Colusa County Saturday and wasn't disappointed. Lots of flies!
American Rubyspot abundant
Sooty Dancer abundant
Bluets abundant
Common Green Darner (2)
Giant Darner (3)
Blue-eyed Darner (2)
White-belted Ringtail Many
Gray Sanddragon Many
Flame Skimmer Abundant
Pale-faced Clubskimmer (1)
Black Saddlebags (3)
Common Whitetail
Also two weeks ago I visited Butte meadows and the *Black Petaltails Tanypteryx hageni were out in full force
.
Modoc County
Steve Rottenborn
South Fork Pit River, 16 June 2012, along CR 64 east of Likely, approximately 0.5-0.8 mi west of Jess Valley:
Emerald Spreadwing 1
Western Red Damsel 2
Great Basin Snaketail 2
Variegated Meadowhawk 1
Common Whitetail 1
Eight-spotted Skimmer 15
June 15, 2012
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
*Band-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum
semicinctum, Bishop Millpond
*Pacific (Desert) Spiketail Cordulegaster
dorsalis deserticola, in our Bishop yard
.
Modoc County
Steve Rottenborn
Sand Creek, the ½-mile reach
upstream from County Road 18 northeast of Cedarville in Surprise Valley as I
walked upstream from CR 18, there was no water at all for the first Ό-mile or so
(as opposed to last year, when there was plenty of water in July), then I began
seeing a few pools, then pools with fish, and eventually flowing segments of
creek. Nearly all the odes were in the wet reaches, as expected.
*River Bluet Enallagma anna 10+
males, all in upstream segments of the channel that were flowing; all 20 bluets
examined in-hand (then released) from isolated pools farther downstream were
Northern Bluets, but 5 of 8 examined in the hand in the flowing sections were
River Bluets. After seeing how distinctive the males cerci were in the
hand, I was able to ID individuals through the camera lens without needing to
capture them.
Northern Bluet aside from the aforementioned River Bluets, all other
bluets were likely this species (23 were identified in-hand and released)
Western Red Damsel 1
Vivid Dancer 3
Western Forktail 300+
*Pale Snaketail Ophiogomphus severus 3 -
ONLY report 2012
Common Green Darner 7
California Darner 10
Variegated Meadowhawk 1
Desert Whitetail 2
Eight-spotted Skimmer 30
Seyferths Hot Spring, along CR 15B southeast of Lake City in Surprise Valley:
Northern/Boreal Bluet 2
*Paiute Dancer Argia alberta 50 [last report 2012]
Western Forktail 15
Pacific Forktail 1
Pale Snaketail 1
Variegated Meadowhawk 2
Desert Whitetail 15
Hoary Skimmer 4
Eight-spotted Skimmer 15
Comanche Skimmer 3
Western Pondhawk 6
.
Los Angeles County
Brian Daniels
San Gabriel River - hoping to find the Grappletails reported about one week earlier by Robb Hamilton.
They were seen at the Santa Ana Sucker Fishing Platform along Cogswell Road.
This paved road is open to the public but only for hikers and bikers (or campers with special permits).
The Santa Ana Sucker Fishing Platform is 3.9 miles from the trail head parking on Hwy 39.
I arrived at that fishing platform (there are 2 or 3 others along the road) at about 0815 and explored the area until 1000 but did not see any odes (it was sunny but still a mild day).
Under some time constraints, I decided to search for my own odes on the hike back to the car (arrived there at 1330 - 82 degrees).
Grappletail one at a bridge crossing over the West Fork (this is the 2nd bridge in from Hwy 39 - about 1 mile).
Pacific Spiketail - one patrolling the stream at this location (Robb also saw this species near his Grappletails).
Other odes on my walk include
American Rubyspot - 4
Sooty Dancer - 8
dancer sp. - 10
Red Rock Skimmer 12
.
Humboldt County
Tony Kurz
Willams Grove
HRSP
Western River Cruiser
Emma's Dancer
Pacific Clubtail
Del Norte
County
Crescent City
Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata - many
behind the safeway store Sight record only CA Chart #119
June 14, 2012
Siskiyou County
Greg Kareofellas
Colliers Rest Stop, I-5, 8 miles north of Yreka
Calopteryx aequabilis River Jewelwing
Epitheca canis Beaverpond Baskettail - I caught a couple, just because they were acting a little
different, but they all checked out as E
canis.
Ophiogomphus occidentis Sinuous Snaketail
*Ophiogomphus morrisoni Great Basin Snaketail
Gomphus kurilis Pacific Clubtail - I caught (males and females of
all 3 clubtails).
I did not ID any of the small
damsels this time, was really trying to get pix of the Calopteryx. The temp was
perfect yesterday, but there was a little wind that made it hard to get things
not moving.
.
Tuolumne County
Ron Oriti
Yosemite Summit
Meadow, which is on the Glacier
Point Road
*Hudsonian Whiteface Leucorrhinia
hudsonica -- just a few
skimmers - a couple unidentified - very disappointed that there were
not more dragonflies around.
June 13, 2012
Santa Cruz County
John Garrett
along the railroad tracks at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, ~ 1 pm
Red Rock Skimmer Paltothemis lineatipes - a male, photo record CA CHART#116, OC# 375983
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johngarrettbirding/7370197100/in/photostream
.
Solano County
Leslie Flint
90-95 degrees and windy in the a.m.
Putah Creek starting at Stephan Telms' spot on Putah Creek Road, driving to the base of the Berryessa Dam then Lake Solano County Park and lastly at the Pedrick Road
section of the UCDavis Putah Creek Reserve.
It was a really hot day, especially once I got to the Pedrick Road area.
At the pond adjacent to Putah Creek along Putah Creek Road
Black Saddlebags - at least a dozen pairs. I enjoyed watching the female drop below the male to oviposit and then when rising up, the male was there to catch her again.
Flame Skimmer - 10
Western Pondhawk 2
Common Whitetail - 2
bluets Many
On the river adjacent to the pond
Pale-faced Clubskimmer - 1 - I have never seen this Ode so it took me a bit to figure it out but the obvious white on the abdomen and the otherwise nondescript appearance gave me a clue.
Below Lake Berryessa Dam (I was surprised there were so few Odes here)
Flame Skimmer - 2
Lake Solano County Park (also very quiet except for the damsels)
Exclamation Damsel - many
Bluet sp. many
Flame Skimmer - 2
Black Saddlebags - 1 at the children's fishing pond but nothing else!!
also a beaver swimming by and an osprey perched close.
UC Davis Putah Creek Preserve - at Pedrick Road (a glorious spot - put my feet in the water to cool off!!)
American Rubyspot - 20
Vivid Dancer - many
Bluets - many
Emma's Dancer - 1
Flame Skimmer - 4
Pale-faced Clubskimmer - this Ode never came very close but I saw that diagnostic white spot on the abdomen. Shortly after viewing it, a Black Phoebe ate it!!
June 12, 2012
Del Norte County
Tony Kurz
Mill Creek
Watershed
Black Spreadwing Lestes stultus
June 11, 2012
Colusa County
Dave & Kathy Biggs
Bear Creek @ Hwy 20, quarter mile down Bear Ck Rd., 5-5:10, 92F, still air.
All odes seen from the road above the creek
American Rubyspot 3 males
Sooty Dancer 1 male
Bluets some
Common Green Darner 1 male
Giant Darner 2-3 males
Blue-eyed Darner 1 male
Pacific Clubtail 1 male
Flame Skimmer abundant
Common Whitetail 1 male
.
Santa Cruz County
Leslie Flint
Quail Hollow Ranch, Santa Cruz
access to the pond was limited and one couldn't get around it.
Desert Firetail - one landed near me on a bit of grass
Common Whitetail -1 sat over and over again on the same stick allowing me to digiscope him
Many other skimmers seen
.
Del Norte County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb + MO
ponds around the Lake Earl Wildlife Area
*Northern Spreadwing, Lestes disjunctus photo of sub-adult male; new county record. CA Chart #111, OC # 375919
No/Bo Bluet
.
Siskiyou County
Michael Plank & wife
Shasta River @ Hudson Rd. It was very warm and the wind came up late in the day.
My wife and I spent the afternoon there
River Jewelwing
American Rubyspot
Emma's Dancers
Familiar Bluets
California Darner
Pacific Clubtail
Sinuous Snaketail
Common Green Darner
Western Pondhawk
June 10/11, 2012
Siskiyou County
Dave & Kathy Biggs
McCloud home's Dragonfly Roost pond:
Twelve-spotted Skimmer - first one showed up on the 10th, on the 11 we had 3 males in the morning before we left
Common Whitetail - 1 male, on 10th and 11th. Only the 2nd time they've showed up at our pond.
Blue-eyed Darner - 1 male on the 11th
June 10, 2012
Solono County
Stephan Telm
Winters. Evidently I haven't learned
my lesson about the wind. After meeting some friends, I decided to check
out a publicly accessible portion of the creek from Putah Creek Road, the Solano County
side of the Creek
1115-1245, Mid to high 80s, wind NNE
@ 25-30mph (slightly sheltered down in the creek, but not completely.
Lots of wind-blown dragons were
seen, but none landed:
Flame skimmer
(many)
Common whitetail (a few)
12-spotted skimmer (1)?
8-spotted skimmer (1)
Widow skimmer
(1 male)
Black saddlebags (many)
Blue Dasher
(several males)
variegated meadowhawk (1 Immature dead male)
Tule bluets
(several)
CA/Aztec dancers (a few)
Pacific forktails (a few)
Desert Firetail Telebasis salva (several) new Solano County
record, CA Chart #115, OC #375927
Western Forktail-1 male, 1 female
Cool non-Odes: Western fence
lizards, California
toads, Green herons (one pair that is upset with me), swallows
.......
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Pine Valley Creek, 11:15-1:30, clear, light breeze, 75 degrees.
American Rubyspot
*California Dancer Argia agrioides
Vivid Dancer
NoBo Bluet
Western Forktail
Grappletail 1 M (Seldom seen in San Diego County)*
Pacific Spiketail
Flame Skimmer
*Grappletail previously found along this quarter mile stretch of Pine Valley Creek on May 28 and May 29, 2009 (2), June 3, 2010 (1), June 15, 1010 (2).
Several visits in 2011 and 2012 yielded none, until today.
Grappletail found at a point along the creek about an 8 minute walk from the trailhead, just off the creekside path (piled dry brush next to the trail at the place where it was last seen).
Walked softly in the creek to follow its movement. Grappletail often perched for several minutes, then flew to a close-by spot, within a four foot radius, sometimes in the sun, other times in dappled shade,
repeating this behavior for nearly an hour.
Allowed close approach for photographs. Despite its impressive club-like tail and pale yellow highlights, the relatively small, dark, delicate-looking creature blends into surroundings, making it hard to find.
June 9, 2012
Siskiyou County
Dave & Kathy Biggs, Celise Sharpe & Dennis Ball, and Kathys brother Bob Claypole (who had permission to go onto the Fruit Growers site)
We all met at 11 at Collier's Rest Stop on I-5, about 8 miles north of Yreka. It had only been 44F when Dave and I left our
McCloud home and a FIERCE cold cold wind was blowing. By time we reached the rest stop it had only warmed up to 52F and we weren't very encouraged.
We decided to stall and let the day warm up further (hopefully) and went out across the lawn towards the Klamath River to see if any Clubtails could possibly be out.
Right away we scared one up and soon we realized they were all over the place!! We found both Pacific Clubtails and Sinuous Snaketails to be plentiful, and soon Rubyspots, then Jewelwings
and finally Emma's Dancers showed.
An interesting but gruesome find was when a Pacific Clubtail caught a male Rubyspot and began eating it - quite the meal. He ate the flight muscles first, then the head and went on to the thorax....we had to leave!
Then we saw a Baskettail! But it was a female, and the nets were in the cars...but we did get a few photos, which I hope to have access to soon.
"Also seen" were Lewis's Woodpeckers.
Bob, the author of the "Klamath River Bird Finder" had told us that they are becoming much less common, but this was a reliable site. And then Celise found their nest hole when one entered it!
It was natural hole in a large tree.
Our report for this site (note - all these species can be found at the Hudson Rd/Shasta River site nearby, which is MUCH more beautiful and often 'magical', but
Collier's is a great stop if you're on an I-5 road trip):
Collier's Rest Stop, 11-12:30 52-56F, breezy wind 10mph
River Jewelwing - m&f, 12+
American Rubyspot - dozens, only males seen
Emma's Dancer - 12 females
Vivid Dancer - 1 male
Pacific Clubtail - abundant
Sinuous Snaketail - dozens, m&f
Baskettail sp. - 1 female photographed, probably a Beaverpond Baskettail
Next Bob wanted to stop and show us a pond (possibly ephemeral) in Henley. This pond is also in his bird guide - it didn't disappoint us or him - only the 2nd Great-tailed Grackle for the Klamath River watershed.
and we added 6 more Ode species to our day list:
Main Street Pond, Henley, 12:45-1:20, 63F
Emerald Spreadwing - dozens
Pacific Forktail - few,, immatures seen
Western Forktail - few, immatures seen
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 1-2 teneral female
Common Whitetail - 2-3 males
Meadowhawk sp. - several tenerals on maiden flights and one mature, or immature over water (fly by)
Also seen were Wood Duck and Cinnamon Teal.
Still stalling and awaiting warmer weather we stopped at Honker Lake in Henley (?) - where the Tufted Duck was earlier this year.
We added a few more species of Odes:
Honker Lake, Henley, 1:25-1:35, 63F
Western Pondhawk - 1 female ovipositing
Common Whitetail - several
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1 male
Then it was time & we headed on up to Hilt to look for the breeding ground of the Spiny Baskettail.
When we arrived the wind was blowing FIERCE, hundreds of Pacific Forktails were sheltering on the lee side of the mill pond.
Nothing else was about and we had just about given up hope when we decided to try a smaller pond just to the west of the main pond.
At first we didn't see anything else there, but then - a Baskettail!! Kathy swung at it and missed;
she threw the net to Dave, he swung and missed and the Baskettail headed off. Oh no!
After 15 mins. and no reappearance, we were losing hope, when 2 interacted nearby. They appeared much darker than Beaverpond Baskettails and we were encouraged.
We spread out and yelled for Dennis, who had chosen to circle the main pond while we went to the smaller pond.
Dave and Bob had 2 baskettails interact between them, but lost sight of them.
Just then Dennis appeared over the hill, and we think he scared it right into Dave's clutches as he caught it just then! I ran over, and as they pulled it from the net,
I grinned - the straight appendages of a Spiny Baskettail!
We kept him as a voucher specimen. All in all we think we saw 4-6 Spiny Baskettails.
We were not able to find any exuvia, but we really suspect that this IS where they are breeding. Our report from this site (again, this is PRIVATE PROPERTY):
Fruit Grower's Mill Pond, and smaller pond to the west of millpond, HILT, 2:00-3:30, 60-64F in still areas, but wind chill factor made it feel like 50 or less
Emerald Spreadwing - some
Pacific Forktail - abundant, many male-colored females seen, immatures seen
Western Forktail - a very few
California Darner - 1-2 assumed this species
Common Green Darner - 1-2 males (very low #s of darners this day!!)
*SPINY BASKETTAIL, EPITHECA SPINIGERA - 4-6, we think only males [upgrade of photo record CA Chart #7, OC# 375940] last report 2012
Dash/Hawk - seen by Dennis at a distance
Flame Skimmer - 2 males seen on east side of large mill pond by Dennis
Meadowhawk sp - 1 seen by Dennis on east side of mill pond
Our group parted ways at this point.
Dave and Kathy drove up the road another mile or two where it loops back to recheck another pond and the creek we'd accessed on May 13th.We found a few more species:
Hilt Hungry Rd, 61F, breezy
Western Red Damsel - dozens at the small cattail swamp on east side of the road
Vivid Dancer - some on creek
Blue Dasher - 1 female at the small cattail swamp on east side of the road
Amazingly, with a day that started out with our fearing we'd see no Odes at all, our species count came to 20 or 21 (maybe 22-23 when I get to see the photos)!!
AND, we found the Spiny Baskettail. What a lovely day!!
.
Inyo County
Ron Oriti
Blackrock Wetlands
Bleached Skimmer
.
Humboldt County
Tony Kurz
Red-veined Meadowhawk young
Eight-spotted Skimmer Female
Pacific Forktail
June 8, 2012
Mono County
Ron Oriti
Fish Slough
Spot-winged Glider
June 7, 2012
Imperial County
Gary Suttle
Westside Main Canal, just north of the Highway 98 bridge crossing, 10:40-11:40, clear, light breeze, 95 degrees.
*Powdered Dancer Argia moesta >50 [ONLY report 2012]
Blue-ringed Dancer Argia sedula 1
Blue Dasher 3
Western Pondhawk 10
For the third year in a row, re-grading of the dirt roads that parallel the canal have reduced the size and quantity of tall, eye-level arrow weed that formerly provided nice shade and cover for the
Brimstone and Russet-tipped Clubtails
and good opportunities to view them.
Early season for clubtails, trip made with aim of an early flight date.
Westside Main Canal around the Lyon Road bridge crossing (located .07 mile down the dirt road from the intersection with Drew Road/ S29), 11:50--1:30.
And few larger patches of arrow weed growing
along the small Wormwood Canal, which parallels and is immediately east of the Westside Main Canal, about .05 mile north of the bridge.
Powdered Dancer >30
Blue-ringed Dancer 2
**Brimstone Clubtail 2M [new early date by 8 days but only report for 2012 kb]
Clubtail or Ringtail unidentified 1
White-belted Ringtail 3
Blue Dasher 1
Western Pondhawk >5
Roseate Skimmer 1F
.
San Benito County
Paul Johnson
This morning I was jumping on the
trampoline with my kids when a female blue-eyed
darner came by and inspected the black trampoline as if it were a
pond. So we all sat down, remained still, and watched. She soon
began investigating our hands, which were oriented on the trampoline's surface
like emergent vegetation. She ended up landing on my hand and my
daughter's, and attempted to insert eggs into our fingers. My daughter
reported slight pain, although not enough to stop the dragonfly, and I felt
nothing more than a tickle.
Later my daughter came running in to
tell me the dragon had returned. I ran out to find a male pale-faced clubskimmer hanging in a
shrub. This is about a mile from the nearest flowing stream Other than
that, it's been the usual suspects around here
June 5, 2012
Shasta County
Dave & Kathy Biggs
Boundary Wetland Area (not exactly certain of name) on Coleman Fish Hatchery Rd. 3:15 - 4:00, 69-72F, calm and sunny
Pacific Forktail - 2 mature females
Vivid Dancer - 1 young male
Emma's Dancer - 2 females
Pacific Clubtail - 6 males, 2 females
Sinuous Snaketail - 8 males, 3 female
Common Green Darner - 5 males
Western Pondhawk - M & F plentiful
Blue Dasher - M & F many
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 6 males
Twelve-spotted Skimmer - 1-3 males
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1 male
.
Yolo County
Stephan Telm
while biking through the UC Davis
campus/City Parks:
The usual suspects, lately --
Common Whitetails
Pacific Clubtails
Widow Skimmers
Western Pondhawks
Black Saddlebags
Common Green Darner one
.
Santa Clara County
Leslie Flint
Ogier Ponds
Pacific Clubtail 1 female photographed
.
San Benito County
Paul Johnson
during the Pinnacles NM butterfly
*pale-faced Clubskimmer Brechmorhoga
mendax - a
female more than a mile from the nearest flowing stream.
June 3, 2012
Colusa County
Dave & Kathy Biggs
Bear Ck @ Hwy 20, 1:20-1:55, 86-88F, no wind or overcast
We spent most of our time in area just to the south and north of the bridge over Hwy 20 with just 5 mins. up Bear Valley Rd, ~1/4 mile
American Rubyspot - a few males and a female seen
No/Bo Bluets - plentiful
(Arroyo Bluet - perhaps one this species)
Pacific Forktail - 1 imm. female
Western Forktail - 1 mature female
Common Green Darner - 5-6 males
Giant Darner - 1 male seen by Dave
Blue-eyed Darner - 1 perhaps this species seen by Kathy
*White-belted Ringtail Erpetogomphus compositus, 1 female seen well (perched) in foliage, ~6 males flying seen by Dave
Pacific Clubtail - 1 (older?) female seen well, perched in foliage, she was very dusty olive green and at first I'd hoped she was an Olive Clubtail; there is 1 old record of one from before 1998, but, alas, no
Western River Cruiser - 6 males
Dash/Hawk - 1 or more seen across the creek from the road
Flame Skimmer - plentiful now!
Common Whitetail - 1 male
Black Saddlebags - 2-3 males
.
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Dos Palmas Preserve; Dos Palmas
Oasis, Fish Ponds and San Andreas Fault Oasis, Elev. -100; 7:30-12:15, 83-98F,
cloudless, calm to gentle breeze S.
Paiute Dancer, Argia alberta 1 in hand
Blue-ringed Dancer, A. sedula 3
Vivid Dancer, A. vivida 2
Desert Forktail, Ischnura barberi 4
Ramburs Forktail, I.
ramburii
7
*Citrine Forktail, Ischnura
hastata 2
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 6
**Red-tailed Pennant, Brachymesia
furcata 18
new early date by 6 days
Western Pondhawk, Erythemis
collocata >75
Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax
longipennis
>75
Comanche Skimmer, Libellula
comanche >50
*Bleached Skimmer, L. composita
2
Widow Skimmer, L. luctuosa 4
Flame Skimmer, L. saturata 8
Roseate Skimmer, Orthemis
ferruginea 1
Marl Pennant, Macrodiplax
balteata >60
including 2 tandem pairs
Red Saddlebags, Tramea onusta 1
Black Saddlebags, T. lacerata
12 including one
tandem pair
Spot-winged Glider, Pantala
hymenaea 2
.
Yolo County
Stephan Telm
my son suggested we go odeing,
birding and herping (these are the times that warm a father's heart). I
was happy to oblige, and a tour of Davis
resulted - Warm -- up to the mid 90s at the peak, few clouds, very slight
SW breeze
North Star Pond:
blue dashers -
Scores upon scores of. I only saw males
Common whitetails: 10-12
Widow skimmers:
about 6
Black saddlebags: about 6
Familiar bluet:
3 or 4
Pacific forktails: a dozen, or so
Non-odes: 2 gopher snakes
Arboretum:
Pacific clubtail: 1
Common whitetails: 2 M
Western Pondhawk: 1M, several F
Cool non-odes: 1 great egret
catching a fish; 1 green heron
Putah Creek Reserve, near Brooks Road:
Flame skimmers:
dozens (so this is where they are this year)
Common whitetails: dozens
Widow skimmers:
dozens
Black saddlebags: dozens
Tule bluets: 6
Familiar
bluets: 3
CA/Aztec Dancer: 1
Eight-spotted skimmer: 1 (nearly got a picture)
Common green darners: 5 or 6 skimming the water
Two careless Common whitetails were
nabbed by turtles.
.
Monterey County
(southern
reaches)
Don Roberson & Rita Carratello
1020-1030 a.m., hot, sunny
small stock pond at mp 13.1 along Vineyard Canyon Rd., near summit of pass over hilly divide also separated from road by barbed wire so viewed just with binoculars small
bluets 5 m, possibly Familiar Bluet?
Flame Skimmer 1 m
C Whitetail 1 m
Black Saddlebags 1 m
Also, about 0.3 farther west, and right up at highest pass at roadside:
Vivid Dancer - 1 m photo'd
This is a fair distance from water, although there could be a small stream 500 or more feet below downslope
These odes from 3 June are the first reported odes from the rather arid reaches of southeastern MTY, where all streams seen were dry by this date, and water may be limited to scattered stock ponds
.
Alameda County
Chris Heaivilin
Shadow Cliffs, Pleasanton
Pacific Clubtail (Gomphus kurilis) -1 female
Bison Snaketail (Ophiogomphus bison) -1 female
Exclamation Damsel (Zoniagrion exclamationis)
*Aztec Dancer (Argia nahuana)
American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana)
.
Butte County
James Laughlin
Butte Meadows along Humboldt Rd. -
second major bridge outside Butte
meadows just before Cherry Hill
Rd.
Black petaltails - many
June 2, 2012
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Laws Canal
Blue
Dashers
Giant Darner
.
Monterey County
(southern
reaches)
Don Roberson & Rita Carratello
1315-1415; very hot (90+ deg), sunny, calm
north fork San Antonio River access off Road 5
This is a new site not previously visited, 0.75 mi upstream from the following (and comparatively well-worked) site.
Here the San Antonio River is tumbling rapidly over multiple small boulders within a canopied forest,
so many spots are shaded with only some spots in the sun. I call this spot "rubyspot city."
American Rubyspot 30+
Sooty Dancer Argia lugens 15+
Emma's Dancer 1
Dancer, sp? 5+ tenerals; some could be Vivid
Northern Bluet 40+ [i.d. presumed here; all bluets captured in past have been this species]
Bison Snaketail 1 male (photo'd) - - this is only the second record for the upper San Antonio River, and
the first male
Western River Cruiser 1 male patrolling river, seen flying by going up and coming back, but not photographed/captured -- this is only 0.75 mile upstream from the prior (and only) MTY record,
but that one netted & photographed by Paul Johnson & me. I recognized this one from that encounter
1420-1520 very hot (94 deg), calm, sunny
north fork San Antonio River access from Rd 4 -- this is my "usual" site, just SW of Wagon Cave Rocks, and featured previous on my web pages
This site is much more open than the previous site, with natural largish pools of tules interspersed between stretches of riffles over gravel and/or rock substrate.
Non-native Bullfrog occurs here, as does a native freshwater crab that looks extraterrestrial
American Rubyspot 10
Sooty Dancer 6
Vivid Dancer 80+, maybe many more -- huge numbers tandem ovipositing in stream (photos)
Northern Bluet 40 some photo'd, appear to be this species on review
Blue-eyed Darner 1 presumed (quick view)
Gray Sanddragon Progomphus borealis 1 male (photo'd) -- this is an entirely new site for this species in MTY, and just 3rd known record. It is first record in MTY west of Salinas Valley
Flame Skimmer 4 males
May
May
31, 2012
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Fish Slough
Blue Dashers
May 30, 2012
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bigsnest Pond, their Sebastopol backyard
The best day on the pond by far this
year! 9 species at one time is about as good as it ever gets at our 20X24
pond.
Pacific Spiketail Probably the same gorgeous male, hes been circling the pond, looking for a mate.
Cardinal Meadowhawk many, ovipositing
Flame Skimmer 2 males (a female was here yesterday)
Blue Dasher 1 male
Western Pondhawk 1 male and female. She was ovipositing and he was hover guarding her, herding her back into the pond whenever she strayed too close to the edge.
She taps her abdomen much more forcibly than the Cardinal Meadowhawks do.
Vivid Dancer a few on walkway behind pond
Pacific Forktail a few
Western Forktail many
Black Spreadwing 1 male plus 1 ovipositing pair. The pair stayed in nearly the exact the same position (she was inserting eggs into a Plaintain stem) for at least 30 minutes!!
..
Ken A. Wilson
Alameda County
Ken A. Wilson
Shadow Cliffs from 3-5the overall
activity was less than yesterday but I had two personal FOS in this park. I
looked in the southwest portion of the park near the small pond adjacent to
Heron Pond.
Flame Skimmer - 3 (My first sighting
at Shadow Cliffs this year)
Black Saddlebags - 1 (My first
sighting at Shadow Cliffs)
Blue-eyed Darner - 3
Blue Dasher - 6
Widow Skimmer - 2 (females only. I
still haven't seen a male at this location)
Common Green Darner - 3 (one pair in
copula)
Variegated Meadowhawk - 1
Cal/Aztec Dancer - many by Heron
Pond
Vivid Dancer - many
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 2
May 29, 2012
Santa Clara County
Leslie Flint
Ogier Ponds in the section near the model airplane spot; 75-79 degrees with a noticeable breeze.
#Today must have been National Common Green Darner Ovipositing Day! When I think of all the times I have tried to photograph these Odes in vain, today was the day to be at Ogier Ponds.
At least 6 pairs were seen ovipositing - which means actually sitting for periods of time on the pond scum just below me. Male locked onto the female while she oviposited beneath the water surface.
I took lots of digiscoped pics but only a few turned out well - the light was a bit harsh and I couldn't get down to their level; at times they were too close to digiscope!
I have posted the pics on my flickr site along with a Widow Skimmer:
Widow Skimmer - many
Common Whitetail - many
Flame Skimmer - a few
Blue Dasher males - many
8-spotted Skimmer - a few - far fewer than last week.
mosiac blue darners - a few
Cardinal Meadowhawk - a few
I didn't look at damsels today so cannot say for sure what was there, but the water was covered with them
.
Siskiyou County
Celise Sharpe & Dennis Ball
Hudson Rd/Shasta Rv., Yreka
River Jewelwing many photographed (6 in one photo!)
Pacific Clubtail some photographed in wheel
.
Alameda County
Ken A. Wilson
Shadow Cliffs in Pleasanton between 4 and 530 PM. The best activity is generally on the southwestern end of the park to the south and west of the small pond.
Red-veined Meadowhawk (female) - 1 Thanks to Rob Martinez (Mathesont) for ID support
Blue Dasher - 4
Blue-eyed Darner - 2
Common Green Darner - 2 (one female)
Common Whitetail -1
Widow Skimmer - 2 (both female)
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 2
Pacific Forktail - 1 couple
Vivid Dancer - many
CA/Aztec Dancer - present
I was surprised not to see a Pacific Clubtail. Still no Flame Skimmer sighted at Shadow Cliffs yet.
.
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Fish Slough
Desert
Whitetails
May 28, 2012
Yolo County
Stephan Telm
Day 3: Bike-powered one-man Yolo
County Micro-Blitz
Today I decided to bike out to a
location on Cache Creek where I used to go rock-hounding with a friend.
It is located behind the Wildwings golf course and housing development,
just off state highway 16. It is kind of an interesting place. The
Creek is a public access area, but you have to go through a private housing
development to get to it. The entrance of the development says "No
Trespassing." Luckily, I have a standing invitation from a resident.
Oddly, every street in the place is named after a species of duck, but I
haven't seen a single duck any time I've been in the Creek. A private
airport, gravel pit and the Cache Creek Conservancy all border the place.
On the ride in, I had a nice push
from the wind. I stopped and inspected the well-flooded irrigation
ditches along Co Rd 99 where it looked like that would not piss anyone off.
Only Pacific forktails were
seen.
The ride from Davis is mostly good, with nice bike lanes
for most of it. Highway 16, though is kind of scary, with microscopic
paved shoulders and psychotic drivers (the most courteous drivers are those in
odd-looking farm-vehicles). My previous theory that those who bike up to Clear Lake
have a death wish stands reinforced. The gopher snake body count on Yolo
County Roads is becoming distressing.
Cache Creek- behind the Wildwings
Housing Development, outside Woodland,
CA.; upper 70s to lower 80s, very few clouds;SSW winds 15-20mph winds, but the
creek was sheltered
Twelve-spotted skimmers
American rubyspot (M/F)
Western pondhawk (M/F)
Emma's dancer
(thanks Ray Bruun)
California or Aztec dancer (verification appreciated)
Flame skimmer
(1M)
Not photographed, since they would not hold still:
Black saddlebags
Some sort of mostly blue darner (blue-eyed, California?)
Tule bluets
Not photographed because I have plenty of photos:
Pacific forktails
Common whitetail
Other critters seen: Jackrabbits lots of lizards,
red-winged blackbirds, mockingbird, red-tailed and Swainson's hawks, Common
buckeye, Honeybees, Sweat bees, deer
Riding back, I got to understand
that 20mph wind is more than it sounds like, especially when you bike directly
into it for 16 miles.
The drainage ditches that had held
only Pacific forktails in the morning now also boasted Black saddlebags.
For those interested, here is the
"ode-mobile" (on another errand): http://www.flickr.com/photos/36618387@N06/6937178509
.......
Yolo County
Zach Smith
Putah Creek, UC Davis Riparian Reserve
Flame skimmer - 12
Green darner - 4
Mosaic darner sp - 3
Common whitetail - 17
Pacific clubtail - 3
Western river cruiser - 1
Black saddlebags - 2
Blue dasher - 2 (fems)
Western pondhawk
rubyspots tons
bluets tons
I was hoping for Pf clubskimmer and Wb ringtail, but no such luck. If the clubskimmers were there, I would have seen them as I waded the creek for much of my outing between Pedrick and Brooks Rds.
May 27, 2012
Siskiyou County
Bob & Patti Claypole
Hudson
Road
Pacific Clubtails - lots
damsel sp -
lots
spreadwing
sp - lots
jewelwings -
a dozen or so
.
Sacramento County
Tim Manolis + MO
American River
and backwater lagoons behind Rio Americano High School
in Sacramento.
Nine participants enjoyed a nice, 2.5 hour walk in fine weather from around 10
a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Odonates seen were:
Arroyo Bluet -- 4 were netted in and viewed by all in-hand,
the most interesting a tandem pair that were nabbed by a female Western Pondhawk. We followed the
flight of the pondhawk, prey in tow, to a perch where it sat and gobbled down
the head and thorax of the male. At that point it lost its grip on the
bluets and, perhaps because of our close approach and attention, it flew off
and left the female perched with the male's abdomen still attached to its
prothorax and thorax. We chased her around a bit and finally caught
her. A gentle tug removed the attached abdomen, and the female was
released none-too-worse for wear.
Familiar Bluet -- Fairly common, a number netted and examined
in hand.
(Tule Bluet -- none definitely examined in hand, but a number of
"typical" males (turquoise colors, very reduced pale bands on middle
abdominal segments) seen.)
Exclamation Damsel -- about 20 seen, good looks had in the hand.
Pacific Forktail -- very common.
Western Forktail -- a few females seen,
one examined in-hand.
Common Green Darner -- About 20 seen, mostly patrolling males, and
2-3 exuviae found.
(Blue-eyed Darner -- a few, probably this species, seen in flight.)
Sinuous Snaketail -- About 8-10 seen, most of these teneral or
fairly recent emergers.
Western Pondhawk -- 6-8 seen,
patrolling males for the most part (but see above under Arroyo Bluet).
Blue Dasher -- one teneral female seen.
Twelve-spotted Skimmer -- Fairly common, about 20 seen,
including one ovipositing female.
Widow Skimmer -- the remains (mostly wings) of a teneral one
were found by a sharp-eyed observer.
Common Whitetail -- about 6-8 seen, including a nice view of a
pair of dueling males over the lagoon.
Black Saddlebags -- about 10 seen, including one recent emerger,
and at least 3 exuviae found.
May 26, 2012
Yolo County
Stephan Telm
Day 2: Bike-powered one-man Yolo
County Micro-Blitz
Putah
Creek, Winters, Private Property
1200-1430;
Mid 70s - Low 80s, few clouds; Light SW Breeze: approx 10mph, but the creek is
largely sheltered
American rubyspot (my first sighting
ever) 1 male; 1 female (verification for female appreciated)
Tule Bluets
Exclamation damsels (also a first for me)
Vivid Dancers
Pacific Clubtail
Not photographed, due to the fact that
they were not landing:
Western Pondhawk: 1 female for sure; several possible males, but could not get a
good enough look, so they could be
Blue Dashers
Flame
skimmers
Widow
Skimmers
Common Whitetails
1
unknown brown and tan dragonfly with
a skimmer-like body
Possible
variegated immature meadowhawks (far
bank, so hard to tell)
One
likely darner species (I'll get you
yet, my little pretty...)
North
Davis Pond; 1430-1445; Low 80s, sunny; Light SW breeze
Blue Dashers (scores)
Common whitetails (a few)
Pacific forktails (a few)
Widow skimmer (a few)
This
is a different mix than previous years. Blue dashers are by far the most
abundant species this year. No flame skimmer visible. No bluets visible.
.
Butte County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb
Oroville Wildlife Area-Thermalito Afterbay Unit- Larkin Road Access. ~75deg, windy 11:50-12:20
Almost all the odes were low between the tufts of sedges- likely due to the wind.
Western Pondhawk- few females- no males
Dashers- many
Twelve-spotted Skimmer- Many- most were teneral or subadult.
Oroville Wildlife Area (#2)- boat ramp to river just south and across the road from Larkin Road Access unit. 75deg, 12:25-13:00windy with a couple small sheltered areas.
Exclamation Damsel- 1 pair in wheel (lifer!)
Tule Bluet- a couple
Dasher-1
Common Green Darner- 1
Widow Skimmer- few (at pond below access road- edge was too steep for the shoes I had on)
Non-Odes: 1 active Osprey nest across the river on power pole, 4 pond turtles basking in pond
Glenn County
Butte City Launching Facility- 13:30 I only spent 5minutes here, river's edge inaccessible- need to find access to other side of River.
No odes.
Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge- Packer Unit. No access to water, but we walked the loop trail. 13:35-14:35
Black Saddlebags, few
Common Green Darner- Very Many- all males, all foraging.
Twelve-spotted Skimmer- Libellula pulchella Few - Photo record upgrades prior sighting only record CA Chart # 111 & OC # 375409
Widow Skimmer- two
Tule Bluet- 1 female (my first blue form- it had the greenish middle segments which stumped me until I saw one in Paulson's book p83)
Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge- Marsh Walk. Didn't know they drained the marshes every spring, but there were a couple of wet areas and a couple very small ponds. 15:00-16:00 ~80deg variable wind.
Variegated Meadowhawks- few, all teneral
Forktail- few- one in wheel
Tule Bluet- Many
Black Saddlebags- one
Common Green Darner- few
Shasta County
Whiskey Creek- first little bay on north side & within sight of Hwy 299- before you get to boat launch/picnic area. 17:45-18:20 75 deg, partly cloudy, variable wind.
Pacific Forktail- few
Tule Bluet- Many Most up on the hill away from water perhaps because it was warmer there- many were dull- probably from being cold as the clouds kept covering the sun-
I almost gave up looking, but the sun came out just often enough to stay.
Non-Odes- One active osprey nest on man-made nest platform next to power lines.
.
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
*Pacific Spiketail Cordulegaster dorsalis - A gorgeous male welcomed us home! It cruised back and forth in front of the kitchen window (which is near the pond)!
At one point he flew and hovered in front of the window. How could it be remembering the hornets a spiketail caught here last year?
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Flame Skimmer - unusual is that the Cardinal is perched higher than the Flame; when they do share, usually the Flame Skimmer is on the higher perch.
Blue Dasher males
Western Pondhawk males
Vivid Dancer
Pacific Forktail
Western Forktail
..
Yolo County
Stephan Telm
Day 1: Bike-powered one-man Yolo
County Micro-Blitz
Vic Fazio Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area:
(1300-1430); Low 70s, partly cloudy, becoming mostly cloudy, SW wind 15-20mph
Common whitetail:1 immature male
Black Saddlebags 1
Also spotted: dozens of great and
snowy egrets, 1 green heron, 5 red-tailed haws
Wildhorse Ag Buffer (a trail and
some grasslands between the golf course and the ag land)
Black saddlebags: 7 or 8
Blue dashers:
2 males
Darner spp.
(possible California
or blue-eyed -- hard to tell as they came zipping by
Also seen (non-Odes): 2 burrowing
owls
May 1-23, 2012
Yolo County
Zach Smith
*Wandering Glider Pantala flavescens - my first in Davis near the Food Co-op. The vacant lot just north of the little shopping center is usually a good spot when it's warm for foraging odes.
Mostly mosaic darners and gliders.
Also have been seeing Pacific Clubtails along Putah Creek for maybe a month now. Lots of Flame Skimmers and whitetails, and a few pondhawks along with
*Emma's Dancers Argia emma May 1st
I haven't looked too closely for Exclamation Damsels, but I'm sure there're there.
Last week I had a female Western Tanager (bird) banging something in her bill against a branch. When I got her in the binoculars the item in question was a Flame Skimmer.
That must have been quite a capture.
.
Sacramento County
Tim Manolis
American River Parkway
Odonates I have been
seeing there lately include:
Vivid Dancer
Arroyo Bluet
Familiar Bluet
Tule Bluet
Pacific Forktail
Western Forktail
Exclamation Damsel
Common Green Darner
Blue-eyed Darner
Sinuous Snaketail
Western Pondhawk
Blue Dasher
12-spotted Skimmer
Flame Skimmer
Common Whitetail
Black Saddlebags
Variegated Meadowhawk
May 23, 2012
Alameda County
Leslie Flint
Shadow Cliffs in Pleasanton. I had a lovely time walking around the small ponds at one side of the park seeing lots of
Blue-eyed Darner
Flame Skimmer
Blue Dasher
Exclamation Damsel
Pacific Forktail
Tule Bluet
Familiar Bluet
Vivid Dancer
California Dancer
[then I] walked one side of the big lake where there are lots of fishermen. After ~ 30 minutes
Pacific Clubtail a male, with those big blue eyes!
May 22, 2012
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Robert's Ranch pond (just north of the Highway 79/Japatul Valley Road junction with Interstate 8, on the east side of the road heading to Descanso), 12:30-1:45pm, Clear, light breeze, 80 degrees.
Elevation 3,300 feet.
Concentrated on northwest edge of the pond. Black Spreadwing and Red-veined Meadowhawk seldom observed in the county.
Black Spreadwing >25 tenerals, immatures, and adults.
Familiar Bluet
Tule Bluet
Western Forktail
*Desert Firetail Telebasis salva
Common Green Darner
Giant Darner 2
Blue-Eyed Darner
Cardinal Meadowhawk
*Red-veined Meadowhawk Sympetrum madidum 1 teneral
Blue Dasher
Western Pondhawk
Common Whitetail
Flame Skimmer
.
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Fish Slough
Emerald Spreadwings
May 20, 2012
Santa Barbara County
Nick Lethaby
Big Caliente Hot Springs area in the extreme upper part of the Santa Ynez drainage.
Grappletail - Easily the highlight; my first ever.
*Gray Sanddragon Progomphus borealis - 1 freshly emerged
Flame Skimmer, Common
A. Rubyspot, Common
*Sooty Dancers Argia lugens, Common
Vivid Dancers, Common
bluet - some kind
Cardinal Meadowhawk - I netted one
I was hoping to find Hoary Skimmers in the stream fed by the hotsprings but no sign of anything like one. Red Rock Skimmer was a surprise miss. I guess I was too early.
.
Yolo County
Stephen Telm
Putah Creek, Winters: Approx
1400-1415 Light SW breeze Approx 90 degrees
Doing a brief scouting during a
party. Will return for a more extensive survey:
Flame skimmer 1
Widow skimmer 1
Tule bluets
6 likely this species
Putah Creek, Stevenson Creek
Bridge:Approx 1115Light
SW breeze Low 80s
black saddlebags 1 Flyby
No Odes were seen on the farm visit
in Capay Valley yesterday, but this farm doesn't
abut Cache Creek
May 19, 2012
Costa County
Ethan Winning
Buckeye Trail, near Castle Rock Park, East Bay Regional
Parks, Mt. Diablo
Common Whitetail female in deep shade in the morning.
.
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
We were on Pine Flat Rd out of Healdsburg for an event at noontime.
We drove on up the road afterwards looking for dragonflies and to see the extensive reworking of the site where the Black Petaltails used to breed.
We doubt any Petaltail could have survived the do-over, although they did 'save' the little pond where Alan Wight photographed a female ovipositing years ago.
The good news, though, is that the wet area is again a 'seep' over the area....so the potential is still there. Will send pictures or put them up in a folder if anyone is interested.
We did see a very few Odes elsewhere:
On the Modini Ranch:
Vivid Dancers - very few
California Darner - one
At "Doug Ellis" seep and meadow (just above the Ribizzo ranch):
Vivid Dancers - several dozen
Grappletail - at least 6 inc. one pair who flew off in-wheel
Small pond-like area on Little Sulphur Creek:
Bluets
California Darner - 1 female ovipositing
We possibly had one Beaverpond Baskettail fly-by just above the Ribizzo pond.
We couldn't stop at the pond there as the family was out at it.
.
Colusa County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb
Went on a tour in and around Williams, CA I decided to do some looking around for new odeing areas as well as going to the well known Bear Creek location.
Rice Check at N end Of Williams @ I-5 Frontage road X Freshwater Rd 9:00-9:15 ~80deg, very light breeze
Variegated Meadowhawk - few - sunning on ground or vegetation
Western Forktail - Many - almost all females, only 2 males observed
Colusa National Wildlife Refuge 9:40-10:50 ~80deg, light breeze. Very disappointing (relatively dry where there is access and very little access to any water's edge)
Common Green Darner- Many foraging in field by Cave Swallow Bridge on Rd tour
Variegated Meadowhawks, few
Pacific Forktail single young female, 95% sure on ID
On a side note- I've never seen so many W. Kingbirds in one area!
BEAR CREEK @ Hwy 20 Bridge and walked south 11:50-13:10 ~85 deg, light breeze at times.
This location was recommended by a few people and did not disappoint. Could have spent ALL day in this one location! Cliff Swallow Colony under bridge was a nice additional treat.
Many colorless teneral damsels Bluet and Forktail sized
NOBO- Many (one verified to be Northern)
Western Forktail- Many
Flame Skimmers Many- Several females ovipositing
Variegated Meadowhawks- few- including one teneral/subadult female
Common Whitetail- Several including one female
Common Green Darner- few males
California Darner- few
Blue-eyed Darner- maybe 1 or 2-couldn't confirm- seemed too long and blue to be California.
*Western River Cruiser Macromia magnifica - 1 ID based on one blurry picture- forgot to check bridge supports for exuviae
Pacific Clubtail- Several to Many- hard to tell as they cruised up and down the creek.
Rubyspots-Many -a few areas lit up like dancing jewels when you walked by- a few were tenerals- (remember Kathy & Dave had none on 5/6 and few on 5/15 they are now present in full swing!)
(No spreadwingsseems like there should be some there)
On my way between Bear Cr and the Recreation area, I stopped at a gated refuge road and watched a Western Kingbird land on a fence line and eat a large Ode.
Saw mostly green, so it must have either been a Common Darner, or a female Pondhawk (although I saw no pondhawks all day).
Colusa Sacramento River State Recreation Area 14:35- 14:45 ~85deg, breezy visit cut short due to having to go pickup my husband whose meeting finished early;
Has some promise for odeing, but habitat looks better from the Private side - People on the river said access on that side is doable if you know what roads to use.
Park access has very little beach and lots of rock armoring along the river.
Black Saddlebags, one pair in tandem flew across the river
May 19, 2012
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Thousand Palms Oasis, Coachella
Valley Preserve; Wilhelm and McCallum groves and ponds; Elev. ~450,
8:30-10:40, 80-95F, cloudless, light to gentle breeze N.
CA/Aztec Dancer, Argia sp. 1 (A. agrioides is what I
usually see, but did not have net)
Vivid Dancer, A. vivida 3
Ramburs Forktail, Ischnura
ramburii 9
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 3
Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna
multicolor 1
Variegate Meadowhawk, Sympetrum
corruptum 2
Western Pondhawk, Erythemis
collocata 2!
Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax
longipennis 16
*Comanche Skimmer, Libellula
comanche 5
Flame Skimmer, L. saturata 5
Red Saddlebags, Tramea onusta
1
Spot-winged Glider, Pantala
hymenaea 2
May 18/19, 2012
Inyo County
Dave Welling, Ron & Barbara Oriti
Big Pine area
#MIGRATORY EVENT
Common Green Darner, Anax junius
it was quite a sight seeing a
couple of hundred+ big darners flying across the road in the middle of the
desert. Sorry - no photos of the migration - moving too fast and too random.
. the migration was around 2:00PM
on Friday the 18th along the road to Eureka Dunes at about 6000+ foot
elevation. We stopped and watched the common greens fly across the road over a
1/4+ stretch of the road for at least 15 minutes and they were still coming
when we left. All were heading almost due north.
We also found a few stragglers along
the highway heading back to 395 so it was a pretty broad front of dragons. Day
was clear, no wind and about 72 degrees where we were.
In a phone call to me (Kathy Biggs),
they mentioned seeing about 15-20 Odes at a time and conservatively estimated
that they saw 100s, with Gliders (Pantala) flying below the Anax junius. The next day they reported
finding a few Green Darners still flying at a lower elevation; then after that
they found maybe 60 pairs ovipositing at Klondike Lake
which is an alkali sink north of Big Pine. They were not present (at least in
such #s prior to this). Rons photos of some of the ovipositing pairs can be
seen at
http://southwestdragonflies.net/caphotos/CommonGreenDarnersOvipositing.html
May 17/18/22, 2012
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bigsnest Wildlife Pond (their Sebastopol backyard)
Western Forktail
California Darner
Western Pondhawk
1 mature male, our foy 18th
Blue Dasher 1
male, our foy 18th
Flame Skimmer
our foy 17th
Common Whitetail 1 male, our foy 22nd
Cardinal Meadowhawk
.
Alameda County
Ken A. Wilson
Shadow Cliffs in Pleasanton
*Widow Skimmers Libellula luctuosa (2) (female only seen),
8-spotted Skimmers (2),
Variegated Meadowhawks (2)
Blue Dashers
(20+) population has exploded.
Blue-eyed Darners (3) are here but I haven't seen a Cal Darner lately.
Pacific Clubtail have the highest population but they aren't abundant.
Vivid Dancer
(many),
CA/Aztec Dancer,
Pacific Forktail (several).
Exclamation Damsel (1).
May 17, 2012
Yolo County
Stephan Telm
UC Davis Arboretum 1615-1630, low 80s SW breeze
flame skimmers 2 (1M/1F)
Common whitetails 2 F
Street, near 8th:
Black saddlebags 1
.
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Fish Slough
Hoary Skimmer
May 15, 2012
Siskiyou County
Cary Kerst
Yreka, camped at the Shasta River at Hudson Road.
So far, lots of
*River Jewelwing Calopteryx aequabilis
Vivid Dancer
*Northern Bluet Enallagma
annexum
Tule Bluet
Western Forktail
Pacific Clubtails
Common Green Darner
California Darner
Cardinal Meadowhawk
..
Colusa County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bear Creek @ Highway 20 for about 40 minutes. It was about 86F with a slight breeze. 5:05-5:45.
We viewed dragonflies from the Rd, Ό mile from hwy 20 and then walked under the bridge and slightly to the south.
Am. Rubyspot 4 m, 3F (1 teneral)
Vivid Dancer 1 m
No/Bo Bluet MANY; hordes of tenerals
Pacific Forktail - 2 males
Western Forktail - 3 females seen, no males
Common Green Darner- 3 males
Rhionaeschna Darner sp. - 5 males
Pacific Clubtail 1-2 mal
(still no Cruiser exuviae on bridge supports)
Flame Skimmer - 15 males, 2 f, both ovipositing
.
Santa Clara County
Leslie Flint
Arastradero Lake - The overall numbers were low but it was hard to see all around the lake since it is surrounded by cattails and there were very few access points.
75 degrees with slight breeze.
Vivid Dancer (all along the trail to the lake in good numbers)
Tule Bluet? (not positive of this ID) 6
Cardinal Meadowhawk (2)
Flame Skimmer (2)
Mosiac-type darners - both Blue-eyed and California - some day I will be able to ID these on the wing
Blue Dasher (several males) and one female emerging over a 45 minute period.
.
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Dechambeau ponds
Black Saddlebags a couple
Eight-spotted Skimmer 1
Darner sp. a few
May 14, 2012
San Luis Obispo County
Peter Gaede
a cattle pond in eastern SLO County (Carrizo Plain), I found three species of Odonata, including one probable first county record. In addition to
Black-fronted Forktails - about 20
Flame Skimmer - one
DESERT FORKTAILS Ischnura barberi nine: PHOTO record, CA Chart #112, OC# 374950
This pond is on private property east of Bitterwater Road.
I wonder, though, if other ephemeral ponds in the area have this species, as there are a number or vernal pools in this region.
This cattle pond has only recently been filled with groundwater from a well and had been completely dry (at least at the surface) for most of the winter. It fills and holds water for longer periods of time in years of higher rainfall.
.
Tehama County
Michael Plank and wife
Finley Lake near the town of Paynes Creek Ca. It is off of Hwy. 36 East. about 25 miles East of Red Bluff.
Western Pondhawk
Common Green Darner
Blue-eyed Darner
*Hoary Skimmer Libellula nodisticta
Eight-spotted Skimmer
**Dot-tailed Whiteface Leucorrhinia intacta new early flight date by 11 days
Pacific Forktail
Familiar Bluet
.
Humboldt County
Sean McAllister
Bison Snaketail photo of female still unfurling its wings beside its exuvia on the Eel River near Benbow - one of them was literally only half out of its shell when we found it.
It was still all green (colors change fast!) and wings barely extended. We ran for the camera but by the time we returned something (robin, phoebe?) must have had it for breakfast!"
and "we found several that day that just emerged, and very few of any other odes. It seems that was the day for them.
May 13, 2012
Siskiyou County
Celise Sharpe, Dennis Ball, Dave and Kathy Biggs
We drove up to Hilt to see
if we could locate where the Spiny Baskettail could be breeding. Ray Bruun had
given us quite exact directions. We stopped first, however at the old mill
ponds for Fruit Growers Inc. as this is a likely spot. One would need
permission to enter however, and we had not yet obtained permission. We did not
see a swarm of Odes from the fence line. Dennis will be in contact soon with
the proper authorities and hopes to enter the property within a month. We did
see the following there at a small pond near the road:
No/Bo Bluets
Western Forktail - males
Common Green Darner
Then we drove and sometimes walked the route to the meadow where Ray found the
Spiny Baskettail.
We found no ponds along the route, but along the creek and in marshy areas next
to it we found
Western Red Damsel - 3-4 males, 1
female
Vivid Dancer - a few
When we arrived at the meadow where Ray found the Baskettail, we spread out.
Amazingly, at one point one Dragon,
just the right size and color to be the Spiny, darted out, chased a bug, and
disappeared. No other Odes were seen there.
We drove another mile up the road, looking for ponds. We thought we'd found one
at an old ranch and we able to enter the property, but alas, the
impoundment was only a few square feet and held no odes.
Then we drove back by a slightly different route, still checking for Odes. We
did find a small pond with water ranunculus growing in it, but the only dragon
there was a Variegated Meadowhawk.
There were many No/Bo Bluets and Western Forktail males though but only
one female Western Forktail was seen.
Still, it was a great way to spend Mother's Day.
May 12, 2012
Humboldt County
Sandra Hunt-vonArb
1200-1400 Hot and Calm.
California Darners (4-6) at the Humboldt State University Football Field during Graduation Ceremonies--flying over the recent
graduates!
1600-1800 Hot, Sunny, Light breeze at Private Korbel Ponds. The ephemeral ponds are all full of water and buzzing with ode action-- the permanent pond with all the Lilies seemed less active with fewer odes.
Emerald Spreadwings Lestes dryas - 100's maybe even 500- all tenerals and immature. NONE had blue eyes nor any pruinosity yet, but many were fully green metallic color.
I was flushing most of them as I walked in the drying tall grasses ~10-15' from shores. Few were at the water- mostly tenerals. Must have had a huge emergence in the last few days.
**Pacific Forktails- 100's (20's in wheel). Had everything from tenerals on exuvia to ovipositing females.
*Swift Forktail Ischnura erratica - 20's (all in one region)
Western Forktails- 10's
Bluet Species- 20's... all were perched on emerging vegetation well away from shore and I did not wade into the water.
Darners- 8-10... none would sit still as usual, and they didn't look particularly blue enough for blue eyed darners- but too large for California Darners.
Common Green Darners- 10-15 all adult males.
.
Monterey County
Don Roberson & Rita Carratello
mostly birding along the Big Sur River mouth in Andrew Molera SP, when we found two gliders foraging over a small open
glade on a partly-wooded sandbar near the river mouth. One of the gliders perched and was photographed, and proved to be SPOT-WINGED GLIDER.
There are rather few reports from Monterey County, and perhaps no prior photos of a live glider; the one known photo is of a glider that had just committed hare-kari on my windshield back in Aug 2006;
There only prior reports from Andrew Molera SP where these gliders were seen daily during June-July 2004 (Rob Fowler). This species may actually be erratic in Monterey County.
While Wandering Glider is downright common and widespread most years, this species seems, well, "spotty" at best.....
May 11/12, 2012
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Owens River, north of Bishop
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Western Pondhawk
Spot-winged Glider (12th) Blackwater Wetlands
May 10, 2012
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Lake Poway, 1:00-2:00, sunny, light breeze, 77 degrees.
Familiar Bluet
Tule Bluet
Pacific Forktail
Common Green Darner
*Giant Darner Anax walsinghami 1M Patrolling Hidden Bay.
Blue-eyed Darner
Western Pondhawk
Flame Skimmer
Black Saddlebags
*Red Saddlebags Tramea onusta
.
Siskiyou County
Ray Bruun
Hilt - about 3 miles SE of Hilt (Hilt is just off of I-5 and less than 1 mile south of the Oregon border).
While chasing butterflies, I photographed a teneral dragonfly that I thought, at the time, was a Beaverpond Baskettail.
However, the photograph shows it is a male Spiny Baskettail, which would be a life ode for me and a new Siskiyou County record.[record verified by Tim Manolis and Jim Johnson- kb)
Spiny Baskettail Epitheca spinigera 1 young male, not on water: PHOTO RECORD CA CHART #55, OC# 375022
May 9, 2012
Napa County
Leslie Flint
Skyline Wilderness park in Napa 9:30 - 1:30 hiked the Marie Lake Road for about 1+ mile until I reached the Marie Creek trail where I hiked up the creek for a bit but then turned back.
Temp 75-80 degrees Slight breeze
Vivid Dancer - abundant all along the trails and at the creek
Pacific Forktail - quite a few at a little seep in the Native Plant Garden
Mosaic type Darners - many but I couldn't ID
Grappletail - at least 8 (this was a new Ode for me and I spent quite a bit of time trying to photograph it.
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1
8-spotted Skimmer - at least 10
Common Whitetail - several
The latter 3 were on the lake that is on Napa State Hospital Property and is posted "no trespassing" so I was reluctant to walk in even though the gate was open.
I could see these two easily with binoculars but couldn't ID anything else flying around.
.
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Bartlett Springs
*Desert Whitetail Plathemis subornata
May 8, 2012
Siskiyou County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Spent 45 mins. at Soda Springs, McCloud, Siskiyou County. 75F, 3:30-4:15
Swift Forktail - ~16 inc. one female ovipositing
Forktails, teneral - perhaps some of these were Western Forktails
Western Red Damsel - one teneral, 90% certain on ID.
.
Humboldt County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb
Warm, breezy ~1100. Stopped by my Vivid Dancer "hot spot" at the spring by Pine Creek Bridge- saw ZERO.
But the yellow sea of Monkeyflowers was a beautiful treat.
~1630. Stopped at Big Rock River Access In Willow Creek. The river is still quite high, so there are no still backwaters yet. Only saw a single adult
western forktail (it was eating a fly-like insect)
May 7, 2012
Colusa County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bear Creek @ Highway 20 for about 45 minutes. Like everywhere else, things seem slower than usual for the time of year:
It was about 75F with a slight breeze. 12:45-1:30. We mainly walked under the bridge and slightly to the south.
(no Rubyspots)
(no spreadwings)
Dancer sp. - a few
No/Bo Bluet - MANY
Western Forktail - many females seen, no males
California Darner - 6-12 males
Blue-eyed Darner -perhaps one male of this species
Pacific Clubtail - 4-8 males
Bison Snaketail Ophiogomphus bison - 1 male
Flame Skimmer - 1 male (ONLY!!)
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1male
.
Alameda County
Caryn Gregg
Berkeley, CA 94705 - backyard garden
Flame Skimmer dragonfly
.
San Francisco County
Leslie Flynn
Golden Gate Park
Pacific Forktail - There were millions everywhere, in all phases.
.
Shasta County
Michael Plank
Whiskeytown Lake at a pond about 1/2 mile west of the lake on the right.
Emerald Spreadwing Lestes dryas teneral males and females a few
May 6, 2012
Yolo County
Stephan Telm
Putah
Creek South Fork Restoration Area:
Noonish,
high 70s to low 80s, partially cloudy, a pretty good north breeze
familiar bluets Dozens of and that was
about it. I only had about 20 minutes to spend. I saw one quick
fly-by by a darner spp., but only
because another Ode-head pointed it out to me. It was quick!
Got
one pretty good picture of a feeding bluet, but the dappled light was tricky.
North Davis Pond:1600-1630,
low to mid 80s, partially cloudy, a pretty good north breeze
common whitetails Three male
familiar bluets Three or four
Pacific forktails Dozens (mostly males,
two lone females and one wheel)
Flame Skimmer One
.
Alameda County
Ken A. Wilson
I briefly visited Morgan Territory.
Before I entered the gate I could see 8-10 Darners
and other dragonflies on patrol.
I didn't stay long enough to get IDs
or count but wanted to say that this place on the surface has a healthy ode
population.
Contra Costa County
Heather Farms Nature Area - the Ode activity was the best I've seen
this early season:
Flame Skimmer 6
Eight-Spotted Skimmer 2
Common Green Darner - 3
Common Whitetail - 1
Variegated Meadowhawk - 6
Blue-eyed Darner - 5
Mosaic Darners - ID unk many
Blue Dasher - 4
There were good numbers of damsels. However I didn't keep count.
Exclamation Damsel
Pacific Forktail
Western Forktail -1
May 5, 2012
Santa Clara County
Ken A. Wilson
Ogier Ponds
Beaverpond Baskettail - 7
Blue-eyed Darner - 2
Pacific Clubtail - 2
Blue Dasher - 3
May 4, 2012
Sacramento County
Tim Manolis
Flying over/in his backyard
Spot-winged Glider my first of the year
Western Pondhawk a female
Blue-eyed Darner a young female
.
Alameda County
Ken A. Wilson
Coyote Hills in Fremont
Blue-eyed Darners are there in force now. I even saw a couple of females. So some of my concern about the lack of Ode activity here in this area was eased a bit.
.
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Bartlett Springs, Big Pine
FlameSkimmer
Hoary Skimmer - 20
.
Humboldt County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb
Hot, Sunny.~1400. I was doing Owl stand search on property above Aldergrove Marsh
California Darners - 4 in grassy openings/edges- all females foraging.
pacific forktails - a few, on the eastern end of the marsh.
May 3, 2012
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Buckley Pond
Black Saddlebags
May 2, 2012
Sonoma County
Alan Wight
Nagasawa Park in Santa Rosa at lunch
Pacific Forktail - many
Western Forktail - 1
Black Spreadwing - 20+, these are out in force now at this location
Vivid Dancer - 1
Darner sp. - 6+
Western Pondhawk - 2
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 2
Beaverpond Baskettail 3
.
Yolo County
Stephan Telm
UC Davis Arboretum- Approx
1630-1700, the sky changed from mostly clear to a complete, thin cloud-cover.
This dropped the temperature from (estimate) low 80s to low to mid 70s in
a few minutes.
This caused most of the dragonflies
to bask on the warm ground (decomposed granite path). Slight SW breeze.
flame skimmers
(1M/1F -- I did not observe these basking)
common whitetail males (2 immature, one developing pruinescence -- mostly there)
Pacific
Clubtails -
several dozen
.
Alameda County
Ken A. Wilson
Shadow Cliffs RRA, Pleasanton @ approx 5:06 PM I saw Weather was
mids 60's with gusty winds and partly cloudy conditions
Blue
Dasher, female.
my FOS Thanks to Kathy Biggs for ID help.
May 1-2, 2012
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs; Gloria &
Harry Conley
Bigsnest Wildlife Pond & Conley Pond, Sebastopol:
Vivid Dander 1 male, Bigsnest Pond on 2nd
Pacific Forktail several
Western Forktail several
California Darner several (1 female was chocolate brown!!)
Blue-eyed Darner 1 male, Bigsnest Pond on 2nd
Cardinal Meadowhawk several
.
Alameda County
Ken A. Wilson
Sunol/Pleasanton & Oka Ponds
Common Whitetail - one female, seen both days. This is only the 4th dragonfly species I've seen since late February.
Ode activity, especially dragonflies, seems to be down
compared to last year. That's just a casual observation and not one based on science.
At Shadow Cliffs in Pleasanton
Pacific Clubtail - sparse numbers
California Darner - sparse numbers
Pacific Forktail- lots
Vivid Dancer - lots
May 1, 2012
Yolo County
Ed Whisler
Roosevelt Ranch, about 2 miles west
of Knights Landing. About 74 degrees F., clear, north breeze. The Ranch
includes created wetlands and riparian habitat.
The wind deterred some of the
dragonflies, but I did see:
Blue-eyed darner: 5
Variegated meadowhawk: 6, including one being eaten by an Ash-throated
Flycatcher.
.
Humboldt County
Tony Kurz
Elk River Slough
Swift Forktail
April
April 30, 2012
Contra Costa
County
Rob Thomas
Briones Regional Park, Maricich and Sindicich Lagoons, 4/1000-2100hrs, upper 60s to mid-70s, light westerly wind
Familiar Bluet few, including 1 wheel
No/Bo Bluet common
Pacific Forktail abundant
Western Forktail 2
Blue-eyed Darner common
California Darner common
Common Green Darner few
Western Pondhawk few
Cardinal Meadowhawk common, including several ovipositing pairs
April 29, 2012
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos
Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100; 7:30-12:00, 72-92F, cloudless, light to gentle breeze
SE.
Blue-ringed Dancer, A. sedula
7
Desert Forktail, Ischnura barberi
8
*Citrine Forktail, I.
hastata 1
Ramburs Forktail, I.
ramburii 8
Common Green Darner, Anax junius
1
*Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna
multicolor 1
Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum
corruptum 9 all fresh today
Western Pondhawk, Erythemis
collocata >65 including one pair in wheel, several fresh today.
Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis
>40
Flame Skimmer, L. saturata
>45 including one female ovipositing.
*Marl Pennant, Macrodiplax
balteata 6
*Black Saddlebags, Tramea
lacerata 8
Spot-winged glider, Pantala
hymenaea 2
.
Santa Clara County
Leslie Flint
sag pond at Monte Bello - all the ponds are very high
Swift Forktail
vivid dancers
western forktails
california darner
cardinal meadowhawk
.
Orange County
Tim Manolis
Ladera Ranch
Black-fronted Forktail, a male - my first of the year
.
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Fish Slough
Western Pondhawk
*Four-spotted Skimmer Libellula quadrimaculata
Flame Skimmer
April 28, 2012
Marin
County
Kathy & Dave Biggs and participants in our dragonfly walk for the Pt. Reyes Birding and Nature Festival
5-Brooks, PRNP
No/Bo Bluets - many
Pacific Forktail - quite a few
Western Forktail - some, inc. mature females
California Darner - many, inc. some seen and photographed in wheel.
Common Green Darner - one was knocked into the pond (probably by a California Darner). It appeared very teneral and couldn't escape the water tension
- it's hind two wings alternated with it's right two wings being free, but still it couldn't escape. We watched a turtle approach, but never saw it eat it.....
Beaverpond Baskettail - 4-5 along trail on north side of the pond
Western Pondhawk - many, many females, one immature male (still all green)
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 2 females, one quite immature
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1 immature male; he appeared patterned in orange and red on his whole body.
April 27, 2012
Santa Clara County
Jan Hintermeister
Coyote Ridge - south San Jose, just
east of 101, dominated by serpentine outcrops. Access is limited to docent
led walks because of the presence of the endangered Bay Checkerspot
butterfly.
The area contains numerous
serpentine seeps. The Ogier Ponds are directly west across 101.
Pacific
Clubtail - 1
.
Yolo County
Stephen Telm
UCD
Arboretum - Approx 16:00, sunny sky, light north breeze and mid 70s.
common whitetail Plathemis lydia,
an immature male, my first of the season.
I was photographing
bees, bumble bees, and trying for a male carpenter bee (do those things ever
land?), when the dragonfly landed near me.
I'll take
a dragonfly anytime, especially if it volunteers.
April 24, 2012
Humboldt County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb
Arcata Marsh South G st Parking lot ditch - 12:30-13:30 Sunny, variable breeze but pretty calm in the ditch
Pacific Forktails~20 male
Pacific Forktails ~6 Heteromorph female (light non blue colored thorax, lots of blue on end of abdomen)
Pacific Forktails=2 Andromorph female
April 22, 2012
Sonoma
County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Took an Earth Day walk around Riverfront RP, ~14 miles north of Sebastopol and near the Russian River, although the habitat is what I believe are old quarry ponds.
We hiked into & around Benoit (sp?) Pond
Vivid Dancer - 1 mature male
Pacific Forktail - many, most immature
Neotropical Darners 6-10, none seen perched, all probably CA Darners
Clubtail sp. 2-3 tenerals took maiden flights before we could get IDs, probably Pacifics
Beaverpond Baskettail - count of 26, all but 3 seen on the trail, not on the water. Most seen on the entry and N/W side of Benoit Pond.
8-spotted Skimmer - 1 male
Skimmer sp. - one pale colored from a distance
Cardinal Meadowhawk 1-2 males
at home we also had
Western Forktails
and another 'rescue' Cardinal Meadowhawk, high count 7 on the pond.
David G. Bieling
His backyard pond in Sebastopol
Flame Skimmer
a mature female
.
Yolo County
Stephen Telm
UC Davis Arboretum today, about 1/4
mile from the remnants of a fork of Putah Creek.
flame skimmer
(female) My first of the season
.
San Bernardino County
Leslie Flint
Zzyzx at the Mojave Preserve
flame skimmer
- My first of the season
familiar bluets - I think
.
Humboldt County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb
Aldergrove Pond/marsh- 1330-1400, warm sunny,
Zero Odes
Arcata marsh-1400-1515, warm, sunny, very light breeze
Did the trail around log pond which also follows Butcher Slough (where I found the pacific forktails a couple days ago)- and found nothing
At the interpretive center-
California Darner One teneral female, perched low in the vegetation- ID'ed in hand
At the roadside ditch on South G Street at the Southern parking lot
Pacific Forktails 12 Male
Pacific Forktails2 Female
Pacific Forktails1 pair in wheel
Western Forktails (in hand) 2 male
California Darner - One small brown darner fly over- likely a Female based on small size and lack of colors.
Pond by the Arcata Community Center- 1600-1615 warm sunny light breeze
swift forktail 1 found in a spider's web--nothing on the wing
.......
Alameda County
Ken A. Wilson
Shadow Cliffs in Pleasanton
*Bison Snaketail Ophiogomphus bison - still emerging. The exuvia was beneath the Clubtail.
Blue-eyed Darners - a few (probably this species)
Pacific Forktails many
Tilden Nature
Cardinal Meadowhawk - at least 3
Califonia Darners - a few. One of the Darners was observed perching and then eating a large insect. The insect was devoured in a few minutes.
April 21, 2012
Yolo County
Ed Whisler
Davis at a stripmall
common green darner - my first 2012. It was after sunset and hunting for insects around the
lights.
.
Santa Clara County
Jan Hintermeister
Coyote Creek, near the Ogier Ponds
American Rubyspot
April 20, 2012
Sonoma
County
Alan Wight
Nagasawa Park in Santa Rosa at lunch time wanted to photograph different ages/sexes of Pacific Forktails and saw the following:
Pacific Forktail - many
*Black Spreadwing Lestes stultus - 1, greenish female, first I have seen this year
.
Sacramento County
Tim Manolis
the American River Parkway lagoons behind Rio Americano High School. Several FOY for me:
*Twelve-spotted Skimmer Libellula pulchella (1 female)
*Common Whitetail Plathemis lydia (1 mature male)
Tule Bluets
Familiar Bluets
Exclamation Damsels
*Sinuous Snaketail Ophiogomphus occidentis Found an exuvia of so they are on the wing already.
April 18, 2012
Sonoma
County
Alan Wight
Nagasawa Park in Santa Rosa at lunch time
Vivid Dancer - 1
Pacific Forktail - 20+
Tule Bluet (?) - 3, likely this species based on past experience here
*Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis- 1
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1+
Darner sp. - 2+
Beaverpond Baskettail - 4+
April 16, 2012
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs; Bill and
Arlene Houghton
Sonoma Horticultural Gardens, Sebastopol: From Hwy 116, turn on Hessel
Rd. and then onto McFarlane.
We had planned to go buy some native Bleeding Hearts, and a Rhododendron
and this garden is the best place I know of in the state for not only
those plants, but for Exclamation Damsels too!!
It turned out to still be early in the season for the Damsels, and the first
one we saw was a teneral, but we found more as we walked around, all
seen in the "yellow gardens. Images on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26704961@N03/sets/72157629842807843/
Pacific Forktail - 2 males (only the 2nd time in a decade to see another
damselfly species in the Yellow Garden)
Exclamation Damsels - 9 females, 2 males (later in the season you can see 100 there!!)
California Darner - 2-5 at Yellow Gardens, 1 female at pond
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1 female "at the tanning salon" as our witty
friend Bill said (she was sunning herself)
At our Bigsnest Pond we also had
Vivid Dancer 1 male, 1 female
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1 male on territory
Pacific Forktail a few
.
Yolo County
Stephen Telm
Davis (about 16:00, mostly cloudy, low 70s)
A fast fly-by of a likely Variegated Meadowhawk yesterday as I biked (did I mention it was fast and on the other side of the street?).
Pacific Forktails, several dozen; was able to get a few pictures.
I also saw several brown/tan damselflies I was not able to photograph, but I will try again later. Here are the damsels:
Male: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36618387@N06/6940119128
Female: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36618387@N06/7086194437
Pair: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36618387@N06/6940125670/
.
Alameda County
Ken A. Wilson
Shadow Cliffs RRA, Pleasanton, Pleasanton
Pacific Forktail - numerous
Pacific Clubtail Gomphus kurilis My FOY (THE FOY report - kb)
April 15, 2012
Mendocino County
Ron LeValley
His Little River backyard pond
Cardinal Meadowhawk 1 male emerged
.
Shasta
County
Michael Plank
Coleman Fish Hatchery ponds
Pacific Forktails - Male and female.
Darah Fish Hatchery
*Grappletail Octogomphus specularis - one Female
Vivid Dancer - Females - many
Both of these hatcheries are located in Shasta County east of Interstate 5
We found the Grappletail last year on the 11th of April within 5 feet of where we saw it this year.
These are our first flies of the new season.
.
Santa Clara County
Steve Rottenborn and daughter Holly
Ogier Ponds, along Coyote Creek north of Morgan Hill (12:15-13:00, 63 degrees F, clear, sunny, light breeze):
Pacific Forktail 4
Familiar Bluet - 1 (plus 3 unidentified bluets)
*Exclamation Damsel Zoniagrion exclamationis 4
Vivid Dancer 1
California Darner 1
*Beaverpond Baskettail Epitheca canis - 1 (the Ogier Ponds are the only known location for the species in Santa Clara
County and may be the southernmost known location anywhere in the West)
Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, west of Palo Alto (14:15-15:00, same conditions as above):
*Swift Forktail Ischnura erratica 4 in sag pond along Canyon Trail, Ό-mile south of Page Mill Road (a known location for this species)
.
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Fish Slough
Common Green Darner
April 10, 2012
Marin County
Leslie Flint
Martin Griffin Preserve of Audubon Canyon Ranch (on Bolinas Lagoon)
Common Green Darner- 1 patrolling one of the canyons. First Ode I have seen this year.
April 9, 2012
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Elfin Forest Preserve, Escondido Creek, sunny, 72 degrees.
*American Rubyspot Hetaerina americana 1M
Vivid Dancer several
*Red Rock Skimmer Paltothemis lineatipes 1M
Flame Skimmer 2
.
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Duck Pond
Common Green Darner
April 8 & 9, 2012
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
We were surprised to find an Easter transformation on the 8th here at our home in Sebastopol:
Variegated Meadowhawk 1 emerged from our polliwog tank! our first documentation of them emerging here.
And on the 9th:
Cardinal Meadowhawk our first pair ovipositing
.
Yolo County
Zack Smith
Mondavi Center
Green Darner fly over & my only ode so far this year
April 7, 2012
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
5 species of dragonflies here today at our Sebastopol pond - 4 of them in reproductive behaviors...
Cardinal
Meadowhawk - a young male
was holding a territory on the pond. No lady loves showed up for him today, but
he's ready!!
California Darner - one male flew over the pond a few times and landed in a nearby pear
tree
Pacific Forktail - several inc.
several in mating wheels
Western Forktail - a mature female
ovipositing
Vivid Dancer - one young one was on
the driveway. Our foy
.
Alameda County
Caryn Gregg
Berkeley, CA 94705 - backyard garden
Flame Skimmer dragonfly
April 6, 2012
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bigsnest Pond in their Sebastopol backyard
Western Forktail one mature male
Cardinal Meadowhawk one emerged, our foy
On the 3rd, we saw a Darner, probably a California, along the Laguna in town.
April 4, 2012
Santa Cruz County
Scott Peden
Rancho del Oso, After 3 weeks I got one of these fleeting brown or blue damsels to stop long enough for some photography.
Vivid Dancer Males
March
March 25, 2012
Santa Barbara County
Steve Courtney
Lake Los Carneros - I got about an hour
between showers!
Pacific Forktail - 3
California Darner Rhionaeschna californica 3 Chart
#114 Photo record OC# 375012
March 24, 2012
Riverside County
Peter Siminski
Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos
Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100; 8:15-12:15, 67-78F, 70% thin cirrus, light breeze
SE.
*Paiute Dancer, Argia alberta 2
*Blue-ringed Dancer, A.
sedula 2
*Desert Forktail, Ischnura
barberi 7
*Ramburs Forktail, I. ramburii 20
Common Green Darner, Anax junius 5
Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum
corruptum 9
*Western Pondhawk, Erythemis
collocata 1
*Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax
longipennis 7
*Flame Skimmer, Libellula
saturata 11
**Roseate Skimmer, Orthemis
ferruginea 1 [new
early flight date, old early date 4/7/2006 kb]
*Spot-winged Glider, Pantala hymenaea 1
March 21, 2012
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Millpond, Bishop
Variegated Meadowhawk
March 18, 2012
Sonoma County
Gloria Conley
It's 52 degrees out there and we have our first emergent cardinal!!!! I'm stunned! 2:13 pm.
Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum - 1
.it's been out for a while because it's already pumping fluid into its wings and they have a bit of color to them.
March 15, 2012
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Poway, Lake Poway, 1:30-3:00, mostly clear, 66 degrees.
*Familiar Bluet Enallagma civile
Tule Bluet
*Arroyo Bluet Enallagma praevarum
*Black-fronted Forktail Ischnura denticollis
Variegated Meadowhawk
March 10, 2012
Contra Costa County
Ken Wilson of Pleasanton
Mitchell Canyon, Clayton
*California Darner (Rhionaeschna californica) - A recently emerged male.
March 9, 2012
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Their Sebastopol backyard pond (Bigsnest Pond)
Pacific Forktail - a mature male, their foy Ode March 7 - Ode withdrawal symptoms
started fading...
*Western Forktail Ischnura
perparva - a
mature female ovipositing (on 9th)!
March 3, 2012
Sacramento County
Chris Conard
American River Parkway in Rancho
Cordova
Vivid Dancer
5-10; female photographed:
March 2, 2012
Sonoma County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb
Ellis Ck ponds from 11-1,
Variegated Meadowhawk, a single male, good condition (not weathered).
February
February 28, 2012
Sonoma County
Kathy Biggs
Bigsnest Pond, Sebastopol
I haven't seen it yet, but there is a Pacific Forktail exuvia on the perch emerging from my outdoor fish tank where I rear pollywogs.
Earlier in the week I removed a final instar nymph from the tank, so keep your eyes open. We should be finding damselflies about soon!!
February 25, 2012
Sacramento County
Chris Conard
Cosumnes River Preserve, near Galt.
variegated meadowhawks multiple #s flying
.
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Fish Slough
Variegated Meadowhawk
February 24, 2012
Sonoma County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb
Schollenberger park to Ellis Creek Ponds (@ Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility). At the southwestern edge of the seasonal pool @~11:00 I saw a single blue damselfly. My initial guess was that it was a
*tule bluet Enallagma carunculatum, but I did not get a good enough look to confirm- So I'm listing it as "one of the blue damsels". It was the only ode seen on the 2hour walk.
It was a beautiful Sunny and calm day- probably close to 80deg. Felt more like summer than February! [Note: Tule is only bluet noted there in the last several years, and not a new flight date, so it is being counted as foy kb]
February 23, 2012
Alameda County
Alice Cavette
Fremont
*Blue-eyed or California Darner - Rhionaeschna multicolor/californica 1 female, photos taken, but ID inconclusive: Dennis Paulson, Tim Manolis, Kathy Biggs and Alice lean towards R. multicolor, but since that would be a new early flight date by nearly 3 wks,
and historically CA Darners usually fly for weeks ahead of the appearance of Blue-eyeds, this is not confirmed a new early flight data as the ID is tentative.
-------
Sonoma County
Alan Wight
Nagasawa Park in Santa Rosa at lunchtime
Pacific Forktails - 12+
There were also five species of butterflies flying.
February 22, 2012
Santa Cruz County
Steve Gerow
Santa Cruz, Antonelli Pond
Pacific Forktail - one male
Common Green Darner - a male flying around the area too
.
San Francisco County
Jules Evans and Mary Anne Flett
San Francisco, Lobos Creek
*Vivid Dancers Argia vivida - a big flight of these damselflies
. these guys are REALLY hard. (They make Empidonax seem easy!)
February 18, 2012
Sonoma County
Kathy Biggs
Bigsnest Pond, Sebastopol
Forktail exuvia 1 found!
February 17, 2012
Santa Barbara County
Steve Courtney
Santa Barbara
Pacific Forktail 2 - photos
February 9, 2012
Humboldt County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb
I was
fortunate to have some field work today in Hoopa- Bald C Road (west of Trinity River,
not far south from Klamath River)- an unseasonable warm and sunny
afternoon.
Driving along a dirt road with many springs/wet areas.
One very sunny landing with some pooled water and several water obligate plants (so it never dries out completely
variegated Meadowhawks - 2 flushed from some dead vegetation.
February 8, 2012
Santa Clara County
Ken Wilson of Pleasanton
Coyote Hills Regional Park, Fremont
*Common Green Darner Anax junius - I observed one male this afternoon at, CA. This was my first dragonfly seen there since early November.
February 5, 2012
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Torrey Pines State Reserve, Penasquitos Lagoon, 12:30-2:00, clear, 72 degrees.
*Pacific Forktail 2
Variegated Meadowhawk 3 tandem, ovipositing
February 2, 2012
Humboldt County
Tony Westkamper
on my walk I spotted at least two Odes, one in the same place as my last sighting in December.
This one exhibited the same colors, same flight habit, and same perching behavior as the last specimen
I saw in the same location. (Within ten feet) Which begs the question, "Is this the same individual as before?"
I would guess so, but his gives it a pretty long life.
Much of which may have been spent in a depressed metabolic rate due to cold weather.
It was certainly active and apparently healthy.
Too active to get close enough for a good photo before my neighbor's dog came over to investigate!
January
January 13, 2012
Sonoma County
Alan Wight
Nagasawa Park, Santa Rosa at lunchtime
Variegated Meadowhawks - two
January 5, 2012
Humboldt County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb
Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation- Rock Creek Watershed
variegated meadowhawk - Single male
Flying along sunny section of road just above year round rock creek tributary during my lunch-hour hike
January 3, 2012
Humboldt County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb
Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation- Norton Creek Watershed
To my surprise, I've already seen my first odes of 2012!
The weather has been beautiful and the Variegated Meadowhawks have come out of hiding.
No nighttime frost that week, but it returned over the weekend.
*variegated Meadowhawk - Single male (possibly 2)
Dashing in and out of sunny roadside berry brambles when disturbed from driving through.
going both directions 1/2 hour apart. Thought I saw two, but only sure about one.
COUNTY RECORDS FROM PRIOR YEARS, NOT REPORTED UNTIL THIS YEAR
July 11, 2011
San Mateo County
Leslie Flint
Horseshoe Pond - Skyline Ridge OSP
Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata photo CA Chart #116 OC #376450 Upgrade of prior sight record
May 20, 2011
Tehama County
Ray Bruun
Bennett Creek off of Forest Route M4Elevation 1,050 ft
Northern Bluet Enallagma annexum photo of male CA Chart #55 OC#376466
May 1, 2011
Santa Cruz County
Scott Peden
Rancho del Oso section of Big Basin Redwood State Park. 11:50AM
about 1 mile from the northern coastal boundary of Santa Cruz to San Mateo County, 2 miles from the entrance to Ano Nuevo State reserve.
Swift Forktail, Ischnura erratica one male photographed
CA Chart #113 - PHOTO RECORD OC#374167
July 23, 2010
Santa Cruz County
Scott Peden
Little Basin, now a section of Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
It was on the campground loop, that looks like the ground on the outside of the endangered log dam.
California Dancer Argia agrioides - female - ID not 100% but species
expected in Santa Cruz
County.
Photo record. CA Chart #113; OC #376028 Tentative ID by Kathy Biggs and Jim Johnson.
July 3, 2010
Tehama County
Peter Gaede
Location Notes 1/4 mile northeast of Wilson Lake on Road 769. Latitude 40.34648° Longitude -121.43118°
Black Petaltail, Tanypteryx hageni one male photographed in hand
CA Chart #112 - Photo record OC# 320661
May 19, 2010
Orange County
Doug Willick
SAR Mitigation Sites
Blue-ringed Dancer, Argia sedula several males photographed
CA Chart # 98 - Photo record OC# 385210
October 2, 1971
San Bernardino County
David E. Bickering
Chaffey College Insect collection 5885 Haven Avenue Rancho
Cucamonga, CA 91737-3002 The collection room is
located in the Des Lauriers Building Room 108 collection surveyed by Juddy
Canello on 11/19/2012.
Great Spreadwing Archilestes grandis 4 specimens CA Chart #123, OC# 385206
