California's Year 2013 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 Yahoo! Dragonfly discussion group 
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 2013 records are listed at the bottom of the page)
          OC= Odonata Central:   
* = 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,

104 species (out of the 114 species known to occur in California) have been reported to this site as flying in California in the 2013 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 year’s data).

`Sighting only' records need further documentation, but please report them so we can try to get substantiation.

County records should be substantiated with specimen (preferable) or photo and notes. [note: not all species are identifiable by photos]

Report new county records to Kathy Biggs bigsnest at sonic.net & Odonata Central (http://odonatacentral.bfl.utexas.edu/records/US_new_records.asp) for verification

Note: A new Facebook Western Odonata group has formed recently. This is a wonderful place to get help with IDs, etc. Check it out - https://www.facebook.com/groups/WesternOdonata/

 
 
December
 

December 30, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River
Variegated Meadowhawk - I

December 29, 2013

Sonoma County

Jackie Scones

Bodega Dunes, Bodega Bay
Variegated Meadowhawk – 1 fresh appearing female [new late date for Sonoma County)
 

December 28, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River
Variegated Meadowhawk - I
 

December 23, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River

Variegated Meadowhawk - I saw 2 for sure, maybe another fleeting, flitting, shadow. It had a translucent abdomen with something about half way down it.

December 22, 2013

San Diego County
Jay Keller
Mast Park in Santee 
* [see note] Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum - I was stunned to look down at my feet to note what appears to be a nice crisp male (photo below). 
From what information I have, this appears to be a late date for California, but correct me if I am wrong.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71649753@N07/11504339986/
**Common Green Darner Anax junius – 1 [last report 2013]
Variegated Meadowhawk - 1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71649753@N07/11504357253/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71649753@N07/11504357833/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71649753@N07/11504358663/
Note from Kathy: The latest December date, prior to today, was Dec. 3, 2007. ....but there is a Jan. 20th date recorded in 1900, and no one has ever seen them in February and we currently mark the early date as 3/3/2010.
So the date issue is complicated. Is the late date December, or January??  None the less, this is for sure the latest date in a decade and a half, if not in the last 113 years, so significant!!

…….

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River

Variegated Meadowhawk, - saw one and tried to get a photo. It scooted from the rock where I saw it to a leaf strewn, grassy/weedy patch. As it tried to land it stirred up three more members of the species, all from an area about the size of my bathroom.

They flew hither and yawn. I did get a couple photos, but nothing to write home about.

…….

Tehama County

Celise Sharpe & Dennis Ball

Red Bluff Sac. river

variegated meadowhawks - 2

December 22, 2013

Colusa County

Greg Kareofellas

Goat Mtn Road 
Sympetrum corruptum – a couple
 

December 19, 2013

Yuba County

Tim Manolis

Marysville CBC - very windy and cool
Variegated Meadowhawks  S. corruptum - at least 3. The two seen best were mature males in good condition. They were in a sunny patch of lawn in a residential area in town, sort of in the lee of a fence and out of the wind.
 

December 15 & 17, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River
Variegated Meadowhawks – 2
This is following several nights where the temperature locally got down to the middle 20s (F). Photo posted on Western Odonata Facebook.
 

December 3, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River
Variegated Meadowhawks – 2
…….

Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson

southern Santa Barbara County
*Familiar Bluet Enallagma civile [last report 2013]
*Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor [last report 2013]
 

December 2, 2013

Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson

southern Santa Barbara County
*Arroyo Bluet Enallagma praevarum [last report 2013]
 

December 1, 2013

Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson

On the hedge at my house in Santa Barbara

Variegated Meadowhawk

…….

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River
Variegated Meadowhawks – 2
……..

Riverside County

BJ Stacey & wife

….went up to see the Blue-footed Boobies at Lake Skinner and made a couple of other spots on the way home.

Common Green Darner
Variegated Meadowhawk

Familiar Bluet Enallagma civile

All critters from the day http://www.inaturalist.org/calendar/finatic/2013/12/1

 
November

November 30, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

My regular walk along the Van Duzen River

Variegated Meadowhawks and saw this Ode patrolling. From size and shape and style of flight I'd guess a darner. I think I saw a glint of blue on the abdomen. It never landed or even got very close for the few minutes I watched it.

…….

Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson

Goleta pond

Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor

*Tule Bluet Enallagma carunculatum (photo ID – kb) [last report 2013]

There have been a few bluets around in the last couple of weeks, but try as I might, I cannot net one. They have become very sneaky, flying to the outer reeds at my approach.

November 24, 2013

San Diego County

Taking some friends from out of town out on a birding day I came across a couple of odes.

Common Green Darner
Variegated Meadowhawk
All critters from the day http://www.inaturalist.org/calendar/finatic/2013/11/24

November 29, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

My regular walk along the Van Duzen River

same Variegated meadowhawks. At least 2. Salmon are spawning in the Van Duzen River, Humboldt County, California.

November 28, 2013

San Mateo County

Leslie Flint

female Darner (brown) with very distinct thorax stripes. Assuming it was a Blue-eyed, but it never got very close to me.

…….

Alameda County

Alice Cavette

Sunol Regional Park

California Spreadwing - Archilestes californica - -CA Speadwings still thriving 8 years later. http://www.bugguide.net/node/view/870494 [last report 2013]

November 25, 2013

Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson

southern Santa Barbara County
*Pacific Forktail Ischnura cervula [last report 2013]

November 23, 2013

San Mateo County

Leslie Flint

Purisima Creek Redwoods

I was out hiking today looking for fungi, but found an Ode instead! About a mile down the trail, there was a grassy area (pretty dry) and I was surprised to seea

Variegated Meadowhawk.

November 20, 2013

Sonoma County

Kathy Biggs, Louise Hallberg

Hallberg Butterfly Garden, Graton

*Shadow Darner Aeshna umbrosa While refurbishing the pond a female came in, landed about 8” above the pond surface and oviposited on a rock! [last report 2013]

…….

Humboldt County

Sandra Hunt-von Arb

Arcata Marsh this afternoon -two very quick glimpses of odes...One large mosaic blue and one variegated meadowhawk.

Bummed they were both flying off at top speeds in the wind

…….

Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson

Goleta farm pond I go to at lunchtime - didn't expect much as the nights have been getting chilly and it rained last night.

I was pleasantly surprised to find seven (or eight) ode species, most represented by individuals.

Common Green Darner - 1 ovipositing

Blue-eyed Darners 4 or more (one of them trying to get it on with the Common Green)

Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1

Pacific Forktail Ischnura cervula - two

Black-fronted Forktail Ischnura denticollis, one
Familiar Bluet, one

Arroyo Bluet Enallagma praevarum, one

and the one which I thought was a Tule in the field, but upon looking at the photos I'm not so sure.

The black on S3 doesn't seem extensive enough and the paraprocts and cerci seem too far apart. Could it be an especially dark Arroyo?

November 21, 2013

Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson

southern Santa Barbara County
*Black-fronted Forktail Ischnura denticollis  [last report 2013]

November 17, 2013

Imperial County

BJ Stacey with Jay Keller

Familiar Bluets - I've gotten some feedback on iNaturalist that they don't all appear to be so.  Links are below.
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/461255
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/461254
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/461252
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/461250 - this is indeed a Familiar- kb

http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/462045
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/462041
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/462040

Bluet sp. – No/Bo type

*Rambur's Forktail Ischnura ramburii [last report 2013]

*Blue-ringed Dancer Argia sedula [last report 2013]

*Roseate Skimmer Orthemis ferruginea [last report 2013]

**Mexican Amberwing Perithemis intensa – new late date, old date 11/14/2010

All critters from the day http://www.inaturalist.org/calendar/finatic/2013/11/17

November 15, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

My usual walk along the Van Duzen River.

Saw several (10 to 12) Variegated meadowhawks. They always seemed to be in pairs, one would hang around and let me take a photo, the other would head for cover. It happened every time I saw them today. Also saw 2 or 3 largish mosaic darners patrolling, none of which ever lit while I was watching.

…….

Sonoma County

Kathy & Dave Biggs
Riverside Park, Russian River (Windsor area)
NO ODEs.
 

November 14, 2013

Colusa County

Greg Kareofellas
Along the shore of Upper Letts Lake.

**Autumn Meadowhawk Sympetrum vicinum – a mated pair captured. CA Chart #28, OC#420168 - New late fight date by 2 weeks. Old date 10/28/2003 [last report 2013]

November 13, 2013

Orange County

Amy Hall
Foothill Ranch
*Neon Skimmer Libellula croceipennis – male photographed warming on rocks below office window
 

November 6-13, 2013

Yolo County

Greg Kareofellas
Davis backyard
I still have S corruptum and an occasional A junius flying here. 
A Variegated female has even been landing on my finger!
 

November 9 & 12, 2013

Sonoma County

Kathy & Dave Biggs (9^th); Alan Wight (12^th)

Copeland Creek @ Lichau Rd

No Great Spreadwings seen, nor any other Ode
 

November 5, 2013

Riverside County

Celise Sharpe & Dennis Ball

Perris Lake

Mexican Amberwing – photo of a female

Variegated Meadowhawks – many

*Marl Pennant Macrodiplax balteata – a male seen [last report 2013, but not a for sure ID]

Darners

Damsels

November 3, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

My usual walk along the Van Duzen River.

Saw 2 Variegated meadowhawks up away from the river, and one moderate sized mosaic darner working a hatch of mayflies.

November 2, 2013

Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson

early to mid-afternoon in the Upper Santa Ynez River area 
California Spreadwings
*Vivid Dancers Argia vivida [last report 2013]

*California Dancers Argia agrioides [last report 2013]

Arroyo Bluets 
Familiar Bluets
Common Green Darners
a dull red dragon that flew quickly by. Either female Flame Skimmer or male Red Rock Skimmer, I think; not sure which would be most likely. Both would be a late date for the county.
I took a couple of pics of a largely metallic green damsel at Upper Oso. It seemed larger than our common forktails (Black-fronted and Pacific)
 

November 1, 2013

Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson

Farm pond in Goleta
Tule Bluet - 6 
Familiar Bluet – 4
Pacific Forktail - 2
Common Green Darner - 6
Blue-eyed Darner – 6
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 5
 
October

October 25, 2013

Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson

Southern Santa Barbara County
*Wandering Gliders Pantala flavescens [last report 2013]

October 26, 2013

Siskiyou County

Dave Payne

Kelly Lake= This is the same lake I secured that specimen (Autumn meadowhawk a few years back).

meadowhawks - at least two (possibly Autumn)

California Spreadwings

*Paddle-tailed Darners Aeshna palmata - cruising, hanging in the sunny area of the lake [last report 2013]

October 25, 2013

Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson

I visited the farm pond in Goleta where I've spent most lunchtimes over the past couple of months. The biggest surprise was seeing two Wandering Gliders; my last sighting was on 9/29. Still lingering:

Common Green Darner   3

Blue-eyed Darner     5

Wandering Gliders Pantala flavescens – 2

Cardinal Meadowhawk   1

Arroyo Bluet    5

Pacific Forktail  2 (adult and imm. female)

I haven't seen Flame Skimmer or Black Saddlebags for several days now.

October 24, 2013

Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson

I went to the Upper Santa Ynez River this afternoon. The weather forecast called for 75 degrees, though whilst I was there between 1 and 3:30 the temps ranged from 63 to 66 degrees.

Upper Oso

*Walker's Darner Aeshna walkeri - a female, the highlight was photographing her [last report 2013]

California Spreadwing    6

*Great Spreadwing  Archilestes grandis    2 [last report 2013]

Vivid Dancer   20

Black-fronted Forktail – male seen, female photographed

First River Crossing

Common Green Darner   3

Variegated Meadowhawk  

California Dancer  20

Vivid Dancer  30

Pacific Forktail  2

Black-fronted Forktail  1

*Sooty Dancer Argia lugens 2 [last report 2013]

Bluets    40+ (Arroyo Bluet included)

October 21, 2013

Santa Clara County

Leslie Flint

Alpine Pond

*Striped Meadowhawk Sympetrum pallipes [last report 2013]

*Spotted Spreadwing Lestes congener [last report 2013]

California Spreadwing

October 20, 2013

San Mateo County

Leslie Flint

Alpine Pond (Hwy 35 & Alpine Road,) it was pretty quiet. Temp about 75 degrees; slight breeze.

Bluets (perhaps Tule) - 6

Common Green Darner - 1

Blue-eyed Darner - 1

California Spreadwing - 1

Striped Meadowhawk Sympetrum pallipes (6 pairs ovipositing in the dry grass next to the dry cattails; at least 4 more males in attendance attempting to thwart their efforts) - an orgy I would say!

…

Santa Clara County

Then I visited the pond below Gate 5 at Monte Bello Reserve.  Temp about 75 degrees with a strong breeze.  The pond is quite low but there was:

Common Green Darner - 2

Striped Meadowhawk - 2 pairs plus 2 extra males

California Spreadwing - 1

Spotted Spreadwing Lestes congener – 4

…….

Imperial County

BJ Stacey and Jay Keller

Salton Sea

Variegated Meadowhawks were the most numerous bug of the day and were just about everywhere we stopped.

*Flame Skimmer Libellula saturata - One zoomed by us along the canal at Unit One of Sonny Bono NWR. [last report 2013]

**Double-striped Bluets Enallagma basidens - at least 3 [last report 2013 & new late date for the species]

Familiar Bluets - lots

Mexican Amberwing - one in Seeley. 

Many of the Familiars were in tandem and there was one sticky looking tan one that I assume was a teneral individual.

Common Green Darners numbers less than 10 for the day

Roseate Skimmers - multiple #s at a few locations

Blue-ringed Dancer - 1

*Desert Forktail Ischnura barberi – 1 [last report 2013]

…….

Siskiyou County

David Payne

mouth of Elk Creek along the Klamath River

*American Rubyspots Hetaerina americana - two [last report of 2013]

October 19, 2013

Sonoma County

Dave Barry and MO
#…while leading a hawk hike at the Jenner Headlands, Odonates were flying too. As were butterflies. 
I observed Variegated Meadowhawks & possibly a Common Green Darner {new late date for Sonoma Co]. A Blue dragonfly I could not get a great look at. I did not see any green on its thorax.
…….
Shasta County
Michael & Muriel Plank
Cottonwood 
Neon Skimmer - Female landed on a twig. I posted a photo. It is a first in our yard. 
…….

Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson

southern Santa Barbara County

*Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata [last report 2013]

October 17, 2013

Siskiyou County

Kathy & Dave Biggs

We decided to look for Autumn Meadowhawks at 2 nearby sites....no luck.
No Odes and hardly any water in the Widow Springs Pond just a mile from our McCloud home.
Soda Springs/Squaw Creek/Beaver Dam site south of McCloud had about 6 darners, all with green faces and looking to probably be Shadow Darners.
Two damsels there too, one was a Spreadwing (Lestes).
…….
Humboldt County
Tony Vanderkamper
Van Duzen River
American Rubyspot Hetaerina americana – three or four 
Variegated Meadowhawks - a few
Darners, Several blue Mosaic types
Blue-eyed Darner - a raggedy female
 
October 7- 17, 2013
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson

farm pond

Arroyo Bluet

Familiar Bluet

Tule Bluet

Pacific Forktail

Cardinal Meadowhawk

Variegated Meadowhawk

Flame Skimmer (down to 1 today)

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata

Common Green Darners

Blue-eyes Darners

*Blue Dashers Pachydiplax longipennis – 2; The biggest surprise this week --they had been absent for a month

October 16/17, 2013

Sonoma County

Diane Hichwa, Kathy M.

Jenner Headlands (for hawk watch)

#still a steady stream of brown/red dragonflies – 17^th

#We noticed a steady stream on dragonflies winging by---above us, next to us, below us---heading south – 16th

October 16, 2013

Butte County

Leslie Flint

de Sabla Reservoir I drove to de Sabla again to see if I could find an Autumn Meadowhawk. It was in the low 70s and there were very few Odes. I spent from 12-3 searching and left when the cross country teams arrived for their run

Shadow Darners (4-6)

Variegated Meadowhawks 4

California Spreadwings a pair

Autumn Meadowhawk – 1 female photographed, and as I was walking back to my car along the face of the dam, a small red dragonfly flew up from the floating vegetation and landed on the gravel 10 ft. in front of me, however before I could raise my camera or my binoculars, a wasp bothered it and it flew away and I never found it again. This might have been an Autumn, but I can't be sure. Next year.

October 15, 2013

San Mateo County

Leslie Flint

Francis Beach, Half Moon Bay, this morning

#Variegated Meadowhawks -  Large numbers - 100s - moving south along the beach

…

Bob Hislop

shoreline at Half Moon Bay

gazillions of migrating dragonflies; immediately offshore there was a seabird feeding frenzy (Gulls, Pelicans, Cormorants, etc.). 

Perhaps the 2 phenomena are related?  Is it possible for example that the weaker dragonflies are falling into the water and are attracting schools of fish up to the surface to feed, thus attracting the birds? 

…….

#Alameda County

Mark Rauzon

At Oyster Bay Regional Park in San Leandro …<snip>….But I did see something that stopped me in my tracks. It took a bit to realize what was happening, but a steady stream of medium-sized dragonflies were passing me without deviation in flight.

#I could see 10 at any one moment pass and the river of dragonflies kept coming. I could have seen over a thousand pass me at low level flight, and felt like I was in the movie Avatar! They had a reddish sheen to the wings and I was fortunate to see two rest briefly. I took some photos to help ID the insects:
Turns out they are Variegated Meadowhawks, known as long-distance migrants, breeding as far north as Canada with a massive late summer emergence and southward migration along the Pacific Northwest coast all the way to Honduras for the winter. Amazing!  http://rauzon.zenfolio.com/p859914566/hc95b00#hc95b00

…

Don Murphy

Rifle Range Road trailhead in Wildcat Canyon Park.  

There was a huge volume of dragonflies passing through - I'll bet they were the Meadowhawks that you identified!  I've never seen dragonflies in such numbers - thanks for doing the research, and for sharing it.

…….

Contra Costa County

Doris Lopez
Richmond - Tuesday evening. 

I was in my backyard when all of a sudden bunches and bunches of dragonflies flew towards me and then passed over my house.  I saw at least 10 at a time.  More than 100 shot by.  It was amazing!

October 13, 2013

San Luis Obispo County

Leslie Flint

Pescadero - right on the coast and the chaparral is literally covered with these species:

variegated meadowhawks

common green darners

blue-eyed darners

#Large numbers moving through - perhaps a migratory event

October 8, 2013

Los Angeles County

Kathy & Dave Biggs

Piru Creek, Frenchmen’s Flat

Warm with a slight breeze, 10:30 – 1:30
Flame Skimmer – 1m

*Red Rock Skimmer Paltothemis lineatipes – 1f [last report 2013]

Common Green Darner – 1+

American Rubyspot - ~7 m

Sooty Dancer – many

Vivid Dancer – some

Lavender Dancer Argia hinei – possibly one male quickly seen (would be a lifer for us!)

Bluet sp – few, one male collected is either an Arroyo or an River - River would be a large range extension!

…….

Humboldt County

Tony Vanderkamper

Van Duzen River 
Spreadwing - one very large that landed way up there in the treetops
Common Green Darner sp. – a few 

darner sp - very blue mosaic

Variegated Meadowhawk

October 7, 2013

Imperial County

Kathy & Dave Biggs

Sonny Bono NWA
Roseate Skimmer – many

Mexican Amberwing – 1m

…….

Contra Costa County

Janet Ellis

Ellis Lake. Concord

Familiar Bluet

Common Green Darner – pair ovipositing

Variegated Meadowhawk – pair ovipositing

Black Saddlebags – pair ovipositing

Blue Dashers – female ovipositing

October 6, 2013

Imperial County

2013 Blitz team

Above West Pond, Imperial Wetlands
*Powdered Dancer Argia moesta – some [last report 2013]
Blue-ringed Dancer - some
Common Green Darner - some
Blue-eyed Darner - few
*White-belted Ringtail Erpetogomphus compositus – few [last report of 2013]
*Red-tailed Pennant Brachymesia furcata – female [last report 2013]
*Comanche Skimmer Libellula comanche - 2 males OC #410847 [last report 2013]

Roseate Skimmer - some
Blue Dasher - some
Mexican Amberwing - some
Variegated Meadowhawk - some
Black Saddlebags - quite a few

…….

Riverside County

Peter Siminski

Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos Palmas Preserve; Elev. -100’; 7:30-11:50, 65-88F, cloudless, light to gentle breeze NW.

*Paiute Dancer, Argia alberta 1 in hand. [last report 2013]

Blue-ringed Dancer, Argia sedula 1

Familiar Bluet, Enallagma civile 2

Desert Forktail, Ischnura barberi 1

*Citrine Forktail, Ischnura hastata  1 [last report 2013]

Rambur’s Forktail, I. ramburii >50

Common Green Darner, Anax junius  6

Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna multicolor  7

Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum corruptum >30 with most in tandem pairs, some ovipositing.

Red-tailed Pennant, Brachymesia furcata 4

*Western Pondhawk, Erythemis collocata 5 [last report of 2013]

Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis 11

Comanche Skimmer, Libellula comanche 1

Roseate Skimmer, Orthemis ferruginea  4

*Marl Pennant, Macrodiplax balteata 7 [last report 2013]

Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata 7

*Red Saddlebags, Tramea onusta 1- [last report 2013]

*Spot-winged Glider, Pantala hymenaea 1 [last report 2013]

Note: With the government shutdown, Dos Palmas is still open to the public but this could change according to the property manager.

October 5, 2013

Imperial County

2013 Blitz team

Imperial Wetlands
American Rubyspot - We walked IN and above the creek leading into Senator Wash and saw MANY
Powdered Dancer - many
Blue-ringed Dancer - many
California Dancer - many along the creek leading into Senator Wash. Photos and specimens collected.
Paiute Dancer - several along the creek leading into Senator Wash. Photos and specimens collected.

Familiar Bluet - a few
Citrine Forktail - several along the road as we approached West Pond, males and mature and immature females in-hand
Rambur's Forktail - abundant
Common Green Darner - many, inc. tandem ovipositing
Blue-eyed Darner - some, males and females in-hand
White-belted Ringtail - several, males and females seen, photographed OC# 410845
*Russet-tipped Clubtail Stylurus plagiatus - 1 female above West Pond - the area where we got Striped Saddlebags in 2006 is mostly overgrown now. OC# 410843 [last report 2013]
Red-tailed Pennant - some, males and females in-hand
*Pale-faced Clubskimmer Brechmorhoga mendax - at least 2, one in-hand OC# 410842 [last report 2013]
Western Pondhawk - a few, males and females
Flame Skimmer - a few, males and ovipositing females
Marl Pennant - several males, in-hand  410844
Roseate Skimmer - many, males and females
Blue Dasher - some, male and females
Wandering Glider - quite a few; no Spot-winged Gliders seen
Mexican Amberwing - quite a few, males and females
Variegated Meadowhawk - some
Black Saddlebags - quite a few

October 3, 2013

Imperial County

Leslie Flint

Sunbeam Pond -The wind was blowing pretty fiercely but I did manage to find:

Double-striped Bluet 2+

Powdered Dancer - one male and one female (2)

Blue-ringed Dancer - numerous - 12 pairs +

Forktail sp. - 12+ (maybe Western?)

Roseate Skimmer - 1

…….

Humboldt County

Tony Vanderkamper

Van Duzen River - Overcast muggy, kind of cool day
Common Green Darner sp. – a few 

darner sp - several blue mosaic type

Variegated Meadowhawk, a bunch- seemed like there was one perched on a rock every 20 yards or so.

…….

nyo County

Kathy & Dave Biggs; Ron & Barbara Oriti

Rawson Pond #3, just west of the Owens River

*Band-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum semicinctum – some [last report 2013]

October 2, 2013

Santa Barbara County

Leslie Flint

Upper Oso Campground

*Lavender Dancer Argia hinei 20+ [last report 2013]

 
October 1, 2013

Mono County

Kathy & Dave Biggs; Ron & Barbara Oriti

River Springs

*Saffron-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum corruptum – 1f [last report 2013]

*Black Meadowhawk Sympetrum danae [last report 2013]

 
September
 

September 30, 2013

Mono County

Kathy & Dave Biggs

DeChambeau Ponds, 45 mins. late afternoon
Bluet sp. – few

Forktail sp. – 1

Blue-eyed Darner – 1

Paddle-tailed Darner – 2+

*Saffron-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum corruptum – 1f

 
September 28, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Vanderkamper

Van Duzen River - Overcast muggy, kind of cool day
Rubyspots (Two)
Darner sp. - 1 
Variegated Meadowhawk – 1
…….

Sonoma County

Len Blumin

Pond 2 at Ellis Creek was full of water. Air temp about 78 F, breezes variable,

Blue-eyed Darners were cruising in good numbers, joined by lesser numbers of

Common Green Darners including an ovipositing tandem pair

Variegated Meadowhawks and a single

Black Saddlebags. [new late date for Sonoma County]

blue damselflies, but most appeared to be Bluets.

September 27, 2013

Santa Cruz County

John Garrett, Jack Mazza, Alex Rinkert

Bethany Curve (a small suburban park) in Santa Cruz
fellow UC Santa Cruz student Jack Mezza pointed out a "pink dragonfly". I managed a bad photo. Alex Rinkert also saw it before it flew off. 
Roseate Skimmer Orthemis ferruginea – 1 male photographed, CA Chart # 129, OC# 410629 [this is a HUGE range extension! Vagrant? Introduced? Range expanding? – kb]
 
September 25, 2013

Imperial County

Doug Aguillard and BJ Stacey

Salton Sea

*Double-striped Bluet Enallagma basidens (Doug's sharp eyes found this lifer for BJ)

Familiar Bluet

Blue-ringed Dancer

Western Pondhawk

Variegated Meadowhawk

Mexican Amberwing
Black Saddlebags

Blue Dasher

Common Green Darner
Roseate Skimmer

 
September 24, 2013
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bigsnest Wildlife Pond, Sebastopol backyard
Pacific Forktail
*Western Forktail Ischnura perparva [last report 2013]
Shadow Darner – male (IH)
Flame Skimmer – a male quickly flew overhead at tree height
Cardinal Meadowhawk – male (photographed)
 
September 21, 2013

Sonoma County

FANTASTIC workshop on Migrating Dragonflies given by Celeste Mazzacano of the Xerces Society DMP (Dragonfly Migratory Project).
Learned so much! Pages of notes, I think I even understand Stable Isotops now....but don't expect ME to explain it to YOU!!

Maybe 40 folks, a full house, and the pouring/pounding rain even let up late afternoon and we were able to find a few species in the field....

Petaluma, Ellis Creek Wetlands

Celeste Mazzacano, Kathy & Dave Biggs, Sandra Hunt-von Arb, Eddie Dunbar & MO

Co. Green Darner

Blue-eyed Darner

Darner sp.

Variegated Meadowhawk, males (IH)

Tule Bluet (IH)

Pacific Forktail - male and female (IH)

 
September 20, 2013
Colusa County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb, Celeste Mazzacano, Kathy Biggs
Bear Creek @ Bridge on Hwy 20 – 11-1:00 (14 species)
We walked the creek along Bear Creek Rd from where the barbed wire fence resumes to the far side of the bridge. 
Then we drove down highway 16 (~1.5 miles) wy 16HHHto Cowboy Camp for another hour (8 species) - for a total of 16 species for the day. Celeste and Sandra both got lifers 
At Bear Creek Bridge area: 
Pale-faced Clubskimmer– one 
Flame Skimmer
Variegated Meadowhawk
Striped Meadowhawk
Black Saddlebags– one male
Common Green Darner
Blue-eyed Darner (IH)
Mosaic darner
American Rubyspot
Familiar Bluet (IH)
Tule Bluet (IH)
Pacific Forktail
Western Forktail
Sooty Dancer – one male
At Cowboy Camp  just down stream
Vivid Dancer
Western Forktail
*Desert Firetail Telebasis salva – one male [last report 2013]
Familiar Bluet
Common Green Darner
Variegated Meadowhawk
Flame skimmer – few, but one female ovipositing
American Rubyspot
 
September 19, 2013
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson

I spent a couple of hours along the Santa Ynez River. Dragonfly numbers were way down, but not damsels! Temps ranged from 85 to 91 degrees F.

Upper Oso-- I walked the approx 600 yard length of the creek that has flowing water.

CA Spreadwing    10

Great Spreadwing  2

Lavender Dancer Argia hinei 20+

Vivid Dancer  20+

Desert Firetail    6

Walker's Darner  3

Flame Skimmer   1

Red-rock Skimmer   1 female

American Rubyspot  2
First River Crossing--numbers of dragons much diminished since a couple of weeks ago, but damsels were in profusion, esp. CA/Aztec Dancers.

Flame Skimmer  20

Red-rock Skimmer   1 male

Common green Darner   8

Variegated Meadowhawk  1

Western Pondhawk 1 male

*Serpent Ringtail Erpetogomphus lampropeltis - 1 male [last report 2013]

Bluet sp.  40+

Black-fronted Forktail   2

Lavender Dancer   1 male

CA/Aztec Dancer 200+

Sooty Dancer 8

Desert Firetail  5
 
September 18, 2013­­

Orange County

Mike Clayton

Tejaras Creek

Black-fronted Forktail – male 410479

Desert Firetail – male 410444 (this is a pending record as there is a southern Firetail that cannot be told from this species in photographs)

 
September 17, 2013

Santa Barbara County

Peter Gaede

Small, natural spring with several large cottonwood trees nearby -  35.40808° N 120.02087° W This location is 6 miles northwest of the first county record earlier this year.

*Desert Whitetail Plathemis subornata – one male observed/photographed, OC# 410419 [last report 2013]

Tule Bluet – male, photo OC# 410420
…….
Butte County 
Leslie Flint
de Salba Reservoir …. hoped to find an Autumn Meadowhawk. Sunny, 75 deg; beautiful day. I spent 4 hours from 12-4 walking the edge of the reservoir searching but to no avail. 
Perhaps too early although they have been reported as early as September 10 in the past. 
COMMON GREEN DARNERS - there were literally hundreds of them - I have never seen such a sight (except in June at Sand Pond where Chalk-fronted Corporals were in the zillions). They were everywhere all over the reservoir along with 
blue mosiac darners. 
VARIABLE MEADOWHAWKS about a dozen august
WESTERN PONDHAWKS (many females trying to be as green as the green darners) - about a dozen 
*TWELVE-SPOTTED SKIMMER Libellula pulchella - one [last report 2013]
bluets - many – at least one a Tule Bluet
A beautiful spot.
 
September 14, 2013
Santa Barbara County

Dave Compton

Carpinteria

Blue-eyed Darner- a female photographed

September 15, 2013

Riverside County

Peter Siminski

Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos Palmas Preserve; Elev. -100’; 6:50-11:30, 75-105F, cloudless, calm to light breeze S.

California / Aztec Dancer, Argia sp. 1

Paiute Dancer, A. alberta  1

Powdered Dancer, A. moesta  2

Blue-ringed Dancer, Argia sedula 8

Desert Forktail, Ischnura barberi 2

Citrine Forktail, I. hastata  2

Rambur’s Forktail, I. ramburii 24

Common Green Darner, Anax junius  >100 including 8 tandem pairs ovipositing.

Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna multicolor  2

Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum corruptum 1 with fresh wings.

Red-tailed Pennant, Brachymesia furcata >45 including one pair in wheel.  One female holding and consuming a female P. longipennis.

Western Pondhawk, Erythemis collocata >65 including two wheels.

Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis >40

Flame Skimmer, L. saturata  3

Roseate Skimmer, Orthemis ferruginea 11 including one female ovipositing.

Marl Pennant, Macrodiplax balteata ! >85 including two tandem pairs ovipositing.

Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata >100 including about 15 tandem pairs.

Red Saddlebags, T. onusta 13 including 1 teneral.

September 13, 2013
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Laguna Wetlands Park, Sebastopol
No water in the ponds, hardly any odes….what did I expect on Friday the 13th??
Variegated Meadowhawks – about a half dozen
Darner sp – about a half dozen, one looked to be a Blue-eyed
…….
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ransom

Goleta - Still lots of ode activity:

Black Saddlebags

Common Green Darner

Blue-eyed Darner

Western Pondhawk

Cardinal Meadowhawk

Flame Skimmer

Blue Dashers - in wheel

Bluets - swarms

Pacific Forktail  - immature female
 
September 9 & 11, 2013
San Mateo County
Leslie Flint
Laurelwood Park

Walker’s Darner

Stulsaft Park

*Pacific Spiketail Cordulegaster dorsalis – [last report 2013]

September 9, 2013
Santa Barbara County
Michael Plank & wife 
Santa Barbara 
Santa Ynez River crossing
Serpent Ringtail-4
Common Green Darner-10 or more
Flame Skimmer-20
Red Rock Skimmer-10
Sooty Dancer-many
California Dancer-15+
Blue Dasher-1
Cardinal Meadowhawk-4
Upper Oso Campground
Bluets-many
Lavender Dancer-20
Desert Firetail-10
Great Spreadwing-1 
…….
San Francisco County
Len Blumin
the gully along the road to Ft. Point
Vivid Dancers, 2 
No other odes seen there.
…
Marin County
Tiburon Marsh now, even though it has warmed up by the time I arrived. Only dragons were a single 
Western Pondhawk - 1
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1
Bluet sp – possibly a Tule
 
September 8, 2013

San Mateo County

Matthew & Cricket Dodder

Stulsaft Park in Redwood City

mid-sized "MOSAIC" DARNER... too fast-moving for us to nail down, but I can say its eyes were NOT bright blue.

VIVID DANCER - beautiful, complete with purplish-blue and black coloration, and small backward pointing triangles on its abdomen

PACIFIC SPIKETAIL - We saw it several times, in fact, we saw at least two individuals, as they made their back and forth journey along the creek. Lifer for both of us!

…….
San Diego County
Jay Keller
Santee Lakes
Green Darner photographed while consuming a Western Pondhawk
I witnessed the kill, then it landed nearby and quickly ate off the head 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71649753@N07/9705278270/sizes/l/
*Giant Darner Anax walsinghami – male photographed [last report of 2013]
Flame Skimmer – male photographed
…….
Humboldt County
Tony Vanderkamper
Van Duzen River
Pale-faced Clubskimmers -several who wouldn’t hold still at all
common green darners - a couple, 
California Spreadwing - a female
American Rubyspot – 1
Western River  Cruisers – several 
*Bison Snaketail Ophiogomphus bison – 1 male photographed [last report 2013]
…….
Alameda County
Janet Ellis
Del Valle dam area
Flame Skimmer
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Common Green Darners tandem ovipositing
Western Forktail
Black-fronted Forktail
American Rubyspot
…….

Trinity County

Jim Johnson

South Fork Trinity River
Great Spreadwings, Archilestes grandis….It was easily the most conspicuous odonate there and some of them posed very nicely for photographs.
 
September 7, 2013
Contra Costa County
Kathy & Dave Biggs + "Close to Home" participants 
Tilden Park, Oakland
Dragons were actually fairly scarce, BUT we saw Aeshna flying with green side stripes....either Paddle-tailed or Shadow would fit the bill. I thought they were Shadows.....
BUT, looking at the spreadsheet, Shadow Darners have not been recorded in Contra Costa Co. (or nearby Alameda Co.) and neither has Paddle-tailed. 
The only Aeshna recorded is Walker's, and these were at ponds/lakes not streams and didn't have white side stripes. 
They were way too dark blue to be Blue-eyed and too large to be Californias. I hope someone in the East Bay can get a photo/specimen....we never saw one land, and got no photos.
What we did record are:
Key :
TP = pond at Tilden Botanic Garden 
WC = Wildcat Creek at Tilden Botatnic Garden
AL = Anza Lake
JL = Jewel Lake
*Northern Spreadwing Lestes disjunctus - a pair in hand at Jewel Lake. The male was not yet pruinose!! [last report 2013]
Vivid Dancer = TP, AL
No/Bo Bluet = TP, AL, JL
Desert Firetail = TP, many, good photo opportunities, inc. in tandem and in-hand
Darner (Aeshna) species = TP., WC (these could have been Walker's),  AL, JL
Pacific Spiketail = WC – one, and another on road to LA
Flame Skimmer = AL, JL - several males
Cardinal Meadowhawk = TP and nearby meadow - one male in hand, several seen, tandem guarding ovipositing seen
Striped Meadowhawk = TP, one male seen, photos taken
Black Saddlebags = meadow near TP, possibly one at JL10 species
…….
San Diego County
Jay Keller
at a small pond in the Tijuana River Valley known as Dairy Mart Ponds 
ROSEATE SKIMMERS - two males, I am told the species is uncommon coastally here. A docu-photo can be seen below: http://www.flickr.com/photos/71649753@N07/9698376750/
Several miles east of Dairy Mart at a small temporary retention pond on Otay Mesa
Spot-winged Gliders, 2-3
Wandering Gliders, a handful
Red Saddlebags, 1
Blue-eyed Darner, 1 
Common Green Darners, 3
…

El Camino Memorial Cemetery

Mexican Amberwing – male

Dairy Mart Ponds

Roseate Skimmer - male

 
September 5, 2013

San Mateo County

Leslie Flint

short walk along the creek in Stulsaft Park in Redwood City. Since the creek is still flowing, I was hopeful for a few Odes. 
I would have liked to actually walk the creek because it is shallow and most of it inaccessible. Lots of shade with oak and bay trees predominantly.
Common Green Darner (over the grasslands)
Vivid Dancer - 6 - both on the creek and along the trail
Pacific Spiketail - gorgeous - just cruising this tiny creek
 
September 3, 2013

Shasta County

Jamie Simmons

#I visited the Hat Creek Viewpoint just after noon. (I've not been able to find an official name for this location and failed to make note of the signage that was there.

I found it called that on someone's photo site when I did a web search. Here it is on Google Maps:

https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=40.7019207,-121.4060522&ll=40.7019207,-121.4060522  If you look at the satellite view you can see the paved road and overlook.)

I noted 2 female Anax junius (Common Green Darners) at the overlook. One in particular was patrolling in a circle, but as they are prone to do, it never perched.

As we left the overlook I noted at least 7 more darner-sized odes along the approx. 1/2 mile road to Highway 44. At least 2 seemed to be behaving as if the recently blackened (sealed with black sealant) roadway were perhaps a body of water.

The nearest obvious water is Hat Creek located about 3/4 of a mile to the west (per the map) and well below the overlook.

September 2, 2013
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson

Rattlesnake Canyon

Walker's Darners (4), my FOS

Great Spreadwing 3

Flame Skimmers 3

Vivid Dancers 5

 
September 1, 2013
San Diego County
Jay Keller 
Santee Lakes - Today I stumbled upon a GIANT DARNER at the northeast corner of Lake 5. As far as I can tell, this is not a regular location for the species. 
It spent the entire time I watched it in flight circling the small islands, and would occasionally attack the Green Darner pairs and at one point attacked a Black Phoebe flycatching
over the water!  It stayed somewhat distant and wouldn't perch for quality photos but I managed some decent ones in flight:
Also present were the following species and numbers:
Common Green Darner (8, three pairs)
Giant Darner Anax walsinghami (one, see above) 
Mexican Amberwing (10 to 12, all males)
Blue Dasher (~5 males)
Western Pond Hawk (a pair, female ovipositing)
Variegated Meadowhawk (one male)
Black Saddlebags (9, mostly pairs)
Flame Skimmer (2 males)
Neon Skimmer (a male and female, unpaired)
Red-tailed Pennant (1 male)
Pacific Forktail (many)
Sooty Dancer (1 male)
Tule Bluet (a few)

…….

Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson

Santa Ynez River along Paradise Rd - a couple of hours Despite the heat on the immediate coast, temps in the valley were relatively cool (82-87 degrees F).

Noticeable by their absence at the river crossing were Giant Darner, Western River Cruiser, and Gray Sanddragon.

Serpent Ringtail  6

Common Green Darner   15+

Red Rock Skimmer   15

Flame Skimmer     30

Western Pondhawk 2

Blue Dasher   2

Lavender Dancer    5

Sooty Dancer  20

CA/Aztec Dancer   20+

Bluet sp 20+

Desert Firetail   10

Black-fronted Forktail   3

Spreadwing sp  --briefly seen. It looked on the small side, so Spotted is most likely, I think.

Upper Oso camp - the creek first explored by Nick Lethaby last week,. No dragons here, but damsels galore:

California Spreadwing  3 males. A lifer for me

*Great Spreadwing Archilestes grandis 1 male

Desert Firetail   5

Lavender Dancer  50+

Bluet s.  20+

Vivid Dancer   15

CA/Aztec Dancer   30

American Rubyspot   2
…….

Imperial County

Alison Van Keuren

Brawley, Carter/Fites Road

American Rubyspot  

 
August
 

August 30, 2013

Santa Barbara County

John Garrett

Peck Road Water Conservation Park in Arcadia yielded some diversity today (8/30), with only some casual searching.

Bluet sp (probably Tule, maybe Familiars too) - 10+

Common Green Darner - 6+, some mating

Blue-eyed Darner - 1

Variegated Meadowhawk - 2

Mexican Amberwing - 8+, mostly females

Red-tailed Pennant - 3 males

Flame Skimmer - 8+

Neon Skimmer - 1

Black Saddlebags - 6+, some mating

Wandering Glider - 1

Glider sp. - 3+

…….

San Diego County

Jay Keller

El Camino Memorial Cemetery, San Diego (Sorrento Valley)
Red-tailed Pennants, 8 males
Mexican Amberwings, 6 males
Flame Skimmers 2 males
Blue Dasher, 1 male http://www.flickr.com/photos/71649753@N07/9630444985/
 
August 29, 2013

Santa Barbara County

Nick Lethaby

Upper Oso Campground

California Spreadwing – 3-4

Lavender Dancer - 25+

Vivid Dancers - many

Desert Firetails - a couple

I was slightly surprised not to find a Walker’s Darner here.

…….

San Diego County

Jamie Simmons

San Diego Safari Park (formerly the San Diego Wild Animal Park) in San Pasqual Valley east of Escondido

Roseate Skimmers - 2 males photographed. They were in the area with the flamingos that is very close to the park entrance (NOT in the Heart of Africa). I saw and photographed them in the morning at 9:30; at about 5 pm I spent about 15 minutes there and had one brief fly-by observation.

Mexican Amberwings

Blue Dashers

Common Green Darner (1 male)

Spreadwings (as yet I have not had time to ID to species from my photos)

 
August 28, 2013
Colusa County 
Leslie Flint, Len & Patti Blumin
Bear Valley Creek. We stopped at 3 spots along the creek and had great odes at all of them; creek high and still flowing well. 
Giant Darner - 3 
Common Green Darner - 2
Blue-eyed Darner - 12+
Flame Skimmer - abundant
*Gray Sanddragon Progomphus borealis  - 1 [last report 2013]
Pale-faced Clubskimmer - 4 - one at each riffle
White-belted Ringtail - 6
Western Pondhawk - 1 male
Blue Dasher - 2
Variegated Meadowhawk - 6-10
Black Saddlebags - 4-6
American Rubyspot - abundant
Vivid Dancer - 1
Desert Firetail - 10 (3 pairs ovipositing like crazy in front of us with several males attending) http://www.flickr.com/photos/lenblumin/9625255522/
Bluet sp. - abundant
Dancer sp. a few
Western Forktail – 1
…
Lake County
We drove back along Hwy 16 and stopped at one Cache Creek spot where with effort we found 
*Emma's Dancer Argia emma (1 male and several brown females) along with more 
Rubyspots
…….
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti

west side of Owens Dry Lake.......

Black Saddlebags

Desert Whitetails 

Flame Skimmers

Western Pondhawks

Blue Dashers 

*Bleached Skimmers Libellula composita [last report 2013]

Variegated Meadowhawks

Common Green Darners

Mosaic darners, probably Blue-eyed Darners

 
August 26, 2013
San Mateo County
Leslie Flint
Sausal Pond at the Windy Hill OSP lower entrance.  The pond had lots of Odes - these are the ones I could ID close to shore.
Flame Skimmer - 5
Cardinal Meadowhawk -2
Common Green Darner - 2
Blue-eyed Darner - 1
Western Pondhawk - many
Blue Dasher - many
Vivid Dancer - 2
Bluet sp. 1 - way off the trail under the oaks
……. 
Humboldt County
Van Duzen River
Bison Snaketail – one, his abdomen had a distinctive sideways kink in it
Pale-faced Clubskimmers – several, very active
Common Green Darners - a bunch 
Sooty Dancers
Flame Skimmer - 1 (in passing)
Paddle Tailed Darner 
Northern or Boreal Bluet
…….
Santa Cruz County
Matthew and Cricket Dodder
Long Ridge OSP pond
DESERT FIRETAILS – 5, males were clambering for the attention of a lone female, some mating and ovipositing. Lifer for both Cricket and me.
PACIFIC FORKTAIL 
BLUET species
…
Santa Clara County

coming down from the hill in a tiny sunlit creek beside the road

BLACK-FRONTED FORKTAILS, a pair

FLAME SKIMMERS, two males

 
August 25, 2013
San Diego County

Jay Keller

Greenwood Cemetery

Black Saddlebags - photographed
Blue Dasher - photographed
Pacific Forktail – male, imm. Female, photographed
Green Darner
Sooty Dancer
Black-fronted Forktail
Mexican Amberwing
Unidentified Exuvia (Blue Dasher?)
…..
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bigsnest Pond & yard
Flame Skimmer
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Pacific Spiketail
Pacific Forktail
Western Forktail
…….
Santa Barbara County
Peter Gaede 
Red Rock area this afternoon off Paradise Road in; temps ranged from 85-91 degrees.
*California Spreadwing Archilestes californicus - One male seen in overhanging vegetation along edge of river.
Other odes seen today included most of the "regular" dragons that have been seen here recently this summer:  
Common Green Darner (8)
Giant Darner (1)
Blue-eyed Darner (3)
Serpent Ringtail (5)
*Western River Cruiser Macromia magnifica (2) [last report 2013]
Blue Dasher (6)
Western Pondhawk (2)
Flame Skimmer (30+)
Red Rock Skimmer (10, including ovipositing females)
Black Saddlebags (1)
Desert Firetail
CA/Aztec Dancers
Vivid Dancers
Sooty Dancers
Black-fronted Forktail
Bluets species
…….
Humboldt County
Tony Vanderkamper
Van Duzen River
Anax junius, all I saw, but lots of them. Dozens patrolling up and down the river. As if they've either driven the other species out or eaten up the competition.
 
August 23, 2013

San Joaquin County

Matthew Dodder

Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Mateca, making sure they treated my father in law like the super-dad he is. They obliged for the most part, but didn't seem eager to let me explore the drainage behind the hospital with binoculars. A security guy on a bike told me to leave...

But before I left I spotted a few Odes:

Common Green Darner (abundant)

Blue-eyed Darner (1)

Black Saddlebags (2)

Variegated Meadowhawk (4)

…….
Monterrey County

Julie Bannister Chen

Salinas

Common green darner
 
August 19, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River

Walker’s Darner –female perching up high in a tree, easily 3 or 4 meters
 
August 18, 2013
Bernardino County 
Brian Daniels
Whitewater River Preserve to Twentynine Palms and then back to the San Jacinto Wildlife Area. 
Roseate Skimmer Orthemis ferruginous  - male at the 29 Palms Inn in Twentynine Palms CA Chart #98, OC# 403302

Flame Skimmers 1 or 2

The Whitewater River Preserve

Flame Skimmer, 25

Common Green Darner, 4

Blue-eyed Darner, 15

Red Rock Skimmer, 4

White-belted Ringtail, 3

Blue Dasher, 1

Vivid Dancer, 1

unidentified damsels, 20 or so

One trail (less than 100 meters) between ponds at the San Jacinto Wildlife Area was very active (wind sheltered area)

Blue-eyed Darners, 10

Common Green Darners, 5

Variegated Meadowhawks, 20

Red-tailed Pennants, 2

Blue Dashers, 20

Western Pondhawks, 5

Spot-winged Gliders, 5

Black Saddlebags, 50

Red Saddlebags, 4

Flame Skimmers, 10

 
August 18, 2013
Lassen County
Doug Danforth
Ash Creek Campground
*River Bluets Enallagma anna- [last report 2013]
 
August 17, 2013
San Diego County

Jay Keller

Lakeside

Pacific Forktail - photographed

Otay Valley

Common Green Darner – photographed in flight, another photo

Grantville

Pacific Forktail – male photographed

 
August 16, 2013
Santa Clara County
Brooke A. Miller

Stevens Creek Trail, north of 101

Black-fronted Forktail

…….

Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson

Santa Ynez River

Looked for 8-spot again, couldn’t find it, did find

California/Aztec Dancer - male

Giant Darner – male, my first

Western Pondhawk – female

Serpent Ringtail - male

…….

Santa Clara County

Matthew Dodder and friend Brian

Matadero Creek, today during lunch. We found the following species along the channel beside the creek, as well as in the marsh:

Cardinal Meadowhawk (3)

*Red-veined Meadowhawk Sympetrum madidum (1) [last report 2013]

Variegated Meadowhawk (8)

Blue-eyed Darner (6)

Common Green Darner (6)

*Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis (1) [last report 2013]

August 14, 2013
Santa Clara County
Brooke A. Miller

Stevens Creek Trail, north of 101

Vivid Dancer

Black-fronted Forktail

Blue-eyed Darner

…….

Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson

a 5 mile stretch of the upper Santa Ynez River

Before heading out, I looked at Google Maps and tried to identify all areas that still had water.

I visited eight spots (no pun!) in the four hours I was present (noon--4pm). Temps ranged from 89-100 degrees F.

The highlight was a first county Eight-spotted Skimmer, a male that was photographed several hundred yard upriver of the first river crossing.
Flame Skimmer -- 52
Blue-eyed Darner -- 3
Common Green Darner -- 1
Western River Cruiser -- 5
Gray Sanddragon -- 3
Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis – 1 male photographed, CA Chart #120, OC# 403130

Serpent Ringtail -- 1 male
Giant Darner -- 2
Western Pondhawk -- 10 (9 of which were males)
Desert Firetail -- 5
California/Aztec Dancer -- 20+
Vivid Dancer -- 20+
Lavender Dancer -- 1
Sooty Dancer -- 25
Pacific Forktail -- 1 male
Bluet sp. -- 50+
The last three stops produced very little, which surprised me very much as these spots are usually very productive.

In the past couple of weeks, I've seen several River Cruisers here along with other species.

Even though it was still very warm, it was close to 4 pm; have you noticed that in hot places odes become less active as the afternoon wears on?

…….

Sacramento County

Tim Manolis and Leslie Flint 
American River section near the High School.  
We were looking for Olive Clubtail. We shook the trees and bushes and walked quite a bit, 
Common Green Darners - at least 2 pairs in wheel, 
*Widow Skimmers Libellula luctuosa - several [last report 2013]
bluets galore.  
Tim had seen only Olive Clubtail exuvia and no flying adults at all yet this year.  When we found another clubtail exuvia, I think Tim hoped I would be happy with that.  
Well I thought maybe too early or too dry or another year perhaps.  
So just as we had turn around to go back to the car, there one was just one foot above the ground about 10 feet away.  It stayed a moment and then flew off over the river! 
Olive Clubtail Stylurus olivaceus  – Tim’s first one seen flying this year. [last report 2013] 
 
August 13, 2013
Marin County

Len Blumin

pond behind the Tiburon Library, just past Mar West. Good parking, and excellent viewing spots for watching and photography.

The expected species were present and could be viewed closely in good light, including:

Blue-eyed Darner (2-3)

Common Green Darner (1-2, flight only)

Black Saddlebags (1, flight only)

Variegated Meadowhawks (3-4, including a tandem pair ovipositing)

Cardinal Meadowhawk (6-8)

Flame Skimmer (8-10)

Eight-spotted Skimmer (102)

Damselflies - several, unidentified, mostly staying well within the vegetation to avoid predation.

Video of the Blue-eyed Darner cleaning his eyes: http://youtu.be/gmORCMyErdM or http://www.flickr.com/photos/lenblumin/9508545597/in/photostream/?likes_hd=1

…….

Santa Clara County

Matthew Dodder

Matadero Creek, Palo Alto, 2 pm

I did a quick tour on the east side of Hwy 101. This section is also called Mayfield Slough. Activity was much higher than a week ago, perhaps because much of the habitat on the west side of the highway has been cleared of vegetation.
Common Green Darner
Blue-eyed Darner
Flame Skimmer
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Variegated Meadowhawk
Black Saddlebags

…….

Siskiyou County

Celise Sharpe & Dennis Ball

Cedar Lake below Gumboot Lake

Not too many odes or leps, but beautiful

*shadow darner Aeshna umbrosa [first report 2013]

*variable darner Aeshna interrupta [last report 2013]

saffron-winged Meadowhawk

striped Meadowhawk

band-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum semicinctum – [last report 2013]

emerald sp

damsels – various species

…….
San Diego County

Lakeside

Jay Keller

Black Saddlebags - photographed

August 12, 2013
Santa Clara County
Leslie Flint and Diane, one of the participants on the Dazzling Dragonflies class at Pt Reyes. 
Since we both live on the SF Peninsula, we decided to spend the afternoon exploring the Skyline ponds. Generally it was very slow. Few Odes out and about. 
First we went to the Monte Bello Gate 5 pond 
Striped Meadowhawk - 10+ 
Common Green Darner 5+
Blue-eyed Darner 5+
Black Saddlebags - 1
Flame Skimmer - 2
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 1
Spreadwing sp. (too quick for us to get a good look)
…
San Mateo County
Horseshoe Pond 
Spent a lot of time with damsels and since we weren't catching....
California Dancer - 1+
Northern/Boreal Bluet - 5+
Tule/Arroyo Bluet - 5+
Flame Skimmer - 2
Common Green Darner
Blue-eyed Darner
Western Pondhawk
Blue Dasher (plus one female at the pond itself)
…
Santa Cruz County
Ended up at Long Ridge OSP pond
Desert Firetail - 10+
Pacific Forktail - 10+
Blue-eyed Darner (one perched right in front of us)
…….
San Luis Obispo County
Peter Gaede
Salinas River at Highway 58 east of the town of Santa Margarita I found. The river channel is relatively narrow here, about 30 wide and maybe 4 feet deep.
 The river begins at Santa Margarita Lake a short distance away, approximately 7 miles to the south. 
Western River Cruisers – two - These observations fill a gap between records to the north in Monterey County and the recent records from about a month ago to the south in 
Santa Barbara County. OC# 402974
 
August 11, 2013
 San Mateo County

Karen DeMello

Afternoon - Alpine Pond at Skyline Ridge OSP

Black Saddlebags (including a tandem pair)

Widow Skimmer

Flame Skimmer

Cardinal Meadowhawk

Blue Dasher
Western Pondhawk

Aeshna sp. Darner (oh if only I had a good camera -- it was resting on a reed!)

Common Green Darner

Of course there were damselflies too, but we were chatting and I did not pay them the attention they deserved. 

…….

Mendocino County

Sandra Hunt-von Arb

South Fork of the Eel River, Frank and Bess Smithe Redwood Grove, in northern part of Mendocino, Co.,

A lot of ode activity there,

Sooty Dancers- Thanks to both Cary Kerst and Dennis Paulson for describing the blue form of the Sooty Dancer female- I think I saw my first two- Here is the photograph.

Flame skimmer

Emma's Dancer

*Northern Buet Enallagma annexum (in hand) [last report of 2013]

River Cruiser

Walker's Darners (probably this species - none of which would go in my net- but with the overall white/light looking thorax stripes and face along with paddle type appendages, and typical behavior, I'm pretty sure that's what they were).

…….
San Diego County

Jay Keller

Tijuana River Valley

Black Saddlebags - photographed

Common Green Darner - photographed

Variegated Meadowhawk - photographed

…….

Imperial County

BJ Stacey

Lindo Lake

Desert Firetail
Black Saddlebags
 
August 10, 2013
Marin County
Sandra Hunt-von Arb, Leslie Flint & Pt. Reyes Field Institute Class unt-von H
71649753@N07/9491047532/">   (IH= in hand)
At the Red Barn 
Darner sp.
Cardinal Meadowhawk
spot-winged gliders. 
We spent 2.5hours at the Five Brooks Pond- 
Arroyo Bluet (IH)- few in wheel
Pacific Forktail (IH)
Blue-eyed darner (M&F IH)
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Western Pondhawk (IH)
Blue Dasher
Cardinal Meadowhawk (IH)
Striped Meadowhawk
Black Saddlebags
Spot-winged Glider
Pacific Spiketail!! (IH!!!)
Surprising was the lack of any Flame skimmers and the almost absent damselflies- about a dozen Arroyo Bluets (2 IH), and TWO pacific forktails-- That's It!
…….
San Diego County
Bert Veurink (The Netherlands)
La Jolla
Spot-winged Glider Pantala hymenaea – male photographed, female photographed

…

BJ Stacey

District Wetland—Niland

Comanche Skimmer

…….

Imperial County

BJ Stacey

Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR HQ

Widow Skimmer

Roseate Skimmer
…….

Inyo County

Ron & Barbara Oriti

west side of Owens Dry lake

Comanche Skimmers

Flame Skimmers

Desert Whitetails

Black Saddlebags

Spot-winged Gliders

Western Pondhawks

Blue Dashers

*Hoary Skimmer Libellula nodisticta [last report 2013]

Variegated Meadowhawk

Common Green Darner

Mosaic Darners, probably Blue-eyed

Blackrock Wetlands

Common Green Darners

Mosaic Darners

Western Pondhawks

Blue Dashers

8-Spotted Skimmers

Variegated Meadowhawks

Band-winged Meadowhawks

Black Saddlebags 

 
August 9, 2013
Alameda County

Matthew Dodder

Arroyo Del Valle, Pleasanton

Common Green Darner

Blue-eyed Darner

Blue Dasher

Bluet species

Val Vista Park (windy)

Cardinal Meadowhawk

Common Green Darner

Blue-eyed Darner

*Common Whitetail Plathemis lydia [last report 2013]

…….

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River

Western River Cruisers

Gray Sanddragon

Buffalo snaketail

variegated meadowhawk

Sooty Dancer

I did not see the Walker's female today.

…….
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti

Fish Slough

Black Saddlebags - few

Flame Skimmers - few

Variegated Meadowhawks - few

Band-winged Meadowhawks - few

Blue Dashers - few

Mosaic Darners, sp. - few

Bleached Skimmers  - a couple

 
August 8, 2013
Mariposa County
Hugh Ranson
Tuolumne River, Yosemite
Common Green darner  -- 1
Spreadwing sp. -- 1
Variable Darner sp  -- 8   (3 photos of female in folder--darner #2) 
…
Mono County
Whitmore Hot Springs (Mono)
Desert Whitetail -- 8
Saffron-winged Meadowhawk -- 1 (imm, photo in folder)
Variegated Meadowhawk -- 1
Dancer, Paiute?  -- 1 imm. male (2 photos in folder) At first I thought this was a forktail as it was so tiny.
Benton River Crossing (very windy)
Couldn't find any snaketails.
Flame Skimmer -- 1
Darner sp.  --  1
*Alkali Bluet Enallagma anna -- at least three males and three females, including one olive form (3 photos in folder). [last report 2013]
…….
San Diego County
Bert Veurink (The Netherlands)
La Jolla

Neon Skimmer Libellula croceipennis – female photographed

 
August 7, 2013
Mariposa County
Hugh Ranson
Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite (8,600 feet)
*Four-spotted Skimmer Libellula quadrimaculata -- 1 male [last report 2013]
Spreadwing sp.  --   2 (photo in folder--ideas?)
Darner sp. -- c.10 flying in clearing in pines. One female (2 photos--darner #1-- in folder.) My best guess is Paddle-tailed based on T-spot, location.
Striped Meadowhawk -- 1
Common Green Darner -- 1
…
Mono County
De Chambeau Ponds
Only had 1/2 hour at this fabulous spot due to family remaining in sweltering car. Definitely want to go back when I have more time.
Bleached Skimmer -- 1 male (photo in folder) 
Variegated Meadowhawk  -- c. 10
Flame Skimmer -- c. 20
Western Pondhawk -- 2
Darner sp. -- 6
Black Saddlebags -- 5
Western Forktail -- 1
Pacific Forktail -- 1
Bluet sp. -- many
Eight-spotted Skimmer -- 10+

…….

San Diego County

BJ Stacey

Palomar Mtn SP--Doane Pond

Bluets 

Western Pondhawk

Blue Dasher

 
August 6, 2013
Mono County 
Hugh Ranson
Convict Lake
Saffron-winged Meadowhawk – female photographed

…….

San Diego County

BJ Stacey

House – Santee

Blue Dasher

 
August 5, 2013
Siskiyou County
Dave & Kathy Biggs, Celise Sharpe & Dennis Ball
We went to Juanita Lake in hopes of finding the Canada Darner (last year we’d found a female emerging). We weren’t disappointed. In fact, we weren’t disappointed at all! We also found the first Autumn Meadowhawk of the year and 21-22 species. 
Juanita Lake is just south of Meiss Lake (off Hwy 97) but at a higher elevation.
Northern Spreadwing – 1 male, (in hand ID), the ONLY spreadwing seen!!
*Western Red Damsel Amphiagrion abbreviatum – 2 females seen poorly [last report 2013]
No/Bo Bluet – a few, some others probably this species
Tule Bluet – 1 male, (in hand ID), quite a few others probably this species
Bluet sp – some, not plentiful though

Pacific Forktail – a few

Western Forktail – a few

*California Darner Rhionaeschna californica (in hand ID) – many [last report 2013]
Blue-eyed Dancer (in hand ID) – many
**Canada Darner Aeshna canadensis (1 male in hand) – a 2nd seen was probably this species; others possibly this species. New early flight date by 6 days. This species is rare in California. [this was the only report for 2013]
Paddle-tailed Darner (1 male in hand ID) 
Darner sp – 100s
Eight-spotted Skimmer – a few
Twelve-spotted Skimmer – many                                     
Widow Skimmer – 1 male
Variegated Meadowhawk – many
Saffron-winged Meadowhawk – many
*White-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum obtrusum – several [last report 2013]
Striped Meadowhawk – several
Red-veined Meadowhawk – perhaps this species, awaiting photo proof
Band-winged Meadowhawk
White-faced Meadowhawk – several
*Autumn Meadowhawk Sympetrum vicinum – 3 young/teneral females
Black Saddlebags – 1 male
Thompson Ranch, Weed – this ranch has had Canada Darners in the past
5:30 – VERY windy
Common Green Darner
Pacific Spiketail
 

August 4, 2013

Riverside County

Peter Siminski

Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos Palmas Preserve; Elev. -100’; 7:10-12:20, 75-100F, 15% cirrus, calm to gentle breeze SW.

Powdered Dancer, Argia moesta 1

Blue-ringed Dancer, A. sedula 2

Desert Forktail, Ischnura barberi 1

Rambur’s Forktail, I. ramburii 8

Common Green Darner, Anax junius 5

Red-tailed Pennant, Brachymesia furcata 3

Western Pondhawk, Erythemis collocata >55 including one teneral and one female ovipositing.

Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis >65

Comanche Skimmer, Libellula comanche 18

Flame Skimmer, L. saturata 2

Roseate Skimmer, Orthemis ferruginea 5

Marl Pennant, Macrodiplax balteata >35

Red Saddlebags, Tramea onusta 9 including one tandem pair.

Black Saddlebags, T. lacerata >50 including one teneral and four tandem pairs.

Spot-winged Glider, Pantala hymenaea 2

Note: More young leopard frogs (Lithobates berlandieri) then I have seen here before. Two were eating odes.

August 3, 2013

Siskiyou County
Dave & Kathy Biggs, Celise Sharpe & Dennis Ball
Pondosa, off Hwy 89, extreme SE corner of Siskiyou County; mild temps and breeze, slight overcast (no smoke)
CA/AZ Dancer
Vivid Dancer

No/Bo Bluet

Tule Bluet (in hand)

Black-fronted Forktail – 1 male in hand

Pacific Forktail

Western Forktail

Blue-eyed Darner

Common Green Darner

Pacific Spiketail

Western Pondhawk

Eight-spotted Skimmer – 1 male

Twelve-spotted Skimmer

Variegated Meadowhawk

*Cherry-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum internum [last report 2013]

White-faced Meadowhawk -1 male

Black Saddlebags

……..

Santa Clara County

Leslie Flint  and friends

Did a hike today around Foothill Park Pond  with birding/odeing friends. We found 13 species:
Common Green Darner
Blue Eyed Darner
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Widow Skimmer
Flame Skimmer
Western Pondhawk
Blue Dasher
Black Saddlebags
Variegated Meadowhawk
Red-veined Meadowhawk
Bluet sp.
California Dancer
Pacific Forktail

Amazingly no Cardinal Meadowhawks or Vivid Dancers or Common Whitetails!

……..

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River

*Walker’s Darner Aeshna walkeri – female photographed!!u 

…….

Monterey County

Cricket and Matthrew Dotter

Arroyo Seco Campground and Day Use Area . What a great place that is! Only one of the two lakes currently has water however, so Ode numbers were lower than expected.

Most species were seen along the rocky creek.
Sooty Dancer (many)
Emma's Dancer (5)
Flame Skimmer (1)
Red Rock Skimmer (many)
"Mosaic" Darner sp. (1)
Pale-faced Club Skimmer (2-3)

…….

Imperial County

BJ Stacey and Jay Keller

Yuha Cutoff Canals south end of Imperial County near the Mexican border

*Brimstone Clubtail Stylurus intricatus - observed and photographed a pair in a wheel [ONLY report 2013]

Russet-tipped Clubtail Stylurus plagiatus http://www.flickr.com/photos/71649753@N07/9433889924/in/set-72157634646205354

White-belted Clubtail

Powdered Dancer

New River Wetlands

Russet-tipped Clubtail – male photographed

Mexican Amberwing – female photographed

Comanche Skimmer – female photographed

Roseate Skimmer - female photographed

Widow Skimmer – male photographed

Western Pondhawk – photographed with prey

Blue Dasher – female photographed

Rambur’s Forktail – male, mature female and immature female photographed
Desert Forktail – male photographed
Rambur’s Forktail
White-belted Ringtail
Familiar Bluet
Sunbeam Lake
Blue-ringed Dancer – male photographed
Roseate Skimmer
Blue Dasher
Calixico
Powdered Dancer – male photographed
……
San Diego County
BJ Stacey
Lindo Lake
Blue Dasher
 
August 2, 2013
Shasta County
Dave & Kathy Biggs
We took some time to explore the Sacramento River between Sim's Campground (south of Castella) to Dunsmuir. 
We found aggregates of Green Darners feeding at most locations, mostly on the river, but some river areas had none. Some darners were over fields and I-5. 
Sim's Campground
California Dancer (in hand ID) - ~4, assumed all same species
Sooty Dancer - 1
No/Bo Bluet - 1
Common Green Darner - many
Aeshna sp. - 1
Pacific Spiketail - 1 m
Twelve-spotted Skimmer - 1
Variegated Meadowhawk - 1f ovipositing
Castle Crags Picnic Area
Common Green Darners - ~50 - most looking like females or imm. males
…
Siskiyou County
Our Dragonfly Roost pond in McCloud area
Common Green Darner - 2, where there had been none up until today
Twelve-spotted Skimmer - 1 male
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1 male yesterday
…….
Imperial County
Jay Keller

New River Wetlands

Desert Forktail, male

Rambur's Forktail, male, female

Western Pondhawk (with prey)

Comanche Skimmer, female

Mexican Amberwing, female

Blue Dasher, male

Widow Skimmer, male

Sunbeam Lake

Blue-ringed Dancer, male

Calexico

Powdered Dancer, male

Russet-tipped Clubtail, male

Roseate Skimmer, female

…….

Sacramento County

Tim Manolis

American River

*Olive Clubtail Stylurus olivaceus - exuviae found, but no fliers

 
July
 
July 31, 2013
San Bernardino County 
Bert Veurink (The Netherlands)
Big Morongo Canyon
Flame Skimmer Libellula saturata – female photographed
Vivid Dancer Argia vivida – female photographed
 
July 29, 2013
San Diego County 
Gary Suttle
Poway, Rattlesnake Creek, Old Poway Park (shady parking on Aubrey Street),  11:45-1:00, sunny, light breeze, 77 degrees.
Roseate Skimmer  2 M  
Seldom seen west of the mountains in San Diego County.   First sighting at this location in 5 years of observation, located approximately 6 miles west of a previous sighting at Dos Picos Pond in Ramona on 4-29-13.   
Old Poway Park lies about 15 miles from the coast.   One Roseate Skimmer prefers creekside vegetation just north of the white bridge over the creek.  The other selects creekside perches just south of the northernmost bridge and prickly lettuce stems on the adjacent steep bank east of the creek.  
They occasionally chased one another up and down the creek and then returned to their preferred spots.
Also seen:
Black-fronted Forktail
Vivid Dancer
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Flame Skimmer
Glider sp.
…….
Siskiyou County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
On our way back from Oregon we met a friend at Collier's Rest Stop (I-5 above Yreka). We walked the fence line above the Klamath River and were very disappointed in how few Odes were about.
2 PM, sunny, smoky, still air.
Emma's Dancer - many
California Dancer - a dozen (assumed this species)
Vivid Dancer - 2 dozen, mostly females
NO AMERICAN RUBYSPOTS!!!!!
Eight-spotted Skimmer - ~6
Flame Skimmers - 4-5 inc, one pair in wheel over the parking lot
NO CLUBTAILS!!
 
July 28, 2013 
Lake County
George Chaniot
Tule Lake (39.489304, -123.0353308) in the Mendocino National Forest on Forest Route 19N51 in extreme NW Lake County near Sanhedrin Mountain.
Tule Lake is about 3 acres, and at this time of a dry year consists of a meadow of waist-deep sedges over firm, damp mud with a ring of six-foot bullrushes on the west side.  
I only found several patches of standing water of about 1 square yard apiece.
Northern Spreadwing Lestes disjunctus - a population there were fairly common.  I saw dozens in small area that I walked through.  
All were males sitting in the sedges, and all looked rather uniform in close-focus binoculars at close range.  
I caught several by hand, and I have put several pictures in this folder in the CalOdes Photos section:  
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CalOdes/photos/album/1508391030/pic/list>
Thanks to Kathy Biggs for confirming the ID. CA Chart #128, OC# tbd
 
July 27, 2013
Bert Veurink (The Netherlands)
San Julian Road
Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum – male photographed
…….
Imperial County

BJ Stacey

Holtville-BLM Hot Springs
Bluets
Paiute Dancer
Blue-ringed Dancer
White-belted Ringtail
 
July 26, 2013
Humboldt County
Tony Westkamper
Van Duzen River
Sooty Dancers, many inc. a blue form female
Bison Snaketails, a few
Western River Cruisers, couple 
Gray Sanddragon (Whose markings are decidedly not gray, but bordering on dull orange)  
…….
Monterrey County 
Bert Veurink (The Netherlands)
Julian Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor– male photographed
Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum – male photographed
…….
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson
one and a half hours in the Red Rock area mid-afternoon. It was quite windy and warm (mid-80s). I visited 3 spots:
Pool at Red Rock trailhead
Western River Cruiser  2
Gray Sanddragon    1
Pool just downstream from Red Rock day use area
Western River Cruiser   at least 3
Giant Darner 2
Common Green Darner  3
Flame Skimmer   5
Western Pondhawk a female. This is the first time I've seen this species in this area.
Gray Sanddragon  3
Sooty Dancer  15
Bluet sp. 10
Serpent Ringtail  1 female, I think (see note at end of post)
Pool above river crossing
Gray Sanddragon    1
Western River Cruiser  1 or 2
Sooty Dancer  3
The presumed female Serpent Ringtail was in brush away from the water. I placed 3 photos in a folder called "Serpent Ringtail." I haven't been able to find many photos of females online, so confirmation would be appreciated.
 
July 25, 2013 
Santa Barbara County 

Nick Lethaby

I followed up Hugh Ranson’s W. River Cruiser sightings in the Red Rock area along the Upper Santa Ynez River this PM for about an hour and a half.

Amazingly for a species that had not been definitely recorded in the county until two days ago, it was one of the commonest dragonflies.

The river was virtually all dry with occasional large pools in some deeper sections. My guess is that these conditions concentrated the WR Cruisers while reducing the numbers of many other species, especially damselflies and Red Rock Skimmers (this one was absent).

Sooty Dancer – 8

Cal/Aztec Dancer – 6

C. Green Darner – 2

Giant Darner – 1

W. River Cruiser – 9+

Serpent Ringtail – 2

Gray Sanddragon – 3

Blue Dasher – 1-2

Flame Skimmer 12+

It will be interesting to see how easy the WRCs are to see in future years when there is more water.

…….
Marin County 
Bert Veurink (The Netherlands)
Tiburon 
Variegated Meadowhawk Sympetrum corruptum – female photographed

…….

Mono County

Ron & Barbara Oriti   

Fish Slough

Black Saddlebags – several

Flame Skimmers – several

Hoary Skimmers – some

Variegated Meadowhawks – some

 
July 24, 2013 

San Diego County

BJ Stacey

Banner Grade
Red Rock Skimmer
Blue Dasher
Flame Skimmer
National City--Greenwood Cemetery
Red-tailed Pennant
Blue Dasher
Pacific Forktail
Santee Lakes
Mexican Amberwing 
Blue Dasher 
Red-tailed Pennant 
Pacific Forktail 
Familiar Bluet
La Jolla Indians Campground
American Rubyspot 
Sooty Dancer 
Vivid Dancer 
Pale-faced Clubskimmer 
…….
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
River Spring

*Black Meadowhawks Sympetrum danae - Lots [last report 2013]

Blue-eyed Darners - Lots

Paddle-tailed Darners  - Lots 

Saffron-winged Meadowhawks - Some

Flame Skimmers - Some

Hoary Skimmers - Couple

8-spotted Skimmers - Couple

4-spotted Skimmers- Couple

Variegated Meadowhawks - Couple

Benton Crossing......

*Great Basin Snaketails Ophiogomphus morrisoni - some [last report 2013]

Cherry-faced Meadowhawks  - some

Saffron-winged Meadowhawks  - some

Mosaic Darners, sp.  - some

  
July 23, 2013 
San Diego County 

Doug Aguillard and BJ Stacey

We went looking for some uncommon County Odes. Starting on the San Luis Rey river below Mt. Palomar

Sooty Dancers (rare in the County), a large number

Vivid Dancers, a few

Flame Skimmer, one

Pale-faced Clubskimmers, several

Then it was towards Julian, to a known location for Black Spreadwings and Red-veined Meadowhawks.(both extreme rarities),only to find that the small wetland that they are found at- completely dried up.

Down the Banner Grade, to the east of Julian along a creek, and BJ found

Red Rock Skimmer, one

Flame Skimmer, one

Blue Dashers several

We then ventured to the coastline and to Greenwood Cemetery in San Diego and found 2

Red-tailed Pennants, 2

Blue Dashers, several

Mexican Amberwing, one

Pacific Forktails, a few

…….
Santa Barbara County 
Hugh Ranson
two hours along the Santa Ynez River along Paradise Road. 91 to 95 degrees F. 
I saw several large, very fast moving dragons that had me puzzled, and I finally began to suspect they were Western River Cruisers, a species hitherto unrecorded in the county, 
I saw a minimum of five individuals at three locations along the river. I managed to procure one poor photo [photo shows the necessary ID marks – kb, tm].
Western River Cruiser Macromia magnifica  5+ CA Chart #120, OC# 402110
*Serpent Ringtail Erpetogomphus lampropeltis 1 seen very well (and photographed) just upriver from the first river crossing.
Gray Sanddragon  2
Flame Skimmer 30
Sooty Dancer 15
Vivid dancer 30
CA/Aztec Dancer 6
Bluet sp.  20
 
July 22, 2013 
Siskiyou County 
Kathy & Dave Biggs, Tim & Annette Manolis
Pumice Stone Well in the Medicine Lake Highlands/Harris Springs Area
The water was mostly confined to the main pond, but a few areas nearby held a little water. Windy.
Northern Spreadwing – few, 2 males in-hand
*Emerald Spreadwing Lestes dryas – some, a male & a female in-hand [last report 2013]
*Lyre-tipped Spreadwing  Lestes unguiculatus – 2 males in-hand [ONLY report 2013]
*Boreal Bluet Enallagma boreale – few, a male in-hand [last certain report 2013]
Western Forktail – few, males in-hand, NO females seen!!
Variable Darner – some, several males & females in-hand
Common Green Darner – few
*Mountain Emerald Somatochlora semicircularis – 20-30, several in-hand; maybe twice that # floating dead  [last report 2013]
No American Emeralds seen – usually 3 out 4 emeralds at Pumice Stone Well are Americans!
*Dot-tailed Whiteface Leucorrhinia intacta – a dull female seen, another whiteface male seen, perhaps this species [last report 2013]
12-spotted Skimmer – 1 male
Variegated Meadowhawk – 1-2
Striped Meadowhawk – some, a male & a female in-hand; many seen taking ‘maiden flight’
Also seen: a Bald Eagle, Long-toed Salamander pups, Fairy Shrimp and tons of Chorus Froglets & pollywogs
We had looked for Pygmy Short-horned Lizards at nearby Grasshopper Flat but didn’t find any – probably already too hot out.
…….
Mariposa County 
Bert Veurink (The Netherlands)
Yosemite- near Vernal Falls
Pacific Spiketail - Cordulegaster dorsalis – male photographed
…
Tuolumne County
Moccasin 
Spot-winged Glider - Pantala hymenaea – female photographed
 
July 21, 2013 
San Diego County

BJ Stacey

Sandia Creek
Familiar Bluet
July 20, 2013 
Sacramento County

Matthew Dodder

Cosumnes River Preserve

Blue-eyed Darner

Common Green Darner (very common)

Widow Skimmer

Black Saddlebags

Spot-winged Glider (dozens)

Variegated Meadowhawk (abundant)

Blue Dasher (dozens)

Pacific Forktail

…….

Shasta County 
Kathy & Dave Biggs, Celise Sharp & Dennis Ball, Dennis Deck
During the Lassen Butterfly Count, Cold Boiling & Crumbaugh Lakes
Spreadwing sp – few

No/Bo Bluet – some

Common Green Darner – few

Variable Darner – several in-hand

*American Emerald Cordulia shurtleffii – one male in-hand [last report 2013]

Mountain Emerald – one female in-hand

*Ringed Emerald Somatochlora albicincta – one male in-hand – this species has been found in the park once before at nearby Summit Lake. [ONLY report 2013]

Emerald sp – many flying at both lakes. This is the only site, other than Gumboot Lake, in CA that I know of that has all three Emeralds!!

*Crimson-ringed Whiteface Leucorrhinia glacialis – ABUNDANT – easily over a thousand and lots of pairs ‘in-wheel’ [last report 2013]

*Hudsonian Whiteface Leucorrhinia hudsonica  – a few [last report 2013

White-faced Meadowhawk – 4-5, two in-hand at Crumbaugh Lake

Interesting was that there were NO 4-spotted or 12-spotted Skimmers, nor any other Meadowhawks, although the lakes were teeming with Whitefaces.

…

*Black Petaltail Tanypteryx hageni was reported by Ray Bruun & Rob Santry, who were at Spencer Meadows during the count and 3 others by Paul Johnson who was elsewhere. [last report 2013]

 
July 19, 2013 
Mono County
Leslie Flint
Benton Crossing 
Saffron-winged Meadowhawk …but there was absolutely nothing else there! As I was leaving I saw a small damsel and got a terrible shot of an 
Emma's Dancer!
…
Alpine County
Grass Lake (mostly grass, not much lake) on Hwy 89 near Luther Pass
White-faced Meadowhawks (30+); many in wheel 
Spotted Spreadwings – some

…….

San Diego County

BJ Stacey

Santa Margarita Preserve

Pale-faced Clubskimmer
 
July 18/19, 2013 
Los Angeles County
Hugh Ranson
LA River on the 18th 
Wandering Gliders - six 
near the dam at Puddingstone Reservoir in Bonelli Park on the 19th 
Red-tailed Pennant (photo) - one
Black-fronted Forktails - several
bluets - a couple
 
July 18, 2013
Mono County
Leslie Flint
Benton Crossing Road at the Owens River (BC), a river access area just south of there (OW), Fish Sloug,h north of Bishop (FS).
Saffron-winged Meadowhawk - 2 (BC)
*Great Basin Snaketail Ophiogomphus morrisoni 4 (BC) [last report 2013]
Variegated Meadowhawk (several in all locations)
Cherry-faced Meadowhawk (OW) - 4
Flame Skimmer (all locations) 5-10
Hoary Skimmer Libellula nodisticta  (FS) 10 
Black Saddlebags (all locations) 5-10

Western Red Damsel (OW) 1

bluets several, still trying to ID
…….
Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson, Peter Gaede, and Nick Lethaby

Zaca Lake. This is the largest natural lake in the county.

Most significant sightings were decent numbers of Widow Skimmer (this is currently the only know regular site in the county) and the first Pacific Spiketail for the San Rafael Mountain range (all previous records were from the Santa Ynez Range).

Vivid Dancer – 5+ on Zaca Creek

Arroyo Bluet – 10 confirmed in hand

Northern Bluet – 2 confirmed in hand

Many other bluets seen but all appeared to be Northern/Arroyo types

Pacific Forktail – 20+

Pacific Spiketail - 1 on Zaca Creek

Blue-eyed Darner – 2-3

Blue Dasher – 85+

Widow Skimmer – 8, incl. ovipositing female, highest ever count for Santa Barbara County

Flame Skimmer – 15

Black Saddlebags – 3 males

Other sightings of interest: Black Bear. A large cub feeding on a cow carcass on the entrance.

Butterflies included Satyr Comma, W. Tiger Swallowtail, Lorquin’s Admiral, California Sister, Acmon Blue, California Dogface, and Woodland Skipper

…….
Colusa County 
Bert Veurink (The Netherlands)
Bear Creek 
Black Saddlebags - Tramea lacerata – photographed
Familiar Bluet – Enallagma civile – males photographed
Variegated Meadowhawk Sympetrum corruptum - photographed
Flame Skimmer Libellula saturata – males photographed
Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata – males and females photographed
Western River Cruiser Macromia magnifica – male photographed
Gray Sanddragon Progomphus borealis – pair in cop photographed
Sooty Dancer - Argia lugens – male photographed
American Rubyspot - Hetaerina americana – photographed 
Giant Darner - Anax walsinghami – male photographed
White-belted Ringtail - Erpetogomphus compositus – male photographed
 
July 17, 2013 
Siskiyou County 
Kathy & Dave Biggs, Celise Sharp & Dennis Ball
Orr Lake, near Bray, NE of Weed, off Hwy. 97, & marsh along road into Bray
Emerald Spreadwing – some
*Northern Spreadwing Lestes disjunctus – some
Vivid Dancer – few
No/Bo Bluet – some
Pacific Forktail – few
Western Forktail – some
Common Green Darner – some
Darner Sp. – small and ‘grayish’ – probably a California Darner, one male
Paddle-tailed Darner – two males in hand, others likely this species
Blue-eyed Darner – few
Great Basin Snaketail – some, all were males, most were eating damselflies, inc. one pair in wheel!!
Western Pondhawk – few
Dot-tailed Whiteface – some
Eight-spotted Skimmer – many 
Twelve-spotted Skimmer – some
Four-spotted Skimmer – few
Saffron-­winged Meadowhawk – many
Variegated Meadowhawk – some
*Black Meadowhawk Sympetrum danae – some
Cherry-faced Meadowhawk – some
White-faced Meadowhawk – one male
Band-winged Meadowhawk – many
Striped Meadowhawk – few
Black Saddlebags – few
Not bad – 24 species! 
Also seen:  imm. Bald and Golden Eagles, Red Crossbill pair, Clark’s Nutcrackers, White Pelicans, and scads and scads of Wood Nymph Butterflies (Co. or Gt. Basin)
 …
Tim & Annette Manolis
Shasta Valley Wildlife Area but it was so super-windy there it made ode-watching a challenge.  
But we did see some amazing concentrations of odes collecting in dense concentrations in the lee of stands of trees, etc.  
Band-winged Meadowhawks 100s at the parking lot near the Little Shasta River bridge 
Red-veined Meadowhawks dozens by the office building.  There were actually some of each at both spots, but it was interesting to see that they sorted out a bit by site.  
They were sitting low, to avoid being blown out of the county, so we could walk right up to them.  
Widow Skimmers were abundant, 100s seen, at Bass Lake 
8-spots just a few though.  
Black Saddlebags were everywhere, in the 100s.  We saw lesser numbers of other stuff, like 
Flame Skimmers, 
Blue Dashers, p
Pondhawks
Variegated Meadowhawks, etc.  
…
Terri & Jay Thesken
Upper Boulder Lake, Northern Trinity Alps, just above East Boulder Lake
Black Petaltail – a male photographed, perhaps a new location
….….
Imperial County
Doug Aguillard and BJ Stacey 
Imperial Valley. Really surprised by low numbers of Odes, except for Mexican Amberwings.
Starting at the West Main Canal west of Calexico, we had:
White-belted Ringtail - 1
*Russet-tipped Clubtails Stylurus plagiatus - 2
Mexican Amberwing - 1
Blue-ringed Dancers - 2
American Rubyspot - 1
*Powdered Dancers Argia moesta - 8
Then off to the Holtville Hot Springs
Roseate Skimmers  - 3
Blue Dashers - 20
Widow Skimmers - 2
Western Pondhawks - 4
Familiar Bluets - 6
Powdered Dancers  - 4
New River Wetlands Project
Mexican Amberwings -100+
Widow Skimmers - 10
Black Saddlebags -1
Western Pondhawks – 20+
Blue Dashers – 40+
Rambur's Forktails - 20
Familiar Bluets - 20
Blue-ringed Dancers – 2 
Sunbeam Lake
Widow Skimmers - 3
Western Pondhawks  - 6
Mexican Amberwings - 3
Rambur's Forktails - 4
Blue-ringed Dancers - 2
Familiar Bluets  - 7
Powdered Dancers - 3 …
San Diego County
Flynn Springs County Park ()
Flame Skimmers  - 8-10
Vivid Dancer
…….
Inyo County
Leslie Flint and Ron & Barbara Oriti
Stopped at springs on the west side of Owens Dry Lake (ODL), several spots along Mazourka Canyon Road south of Independence, Black Rock Wetlands, north of Independence and Klondike Lake (KL) and in the late afternoon some ponds/springs just east of Bishop. Ode numbers were low - it was windy and hot
Comanche skimmers (ODL) - 50+ (lifer)
Bleached skimmers (KL) - 20+ (lifer)
Hoary Skimmer (KL) 2-4
Variegated Meadowhawk - several places
Black Saddlebags - numerous in several places
Flame Skimmer - everywhere
Band-winged Meadowhawks (near Bishop)
Desert Whitetail (KL) 4-6
Western Pondhawk - several places
Spot-winged Glider - 50+ (near Bishop)
Blue-eyed Darner - several (near Bishop)
2 female darners posted below that there is still some discussion about seen near Bishop
Western Forktail - 2 - (ODL)
…….
Orange County
Mike Clayton
San Joaquin Marsh

Pacific Forktail

…….
San Francisco County 
Bert Veurink (The Netherlands)
San Francisco (City)
Variegated Meadowhawk - Sympetrum corruptum – photographed
Ft. Point, SF

*San Francisco Forktail - Ischnura gemina - males and females photographed – 51 counted [last report 2013]

Land’s End, SF
Black-fronted Forktail – Ischnura denticollis – photographed – 10 counted
 
July 16, 2013 
Siskiyou County 

Kathy & Dave Biggs, Celise Sharp & Dennis Ball, + MO at Sugar Ranch
Key to our sightings: S=Sugar Creek, Etna, private ranch, quite a bit west of I-5

B=en route to Bolivar Lookout above Callahan

N=Nelson Ranch (Nature Conservancy land) near Big Springs (east of I-5)
American Rubyspot - N
Spreadwing (Lestes) sp. - S
CA/AZ Dancer - N
Vivid Dancer - S, N
Tule Bluet - S, N
No/Bo Bluet - S
Pacific Forktail - S
Western Forktail - S
Common Green Darner - S
Darner (Aeshna) sp - green faced, probably Paddle-tailed, at Beaver Pond - S
Blue-eyed Darner - S
Bison Snaketail - S
Great Basin Snaketail - N @ Shasta Rv.
Pacific Spiketail - B
Western Pondhawk - S
Crimson-ringed Whiteface - S  **This was at only 3100' elevation!! Totally unexpected!!
Eight-spotted Skimmer - S
Twelve-spotted Skimmer - S
Flame Skimmer - S
Widow Skimmer - S
Common Whitetail - S
Blue Dasher - S
Variegated Meadowhawk - S, N
Cardinal Meadowhawk - S
*Cherry-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum internum - S
*White-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum obtrusum - S
Band-winged Meadowhawk - S
Black Saddlebags - S, N
A great day! We showed the folks at the Ranch on Sugar Creek 23 species....SWEET indeed, and saw 28 species in all for our day list. The Great Basin Snaketails were lifers for our friends Celise Sharp and Dennis Ball.

…….

Mono County

Leslie Flint

Benton Crossing (at the Owen's River), then Whitmore Hot Springs (WHS) and Leighton Springs (SL) 
Great Basin Snaketail (10) at the Owens River/Benton Crossing Road
Desert Whitetail (100+) (WHS)
Western Pondhawk (10) WHS
Variegated Meadowhawk (10) WHS 
Flame Skimmer - (5) LS
Vivid Dancer (6) LS
…
Inyo County
Leslie Flint, Ron and Barbara Oriti
Bishop area - Owen's River/canal areas late in the afternoon. 
We ran into a swarm of hundreds of dragonflies eating small gnat-like insects and others sitting in the small bushes out of the wind.
Band-winged Meadowhawks 100+
Spot-winged Gliders - 50+
we watched with amazement as a Common Green Darner snatched a Spot-winged Glider out of the air and then tumbled to the ground with it - too heavy? - we were so astonished that the picture I took isn't great but interesting. You can see that the Green is on its head in this pic. Shortly after, the Green recovered and lifted off to the top of the nearby tree to have dinner.
Black Saddlebags - 20+
Blue-eyed Darners - 10+
Variegated Meadowhawks - 10+
Common Green Darner - 10
Variegated Meadowhawk - 20+
 
July 15, 2013 
San Francisco County 
Gert Veurink (from the Netherlands

Ft. Point, near the bridge

San Francisco forktails - dozens
 

July 14, 2013

Imperial County

BJ Stacey

Sunbeam Lake County Park

Blue Dasher

Mexican Amberwing

 
July 13, 2013 
Colusa County 
Tim Manolis + MO inc. Leslie Flint
Sacramento Audubon fieldtrip to Bear Valley Creek led by Tim Manolis today. A good time was had by all.
Took a little while but we found a great stretch of the creek with good quality water where we had a great variety of Odes.  Giant Darner - 3+ 
Common Green Darner - 6
Western River Cruiser - 1 (lifer for Leslie!!)
Pale-faced Club Skimmer - 1
White-belted Ringtail - 2
Gray Sanddragon - 2 (seen after everyone else had left)
Flame Skimmer - 20-30+
Widow Skimmer - 3-4
Black Saddlebags - 6
Western Pondhawk - 12
Variegated Meadowhawk - 100s
Spot-winged Glider - a few 
California Dancer
Sooty Dancer - many 
Tule Bluet - many
Familiar Bluet
Pacific Forktail 
Western Forktail – about 10
Desert Firetail - 2
American Rubyspot - 2 (after others had left)
…….

Tehama County

Rob Santry, Ray Bruun & Ken A. Wilson

Near Spencer Meadow, Lassen NP

Mountain Emerald Somatochlora semicircularis – http://www.flickr.com/photos/santry/9287702281/sizes/l/in/contacts/ male photographed, CA Chart #55, OC # 410545

…….
Santa Cruz County 
Mike Dame, Eddie Dunbar, Scott Peden

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Felton Insect Photography Walk & Talk

*Exclamation Damsel Zoniagrion exclamationis – 1 male photographed [last report 2013]
…….

Mendocino County

Ron LeValley

Rancheria Creek along Highway 128

Bison Snaketail

…….
San Francisco County 
Bert Veurink (The Netherlands)
Land’s End, SF
Black-fronted Forktail – Ischnura denticollis – photographed – 10 counted

…….

Imperial County

BJ Stacey

Schrimpf Rd Cove

Blue Dasher

July 11, 2013

Imperial County

BJ Stacey

Bard--Living Water Ministries

Powdered Dancer

Picacho SRA

Powdered Dancer

Blue Dasher

Mexican Amberwing
 
July 12, 2013 
Humboldt County 
Hugh Ranson
late morning/early afternoon along the Mad River at Blue Lake yesterday. I saw several lifers.
Upriver from the fish hatchery:
Bison Snaketail 8+ --ph
Western River Cruiser 1--ph
Am. Rubyspot  10+
Emma's Dancer 20+
Western Pondhawk  1
Variegated Meadowhawk  10
I then went to a small, well-vegetated pond formed in an oxbow of the river, about a 1/4 mile upriver from the bridge. I only had half an hour here--wished it had been much longer:
Western Forktail (2)
Pacific Forktail (2)
California Dancer 4+
Emma's Dancer  2 
Twelve-spotted Skimmer 4
Eight-spotted Skimmer  3
Widow Skimmer  3
Common Whitetail  1
Flame Skimmer   4
Variegated Meadowhawk  8
Western Pondhawk  2
Bluet sp. 6
Spreadwing sp (small) 3
Small darner, presumed California 1
Common Green Darner 1
……..
Siskiyou County 

Kathy & Dave Biggs

Soda Springs on Squaw Creek, McCloud

We had hoped to find Hoary Skimmers, but, alas no

Bluet sp. – a few females
Western Forktail – several
Pacific Forktail – a few
Twelve-spotted Skimmer – 3-4
Common Whitetail - MANY
Variegated Meadowhawk 8
Cardinal Meadowhawk – one drop dead super gorgeous male photographed
Black Saddlebags – 1-2 males
Clubtail sp. – quick glance of one on the upper part of the creek, looked the most like a White-belted Ringtail (we’ve never seen a Clubtail here before!)
At their Mt. Shasta Forest, McCloud pond:
No/Bo Bluet – 3 males, a first for the pond. Photos taken, hope to ID later
12-spotted Skimmer – 1 male
…….
Modoc County
Steve Rottenborn 
North Fork of the Pit River, NE of Alturas
*River Jewelwing Calopteryx aequabilis – 1 male (photo taken) [last report 2013]
*Pale Snaketail Octogomphus severus – 1 male (photo taken) [last report 2013]
 
July 11, 2013.
Sierra County
Alex Rinkert 
Highway 49 at Hamlin Creek
*River Bluets Enallagma anna 3 
 

July 10, 2013

San Diego County

BJ Stacey

Mission Trails--Kumeyaay Lake

Pacific Forktail

Santee--Mast Park

Pacific Forktail

Blue Dasher

Mexican Amberwing
 
July 8, 2013 

Mono County

Ron & Barbara Oriti

Benton Crossing

Great Basin Snaketail      

Saffron-winged Meadowhawk  

…….
Orange County
Mike Clayton
San Joaquin Marsh

Variegated Meadowhawk

Spot-winged Glider

 
July 7, 2013 
Humboldt County 

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen river walk.

Gray Sanddragon

Western River Cruiser

American Rubyspot

Emma's Dancer

Sooty Dancer

…….

Colusa County

Leslie Flint

Bear Creek

White-belted Ringtail a few nice pics of a female that actually perched on a stick instead of on the ground

Common Whitetail a female that wanted to sit in the shade (as did I)

Variegated Meadowhawks all too numerous

…….

Los Angeles County

Sandra Hunt-von Arb

Catalina Island - Four species during a tour!

Wandering glider

flame skimmer

cardinal Meadowhawk

blue type darner

…….

San Diego County

BJ Stacey

Saturn Blvd. & Sunset Ave

Blue-eyed Darner

Hollister Pond

Blue Dasher

……..

Los Angeles County

John Garrett

Santa Anita Canyon trail between Chantry Flat and Winter Creek Trail

Pacific Spiketail – female

 
July 6, 2013 

Plumas County

Matthew Matthiessen & Stan Snyder

Willow Lake

Northern Bluet

Boreal Bluet

Western Forktail

Pacific Forktail

*Sedge Sprite Nehalennia irene (one individual netted and photographed) [ONLY report 2013]

Common Green Darner 

Variable Darner

Pacific Spiketail (seen along the dirt road into Willow Lake)

American Emerald

Four-spotted Skimmer

*Chalk-fronted Corporal Ladona julia [last report 2013]

Hudsonian Whiteface

Dot-tailed Whiteface

Variegated Meadowhawk

Twelve-spotted Skimmer

 
July 5, 2013 
Santa Clara County 
Leslie Flint
Los Gatos Creek Trail
I was hoping to see Western River Cruiser reported by Matthew Dodder last week. I did see an Ode that might have been, cruising close to the edge of the Creek but moved along so quickly, I couldn't be sure. 
Variegated Meadowhawk - dozens
Flame Skimmer - dozens
Widow Skimmer - dozens
Common Whitetail - 2
Western Pondhawk - 10+
Blue Dasher - 10+
Black Saddlebags - 10+
Pale-faced Clubskimmer – female photographed
Common Green Darner - 3
Mosaic Darner - smallish - perhaps California
California Dancers - dozens
Vivid Dancer - a few
Pacific Forktail - 2
…….
Mono County 
Ron Oriti
Fish Slough
*Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna palmata – male photographed
July 4, 2013 
Marin County
Liam O'Brien 
Bolinas Ridge
Exclamation Damsel 
……. 
San Mateo County
Brooke A. Miller

Went out in the heat of mid-day to look at dragonflies at Alpine Pond at Skyline Ridge OSP in. Found 11 species!

Flame Skimmer

Blue Dasher

Western Pondhawk

Widow Skimmer

Common Whitetail 

Eight-spotted Skimmer

Blue-eyed Darner

Common Green Darner

California Dancer

Familiar Bluet 

Tule Bluet

…….

San Diego County

Ken Wilson

Anza-Borrego SP, Coyote Creek

Roseate Skimmer – photos taken

Flame Skimmer

 
July 3, 2013 

Tehama County

Wilson Lake 
Peter Gaede
*Saffron-winged Meadowhawks Sympetrum costiferum (5 males) were flying on the west side of the lake. 
Many of the same species that I previously reported were seen again, with the addition of 
American Emeralds - few 
Black Saddlebags – one
…….
Orange County
Mike Clayton
Riley WT pond
Neon Skimmer Libellula croceipennis
July 2, 2013 
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson
Rattlesnake Canyon - morning. At the meadow (high above the creek at c. 1500 feet) there were numerous hunting dragonflies at 9 a.m. 
Pacific Spiketails - I saw five in one field of view, but there were obviously many more. Common Green and Blue-eyed/Walker's Darners. 
On the way back down the trail, I saw four more Spiketails, three cruising the creek and one along the trail.
…….

Los Angeles County

Robb Hamilton

West Fork San Gabriel River 
Giant Darner – my first, woah! Not mistaking that one for anything else around here. There were two males at a large pool, at the junction with Bear Creek.
*Grappletail Octogomphus specularis -1 flying around overhead [last report 2013]
Pacific Spiketail – five
American Rubyspot – males and females
 
July 1, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River (40d 29' 52.11N 123d 59' 49.80"W) It's been a slow couple of weeks lately

Western River Cruisers (2 or more)
Bison Snaketails (saw 2)
California Dancer - female photographed
Sooty Dancer - a very pretty female (Lots of glossy black with some iridescence)
American Rubyspot - 1 male 
Gray Sanddragon – probably this species 
…….
Lassen County
Tim and Annette Manolis

Amadee Hot Springs, near Wendel

This place has possibilities!  Reminds me of the hot springs in Modoc County in the Surprise Valley.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to spend as much time there as I would have liked. 

*Alkali Bluet Enallagma clausum -- one male netted, many other bluets seen probably this, but possibly other species, too.
Great Basin Snaketail

Desert Whitetail -- very common, 30+ seen  (also Common Whitetails, and 12 and 8 spots)

Saddlebags? sp?  -- tantalizing glimpses of a fast-flying patrolling male and a tandem ovipositing pair -- they were reds, not black!  Would be first Lassen County record if Red Saddlebags, but actually not seen well enough to eliminate other possibilities

Big blue-gray skimmer on quick flyby -- possibly Comanche or Bleached, but flew by fast and never returned.

Susan River, Susanville

River Jewelwing Calopteryx aequabilis -- about 8

Great Basin Snaketail -- about 10 seen

……..

Inyo County

Ron & Barbara Oriti 

Glacier Lodge Pond

Cardinal Meadowhawk     

 
 
June
 
June 30, 2013

Santa Clara County

Matthew Dodder

Los Gatos Creek Trail in Campbell

Variegated Meadowhawk

Flame Skimmer 

Blue-eyed Darner

Common Green Darner

Widow Skimmer

Black Saddlebags

Eight-spotted Skimmer

Blue Dasher

Western Pondhawk

Western River Cruiser

Northern / Boreal Bluet

California / Aztec Dancer

Pacific Forktail

Spreadwing (species)

…….

Tehama County

Tim and Annette Manolis

Deer Creek Falls, Highway 32

Grappletail -- 1 male

Pacific Spiketail -- 1 patrolling male

 
June 29, 2013

Sonoma County

Kathy & Dave Biggs + MO

Pepperwood Preserve workshop. Twin Ponds, Franz Valley Rd, north of Santa Rosa (not open to the general public)

Red-veined Meadowhawk - ABUNDANT, MANY in wheel and tandem aerial ovipositing (as opposed to dipping to the water level). Several males, females and one pair in hand.

A female deposited dozens of eggs into a participants hand! I am going to try to hand rear them. The eggs are already showing signs of development!

Black Saddlebags - several, we were able to witness the unique 'tramea dance' ovipositing where the male lets the female drop to the water, then she rejoins him, and they repeat the performance.

Western Pondhawk - many, males and females in-hand

Eight-spotted Skimmer - several males

Blue Dasher - males and females in-hand

Common Whitetail - several males

Glider (Pantala) sp.- possibly Wandering Gliders, seen briefly. This species follows weather fronts and after our rain, we had wondered if we'd see them.

Common Green Darner - 1-3 males seen

Pacific Forktail - few, a male in hand

Western Forktail - some, males and females seen

Desert Firetail - 1 male seen

*Black Spreadwing Lestes stultus - many, males and females in hand [last report 2013]

……

San Diego County

Mark Dreiling

Santee Lakes, 32.85437° N 117.00626° W

Red-tailed Pennant Brachymesia furcata

Mexican Amberwing Perithemis intensa

…

BJ Stacey
Hot Springs Mountain
Vivid Dancer

…….

Santa Cruz County

Janet Ellis

Westlake Park at Majors and Bradley in Santa Cruz

Widow Skimmer

Eight-spotted Skimmer

 
June 28, 2013

Santa Clara County

Matthew Dodder

Charleston Slough (mostly in the forebay below the pump house):

Blue-eyed Darner

Common Green Darner

Common Whitetail

Variegated Meadowhawk

Spot-winged Glider (really obvious spots)

 
June 27, 2013

Mariposa County

Leslie Flint

I drove to Yosemite and back (ARG) because Matthew Dodder had seen Hudsonian Whiteface (a lifer for me) at a Meadow on Glacier Point Road 37.67370° N 119.65334° W
got there about 10:00; the activity was much lower than Matthew had reported, but there were still quite a few Odes flying.
hesitated to walk out to the middle of the meadow where there was quite a bit of water because there were so many wildflowers, I didn't want to trample. 
stayed near the road where there was a little pond with about a dozen of the Hudsonians, 2-4 Western Red Damsels and a bluet. 
href="http://www.odonatacentral.org/index.php/MapAction.georef/favorite/OC%20Number:%20401016/latitude/37.67370/longitude/-119.65334">One Crimson-ringed Whiteface visited the pond. Many (dozens) Emeralds were flying; I managed a poor picture (still trying to learn to photo flying odes) which show yellow spots on the thorax - so Mountain Emerald as Matthew indicated in his post. [confirmed by Kathy Biggs, Jim Johnson and Tim Manolis).
Mountain Emerald Somatochlora semicircularis – one male photographed, county record CA Chart # 127, OC# 401016
…….
Shasta County
Peter Gaede
Kings Creek near the Pacific Crest Trail, near the river
Black Petaltail Tanypteryx hageni OC#401378
 
June 26, 2013

Santa Clara County

Leslie Flint

Ogier Ponds - to see if there were any Exclamation Damsels left (not) but did find lots of Pacific Forktails instead.

Flame Skimmer - 10

Widow Skimmer - 6 (one female)

Common Whitetail - 4

Common Green Darner - 6

Blue-eyed Darner - 10

Black Saddlebags - 2

Blue Dasher - 2

Western Pondhawk - 1 mal

Vivid Dancer - many on the path

California Dancer - several

Bluets - didn't get close enough to ID

I didn't stay long as it was blistering hot out there with no shade.

… 

Matthew Dodder

Permanente Creek, between Hwy 101 and Charleston Rd (Google Campus, Mountain View)

Flame Skimmers  (6- males, females, and ovipositing)

Cardinal Meadowhawk (2males)

Widow Skimmer (1 male)

Blue-eyed Darner (1 male)

Common Green Darner (1 female)

…….
Orange County
Mike Clayton
Coto Golf Course
Mexican Amberwing
Red-tailed Pennant
Western Pondhawk
Blue Dasher
…….
San Diego County 
BJ Stacey
Banner Grade
Blue Dasher
Flame Skimmer
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Vivid Dancer
 
June 23, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River (40d 29' 52.11N 123d 59' 49.80"W)

Western River Cruisers (6 or more)
Bison snaketails are waning (saw 2)
California Dancer 
…….
Riverside County 
Michael Plank & wife 
Dos Palmas - a great day for us. We have never been on the southern California area before. 
We parked in the parking lot at about 6:00 AM to walk in and were back to car about 12:00. 
The walk out was very hot. took plenty of water and had good shade hats. Eleven new dragonflies for us. Really special. 
Red-tailed Pennant
Mexican Amberwing
Roseate Skimmer
Red Saddlebags
Black Saddlebags
Marl Pennant
Wandering Glider
Blue Dasher
Western Pondhawk
Comanche Skimmer
Bleached Skimmer
Widow Skimmer
Common Green Darner
Blue-ringed Dancer
Citrine Forktail
Rambur's Forktail
…
Los Angeles County
Piru Creek:
Vivid Dancer
Sooty Dancer 
Giant Darner
Gray Sanddragon
Flame Skimmer
Red Rock Skimmer
Variegated Meadowhawk
…….
Tehama County
Peter Gaede
Wilson Lake
Emerald Spreadwing Lestes dryas – a male photographed. CA Chart #112, OC # 401367
 
June 22, 2013

Mariposa County

Matthew & Cricket Dodder

Yosemite

Along South Fork Merced River in Wawona

FLAME SKIMMER, one

BISON SNAKETAIL one (but that was a lifer!).

a sunny, damp meadow under restoration (shortly before the (Bridal Veil Creek Campground).

HUDSONIAN WHITEFACES (lifer), HUNDREDS

*CRIMSON-RINGED WHITEFACES Leucorrhinia glacialis (lifer

COMMON WHITETAIL very small number

FOUR-SPOTTED SKIMMERS (lifer), hundreds upon hundreds

*Mountain EMERALD Somatochlora semicircularis (lifer), about 6, sight record only CA chart # [note, Leslie Flint went to this site and photographed one of these darners in flight and it has been confirmed as Mt. Emerald! CA Chart #126– kb]

BLUETS (Northern/Boreal?), many hundreds

WESTERN RED DAMSEL (lifer). one

Just outside of the south entrance to the Park, there is a small pond across the street from a bait shot.

VARIEGATED MEADOWHAWK

TWELVE-SPOTTED SKIMMER (lifer, several males)

COMMON WHITETAIL.

Bluets

…….

Tehama County

Peter Gaede 
Wilson Lake - Not far from Willow Lake in Plumas County (~9 miles SW), and recommended as a stop when visiting Willow. 
Black Petaltail has been found here in June for 3 consecutive years now. This species is most often found along the adjacent forest edge a short distance away from the lake. 
Emerald Spreadwing1 male (ph). Looks like a Tehama County first for this species, but long overdue I'm sure.
Vivid Dancer40.
Boreal Bluet1 male in hand and several other No/Bo's seen.
Black Petaltail1 male.
Chalk-fronted Corporal 20.
Twelve-spotted Skimmer 35.
Four-spotted Skimmer 10.
Dot-tailed Whiteface 75.
Hudsonian Whiteface 3.
Common Green Darner 1
…….
San Diego County 
BJ Stacey
Agua Dulce Creek
Western Forktail
Anza-Borrego Desert SP--Borrego Palm Canyon
Western Pondhawk
Flame Skimmer
 
June 21, 2013
Sonoma County 
Kathy & Dave Biggs + MO

LEC – Laguna Education Center, Hall Rd, Sebastopol

BNP – Bigsnest Pond, Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol

Tule Bluet – LEC, in hand

Pacific Forktail – LEC, in hand, BNP

Western Forktail– LEC, BNP

Blue-eyed Darner – LEC, female in hand

Common Green Darner – LEC

Pacific Spiketail - BNP

Western Pondhawk – LEC

Common Whitetail – LEC

Twelve-spotted Skimmer – LEC

Flame Skimmer – LEC, BNP

Blue Dasher - BNP

Cardinal Meadowhawk – LEC, in hand, BNP

Black Saddlebags – LEC

No dragonflies were seen at the Laguna Wetlands Park; there was no water in the ponds

…….

Santa Cruz County

Alex Rinkert
#Red Saddlebags – two at Westlake Pond early in the afternoon in Santa Cruz
Eight-spotted Skimmer - Kalkar Quarry pond
 
June 20, 2013
Sonoma County 
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Sonoma Horticultural Garden, Sebastopol
Exclamation Damsel – 2 males, end of the season for this species.
Darner sp. – at a great distance
Blue Dasher – male
Note: might have seen a Dot-tailed Whiteface male at our own pond, but that is somewhat outlandish!
…….
San Mateo County
Alpine Pond
Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata – male photographed, OC#: 400753 – this would have been a county record except an old specimen record was found, pre 2005
…….
Shasta County
Terry & Jay Theskin and friend
Private pond on Tamlin Pond Road, just east of the rest stop on Hwy. 44 on the way up to Lassen Park
Four-spotted Skimmer
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
 
June 19, 2013
San Luis Obispo County 
Peter Gaede
Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata – photo record, CA Chart #112, OC#:400716
……. 
Colusa County
Leslie Flint

Bear Creek - The water under the Hwy 20 bridge is still quite high so I went up the road to the Wilbur Hot Springs bridge and then about a mile further to a spot I like because the creek has easy access (lots of cow pies, but little star thistle).

Flame Skimmer - 20+

Black Saddlebags - 4

Variegated Meadowhawk - 100s (along Hwy 20 in the rice fields)

American Rubyspot - 10+

Gray Sanddragon - 1

White Belted Ringtail - 4

Sooty Dancer - 6

Tule Bluet - several

Western Pondhawk - 2

Giant Darner - 1 (at the hot springs bridge)

Pale-faced Clubskimmer - 2

Blue-eyed Darner - 4

Western Forktail - 2

Emma's Dancer - 4

 
June 18, 2013
Sonoma County 
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Bigsnest Pond, Sebastopol backyard
Blue-eyed Darner – a male, plus one other darner that wasn’t blue.
Pacific Spiketail – we had THREE in the yard at the same time! A new record and also the first time we’ve seen them ‘in wheel’ 
Common Whitetail
Flame Skimmer
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Pacific Forktail
…….
San Diego County 
BJ Stacey
Lindo Lake
Tule Bluet
Mexican Amberwing
 
June 16, 2013
Lassen County 
Michael Plank & wife 
Blue Lake. Beautiful day with lots of sunshine early and then wind and clouds in the afternoon.
We went to find the spiny Baskettail. It took almost all of the four and one half hours that we were there but we did find six males landing in two trees near the Blue Lake Campgrounds. 
Vivid Dancers
Boreal Bluets
Tule Bluets
Pacific Forktails
Western Forktails
Western Red Damsels
Dot-tailed Whiteface
Hudsonian Whiteface Leucorrhinia hudsonica - one red and one yellow female
*Spiny Baskettails Epitheca spinigera [ONLY report 2013]
Four-spotted Skimmers
Eight-spotted Skimmers
Twelve-spotted Skimmers
Variegated Meadowhawks
Blue-eyed Darner
Lots of great birds as well. A great way to spend Fathers day.
…….
Sierra County
Paul Saraceni
spent several hours wandering through the site of a past forest fire near Calpine (2012, I believe) in Tahoe National Forest on both sides of Hwy 89 near its summit (~5400'), a mile or so south of the Plumas County line. 
It was interesting to observe (and photograph) odonates in this completely dry location. 
Common Green Darners, a couple of high-flying 
Twelve-spotted Skimmers 30+ (2/3 males, 1/3 females/imms.) 
Red-veined Meadowhawks, 20+ all of these appearing to be "yellow" immature males (photos were obtained). 
The skimmers and meadowhawks were primarily perching on and sallying from low clumps of emerging shrubs and piles of fallen branches, below a canopy of live and burned pines. 
On several occasions I noted individuals of the two species interacting over perches.  
The presence of these two particular species together in numbers in the extremely dry locale was interesting to me, but perhaps it's not unusual to those of you who visit such habitats more often than me.
…….
Sonoma County

Len & Patti Blumin

Spring Lake, Santa Rosa 11 am - 2 pm. Temp about 85, breeze 5-10mph, bright sun.

Western Pondhawk - (1)

Black Saddlebags - 4-5, flight only

Widow Skimmer - (1) - didn't perch long enough for a photo

Eight-spotted Skimmer - 10-15, often jousting with Whitetails.

Common Whitetail - 20-30, all males. (In fact I don't thing we ID'd a single female ode on the circuit, but our eyes are not that sharp).

Unidentified red odes, 2-3, perhaps Flame Skimmers - none perched for an ID.

……. 

Mono County

Tom Hahn 

Dechambeau Ponds

Red Saddlebags - a male photographed

…….

Sierra County

Brooke A. Miller

Marble Hot Springs Road, Sierra Valley

8-spotted Skimmer

No/Bo Bluet

…….

Alpine County

Ameet Zaveri

At a pond off Burnside Lake Rd (near Hwy 88). About 7000 feet elevation, nice warm weather.

Four-spotted Skimmer - lots of them

 
June 15, 2013

San Mateo County

Matthew Dodder

Skyline Ponds are really active now Alpine Lake (Skyline Ride)

Eight-spotted Skimmer

Blue-eyed Darner

Flame Skimmer

Western Pondhawk

Blue Dasher

Pacific Forktail

Swift/Western Forktail (can beginners ID these with binocs?)

Horseshoe Lake (Skyline Ridge)

Eight-spotted Skimmer

Flamer Skimmer

Cardinal Meadowhawk

Common Green Darner

Blue-eyed Darner

Western Pondhawk

Blue Dasher

Pacific Forktail

Northern/Boreal Bluet

California/Aztec Dancer

"smallish" Spreadwing species

…….

Santa Clara County

Montebello (Gate 5 pond)

Common Whitetail

Eight-spotted skimmer

Flame Skimmer

Cardinal Meadowhawk

Red-veined Meadowhawk

Variegated Meadowhawk

Blue-eyed Darner

Western Pondhawk

"big" Spreadwing species (like Cranefly size!, that's big, right?)

Alice's Diner on Skyline + Hwy 84

Western Pondhawk (like dozens of them!)

nothing else was there.

La Honda pond

Blue-eyed Darner

Pacific Forktail

…….

Inyo County

Ron Oriti

west of Big Pine.

*“Desert form” Pacific Spiketail C. dorsalis deserticola, male photographed

June 14, 2013

Inyo County

Ron Oriti

Laws Canal

*Band-winged Meadowhawk Sympetrum semicinctum

 
June 12, 2013
Mono County 

Ron Oriti

Fish Slough

Hoary Skimmer Libellula nodisticta - photo of a female

Spot-winged Glider  
June 11, 2013
Nevada County 
Leslie Flint
Donner Encampment @ Hwy 89 
Western Red Damsel - 10
Vivid Dancer – 5
…….
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson
Rattlesnake Creek 
Pacific Spiketail - FOS 
Flame Skimmers 10
Vivid Dancers 20+
(and a Ring-necked Snake).
…….
Matthew Dodder
San Francisco County 
outside my office in Palo Alto
# WANDERING GLIDER – 1 flew by
I work in a residential area on the edge of town... There's no water, hardly any good habitat, just tiny yards, lots of cars. 
The Wandering Glider zoomed past me at waist level and then bounded up and over a three story house. 
It was gone in an instant, but I got a pretty good look. I saw the golden-yellowish abdomen and wide hind wings. I wish I'd had my binoculars with me.
…….
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti 
Rawson #3
Red Saddlebags 
Gray Sanddragon– June 12th
…….
San Diego County 
BJ Stacey
Kitchen Creek Rd--south gate
Vivid Dancer

June 10, 2013

Santa Clara County

Matthew Dodder

Palo Alto Flood Control Basin

Blue-eyed Darner 10

Common Green Darner 2

Wandering Glider 1

…….

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River (40d 29' 52.11N 123d 59' 49.80"W)

Western River Cruisers - a couple who were not in a posing mood,

Sooty Dancer, a single female

Bison Snaketails, a couple

blue mosaic darner, a large one

Gray Sanddragon one accommodating that posed several times I got a lot of shots. My little canine assistant was also very helpful by just sitting down and watching the show I put on getting the shots.

…….
Sierra County 
Leslie Flint
Sand Pond - - extremely windy conditions
Chalk-fronted Corporal Ladona julia - hundreds, perhaps thousands everywhere - in groups on the ground, on tree trunks, even landing on me - have never seen so many dragonflies at once! A wonderful experience. 
4-spotted Skimmers - maybe 50
Blue mosiac-type Darners - 10+ just hugging the edges - even scattered in the shrubbery (could have been the wind)
Carman Valley, extremely windy conditions
Dot-tailed Whiteface - 30+ (a new Ode for me)
8-Spotted Skimmer - 2
12-Spotted Skimmer - 10+
4-Spotted Skimmer - 10+
Red-veined Meadowhawk - 1
female damsel - perhaps Lyre-tipped Spreadwing - 1 (no other damsels seen) [would be a county record – Leslie has a photo….the verdict is not final yet –kb]
  

June 9, 2013

San Mateo County

Matthew Dodder

Russian Ridge OSP, Alpine Pond

Flame Skimmer

Eight-spotted Skimmer

Widow Skimmer

Common Whitetail

Cardinal Meadowhawk

Variegated Meadowhawk

Blue-eyed Darner

Blue Dasher 

Western Pondhawk

Pacific Forktail

Northern/Boreal Bluet

Skyline Ridge OSP, Horseshoe Lake

Black Saddlebags

Common Green Darner

Blue-eyed Darner

Flame Skimmer

Eight-spotted Skimmer

Cardinal Meadowhawk

Western Pondhawk

California/Aztec Dancer

…….

Santa Clara County

Montebello OSP "unnamed pond" White Oak Trail

Eight-spotted Skimmer

Flame Skimmer

Western Pondhawk

Cardinal Meadowhawk

Red-veined Meadowhawk

……

Placer County

Matt Matthiessen

Robinson Flat Campground.  This is about 35 miles west of Foresthill, CA at about 6,800 ft elevation.  

There's a short loop trail around the meadow next to the campground and we saw the petaltail near the footbridge at the south end of the trail.  It was perched vertically low on the side of a pine tree.

Black Petaltail [note: only the 2^nd time this species seen in Placer County – kb]

…….

Santa Barbara County

Peter Gaede and Tony Leukering 
Santa Ynez River near the town of Santa Ynez where the river intersects with Refugio Road. 
American Rubyspot  15.
Sooty Dancer  1.
California/Aztec Dancer  12; one netted, appeared to be CA.
Vivid Dancer  10.
Arroyo Bluet  2; one male examined in hand.
Black-fronted Forktail  200+.
Pacific Forktail  10
Blue-eyed Darner  5
Black Saddlebags  1.
Blue Dasher  1 male.
Western Pondhawk  3 females.
Common Whitetail  1 female.
Flame Skimmer  3.
We also visited a small pond at the Rancho Allegre Boy Scout Camp near Lake Cachama 
*Spotted Spreadwing Lestes congener (2)
…….
Sutter County
Heather (and Mack) Chambers
Backyard in Yuba City, CA  (about 50 miles due north of Sacramento).  
Flame Skimmer – photo of a male

…….

Modoc County

Steve Rottenborn

Modoc County Road 1 near Cowhead Lake, northeast of Ft. Bidwell

Northern/Boreal Bluet

Vivid Dancer 

Western Forktail

Western Red Damsel

Common Whitetail

Pacific Spiketail (1 – apparently rare in Modoc County, and unusual at a seep with little open water far from a flowing creek)

Eight-spotted Skimmer 

Four-spotted Skimmer

Dismal Swamp, northern Warner Mountains just south of Oregon border

Western Red Damsel (5)

Hudsonian Whiteface (hundreds)

Four-spotted Skimmer (2)

Lower Lily Pond along Forest Service Road 2 east of New Pine Creek

Western Forktail

Northern/Boreal Bluet

California Darner

American Emerald (30)

Four-spotted Skimmer

June 8, 2013

Siskiyou County

Kathy Biggs and Nancy Bauer

Soda Springs @ Squaw Creek, McCloud; 11:30-11:45, 89F

Pacific Forktail

Western Forktail

[no Swift Forktails seen]

Common Whitetail

12-spotted Skimmer

[no Hoary Skimmers seen]

McCloud yard pond, elevation 4570’

Forktail damselflies started emerging today

*Variable Darner Aeshna interrupta – a darner exuvia on the pond today – quite probably this species as it is what has emerged here before

Common Whitetail

12-spotted Skimmer - ovipositing

Cardinal Meadowhawk – a male on the 5th

…

Mt. Eddy –the 7th

Kathy Biggs and Celise Sharpe

Vivid Dancers –

no Petaltails seen L

Scott River

Celise Sharpe & Dennis Ball

*Dot-tailed Whiteface Leucorrhinia intacta -they’ve been seeing this species for a few weeks now, approx. May 25^th for first sighting

…….

Humboldt County
Sandra Hunt von-Arb
Snow Camp Lake(~4500ft Elev)  7:00-12:30 , Warm Breeze, ~70deg
I haven't gotten to do much Odeing this year yet, so many FOY's
Common Green Darner (2)
California Darner (1)
*American Emerald Cordulia shurtleffii (FOY-Many)
Eight-spotted Skimmer (FOY-Many)
Four-spotted Skimmer (FOY-Many)
Common Whitetail (FOY-2)
Dot-tailed Whiteface (FOY- Lifer!- Many)
*Beaverpond Baskettail Epitheca canis (Many)
Chalk-fronted Corporal (FOY- Few)
Cardinal Meadowhawk (Few- came out late ~ 10:30)
Black Saddlebags (FOY-1)
Black Petaltail (FOY-1)
…….
San Francisco County

Matthew & Cricket Dodder

in the ditch beside the entrance road to Fort Point in San Francisco. Conditions were overcast, and windy on the bay, but sheltered against the hillside.

SAN FRANCISCO FORKTAILS - 13 male, and two female

…….

Modoc County

Steve Rottenborn

Southern Surprise Valley -- roadside on east side of Modoc County Road 1 near milepost 5.50

Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis – male photographed – CA Chart #102, OC#: 400527

Southern Surprise Valley –Modoc County Road 38 east of Eagleville

Common Green Darner

California Darner

Blue-eyed Darner

Eight-spotted Skimmer

Central Surprise Valley – Sand Creek above Modoc County Road 18 (had to walk >1 mi upstream from road to find water)

Northern/Boreal Bluet (15)

Vivid Dancer (2)

Western Forktail (100+)

Western Red Damsel (2)

California Darner (10)

*Pale Snaketail Ophiogomphus severus (1)

Common Whitetail (1)

Eight-spotted Skimmer (35)

Striped Meadowhawk (1)

Central Surprise Valley – Seyferth’s Hot Spring, along Modoc County Road 15B southeast of Lake City

Paiute Dancer (10+)

Western Forktail (20)

Pale Snaketail (1)

Desert Whitetail (15+)

Hoary Skimmer (3)

Eight-spotted Skimmer (15+)

Comanche Skimmer (3)

Western Pondhawk (10)

Striped Meadowhawk (1)

Modoc NWR Auto Tour Loop near Alturas

Familiar Bluet (1)

Beaverpond Baskettail (1)

Common Green Darner

California Darner 

Eight-spotted Skimmer 

Variegated Meadowhawk

…….

Lassen County

Tim & Annette Manolis

*Great Basin Snaketails Ophiogomphus morrisoni-  along a forest service road near Fredonyer Pass, …kind of an odd spot, far from any creek in open forest. 

Hudsonian Whitefaces - small pond near the pass, I netted a female also at Clear Creek

River Jewelwings - along the Susan River near Litchfield

Red-veined Meadowhawk - Fleming Unit of the Honey Lake Wildlife Area (9 June)

 
June 7, 2013

Santa Barbara County

Hugh Ranson

Paradise Road in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara. There were surprisingly few odes.

I did, however, find one short stretch of the (mostly dry) river that was shaded and had quite a good flow. Lots of dancers here.

Vivid Dancers – a few

Sooty Dancers – a few

CA/Aztec - lots

a couple I couldn't ID (like CA but no split thoracic stripe),

*Lavender Dancer (Argia hinei) a male photographed. The field guides talk about the split thoracic side stripe, which this beast [didn’t] appear to have.

However, looking at pictures online I've found a couple of labeled Lavenders that look just like this one. It seemed smaller and more delicate than the CA and Vivid Dancers

June 6, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River, River bar, mixed willow, Alder, fir, wild fennel.

Emma's Dancer - the only Damsels I've seen lately on my walks.

Bison Snaketail

*Pacific Clubtail Gomphus kurilis [last report 2013]

Western River Cruiser

…….

Siskiyou County

Kathy Biggs and Nancy Bauer 

McCloud yard pond, elevation 4570’

12-spotted Skimmer – a few

Cardinal Meadowhawk – 1 male

Common Whitetail – 1 male

.......

Sierra County

Leslie Flint

sand pond
4 spotted skimmer - abundant
12 spotted skimmer - 12
*Chalk-fronted Corporal Ladona julia – abundant 20+ (and only 4 days later than earliest report ever) [only the 3rd report for the species in Sierra Co) OC#:400560
Northern/Boreal Bluet - 10
Mosaic darner sp - 1 seen over pond

…….

Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti 
Fish Slough
Giant Darner
Blue Dasher
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
their Bishop backyard 
Pacific Spiketail
 

June 5, 2013 

Shasta County

Bill Ruess 
Lake McCumber 
*Hudsonian Whiteface Leucorrhinia hudsonica 

June 4, 2013

Ventura County

Peter Gaede and Dan Cooper

a small pond in Oak Canyon Community Park (in the city of Oak Park off Kanan Road).
*Mexican Amberwing Perithemis intensa a male photographed. CA Chart #112, OC# 400379
…….
Shasta County
Michael Plank
1 Hundred Rd. North of Shingletown 
Bison Snaketails - 3
Pacific Spiketail - 1
Twelve-spotted skimmer – 1 
Eight-spotted Skimmer - Male and Female
Grappletail - 1 Female
Flame Skimmer - 1 Female
Vivid Dancer - 1
Withrow Rd. 
Hoary Skimmers - twenty or so
…….
San Diego County
BJ Stacey
Crestridge Ecological Reserve--Horsemill Rd access
Vivid Dancer
Sweetwater Reg Park--Morrison Pond
Flame Skimmer
*Neon Skimmer Libellula croceipennis
Pacific Forktail
 

June 3, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper 

Van Duzen River, River bar, mixed willow, Alder, fir, wild fennel.

Red Rock Skimmer Paltothemis lineatipes - Active flyer, chose crushed gravel road to alight. Within 100 meters of flowing river. CA Chart #121, OC # 400328

Humboldt County voucher photo. Currently the most northern record for this species, although there is an older record from OR, it is no longer found at that spot. – kb

NOTE:  within a few days, Tony also saw females at this site!

Western River Cruisers – my first of season

Emma's Dancer

June 2, 2013

Riverside County

Peter Siminski

Thousand Palms Oasis, Coachella Valley Preserve; Wilhelm and McCallum groves and ponds; Elev. 560’, 7:00-9:15, 85-95F, cloudless, light air E.

Vivid Dancer, Argia vivida 11

Rambur’s Forktail, Ischnura ramburii 7

Common Green Darner, Anax junius 4 including a pair tandem ovipositing.

Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna multicolor 7 including one pair in wheel.

Western Pondhawk, Erythemis collocata 4

Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis 15

Comanche Skimmer, Libellula comanche 4

Flame Skimmer, L. saturata 9

Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata 4

Red Saddlebags, T. onusta 2

Spot-winged Glider, Pantala hymenaea 2

…….

Santa Clara County

Matthew Dodder

Oka Ponds.

Most activity was not on the ponds themselves, but in the creek beside the bike trail:

Blue-eyed Darner (many in all areas)

Common Green Darner (only 2-3 males, one female)

Flame Skimmer (many males and females)

Black Saddlebags (many, some in tandem, one ovipositing)

Widow Skimmer (many males, but only one female seen)

Variegated Meadowhawk (one above the spillway located near restroom)

Blue Dasher (maybe 4 males, first of season)

Western Pondhawk (lifer, several seen, both males and females , and side-by-side comparison with Blue Dasher)

…….

Sierra County

Leslie Flint

Sand Pond Marsh 
Emerald Spreadwing - dozens
Western Red Damsel - 1
4-spotted Skimmer - 6 in the creek
…….
San Diego County
BJ Stacey
Scissors Crossing
Vivid Dancer
Jacumba
Flame Skimmer
 
June 1, 2013
Placer County

Bruce Webb and Tim Manolis

We spent most of the day in the mountains… the entire time we were at the higher elevations we saw a grand total of ONE odonate

*Black Petaltail Tanypteryx hageni – one female photographed. CA Chart #6, OC# 400295

I found [it] while driving the gravel road between the Duncan Peak Lookout and Robinson Flat when the petaltail flitted across the road and landed on a rotten log a few feet from the car. 

I was able to get two recognizable images before it flew away. On my DeLorme there appear to be a couple of springs within a few miles of this location, but who knows where it came from. 

We did not see any suitable habitat from the roads anywhere in the area.

…….

Riverside County

Peter Siminski

Andreas Canyon, Indian Canyons, Agua Caliente Indian Reservation, 850’; 8:15 – 10:30, 80-95F, cloudless, calm air.

American Rubyspot, Hetaerina americana 10

CA/Aztec Dancer, Argia sp.4

Vivid Dancer, A. vivida 12

Gray Sanddragon, Progomphus borealis 2

Flame Skimmer, Libellula saturata 8

Red Saddlebags, Tramea onusta 2

…….

Santa Clara County

Matthew Dodder

It was hot and windless today in south county:

Ogier Ponds this morning (shallow pond halfway to air strip):

Widow Skimmer

Eight-spotted Skimmer

Flame Skimmer

Black Saddlebags

Common Green Darner

Blue-eyed Darner

Tule Bluet

Pacific Forktail

Gilroy Hot Springs Road lunch hour (far end near wooden bridge):

Western River Cruiser

Common Whitetail

Flame Skimmer

Cardinal Meadowhawk

Coyote Lake early afternoon (south end at creek mouth):

Common Green Darner

Blue-eyed Darner

Black Saddlebags

Eight-spotted Skimmer

Cardinal Meadowhawk

Wandering Glider

Uvas Creek Park mid afternoon (roadside):

Flame Skimmer

…….

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River, 40d 29' 52.11N 123d 59' 49.80"W or thereabouts.

Bison Snaketail

Pacific Clubtail

Emma's Dancer

California Darner

……..

San Luis Obispo County

Peter Gaede

small agriculture pond along Highway 33 south of the intersection with Highway 166, east of the town of Cuyama

Giant Darner Anax walsinghami – sight record, CA Chart #112, OC#400287 [pending record – needs voucher photo or specimen]

…….

Santa Barbara County

Peter Gaede

Cuyama River west of the town of New Cuyama

Desert Whitetail Plathemis subornata – photo record CA Chart #112, OC#400285

Gray Sanddragon – male, photo OC# 400286,
…….
San Diego County
BJ Stacey
Jacumba
Vivid Dancer
Familiar Bluet
Blue Dasher
Flame Skimmer
Roseate Skimmer
 
May
 
May 31, 2013
Santa Clara County 
Matthew Dodder
I had a 6-Dragon walk along the 200-yard stretch of Matadero Canal, just west of Hwy 101. http://goo.gl/maps/Kt7R0
Two species were new for my personal survey of this patch.
Widow Skimmer (3 males, new today)
Eight-spotted Skimmer (5 males, 1 female, new today)
Black Saddlebags (3 males, 1 female)
Flame Skimmer (4 males)
Common Green Darner (2 males)
Blue-eyed Darner (6, appeared to be all males)
 
May 30, 2013
Santa Diego County
Gary Suttle, Rich Schilk, Mike Clayton
Dos Picos County Park pond, Ramona (12pm-2:15pm)
Flame Skimmer - several lone males plus a male guarding an ovipositing female
Common Whitetail
Cardinal Meadowhawk
Giant Darner - 1 male
Western Pondhawk
Blue Dasher
Blue-eyed Darner
Red Saddlebags
Black Saddlebags - several lone males plus at least one tandem
Pacific Forktail
Tule Bluet
Western Forktail
Desert Firetail - 1 lone male + 1 tandem with female ovipositing
Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve (2:45pm-3:30pm)
Vivid Dancer
American Rubyspot
 
May 28, 2013
Santa Clara County

Matthew Dodder

Matadero Creek during lunch:

Common Green Darner (new this week)

Blue-eyed Darners (many more than last week, only one female)

Flame Skimmers (two males)

Black Saddlebags (one, possibly two)

…….
San Diego County
BJ Stacey
Sweetwater Regional Park--Westgate Staging Area
Vivid Dancer
Lindo Lake
Pacific Forktail

Western Pondhawk

 
May 27, 2013
Colusa County
Bear Creek - Unfortunately it was cloudy and cool nearly all day, so very little was flying. 
There were many exuviae which kept me busy: 
Progomphus borealis (Gray Sanddragon)
Erpetogomphus compositus (White-belted Ringtail) 
Brechmorhoga mendax (Pale-faced Clubskimmer)
Rhionaeschna californica (California Darner)
Rhionaeschna multicolor (Blue-eyed Darner)
There were a few other species represented including an Aeshna - it looks like umbrosa (Shadow Darner), but I can't rule out walkeri either. Both are recorded in the county.
 
May 26, 2013
Sonoma County
David Hoffmann 
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park
Octogomphus specularis/Grappletail

…….

Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti 
Fish Slough
Western Pondhawk
Bleached Skimmer
Inyo County
Chalk Bluff
Blue Dasher
 
May 25, 2013

Sacramento County

Matthew Dodder

Cosumnes River Preserve

Widow Skimmer (female)

Twelve-spotted Skimmer (female)

Black Saddlebags

Common Green Darner

Blue-eyed Darner

Pacific Forktail

Northern/Boreal Bluet

……

Colusa County
Cary Kerst
Bear Creek @ Hwy 20
Giant Darner - a male patrolling at the bridge on Hwy 20 about every 25-30 minutes so it may have only been a single male.
Cache Creek High Bridge Trailhead on Hwy 16
Giant Darner - one
Western River Cruiser
Pacific Clubtail
Flame Skimmer
Tule Bluet
Northern Bluet
Vivid Dancer
Sooty Dancer
Western Forktail
American Rubyspot

…….

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River

Flame skimmer 

Bison Snaketail

Emma's Dancer female

…….

Lassen County

Ray Bruun

Doyle

California Darner - female - based on shape of T-spot and black line on face.

…….
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti 

Laws Canal

Giant Darner

 
May 24, 2013

SiskiyouRiverside County

Kathy & Dave Biggs, Celise Sharpe & Dennis Ball

Shasta River at Hudson Road. We easily spent 3 hrs there - just enthralled! 67F, no wind

The MOST magical day. OMG!!!! We flushed up 100s of Pacific Clubtails on the road just driving in. And then, everywhere we looked dozens of gorgeous River Jewelwing damselflies.

There were probably a hundred in the small stretch of the river we waded in. The water was crystal clear and just the right temperature. As we waded, the dragonflies started landing ON US!

Our report, we saw 10 species in all, but the #s and behaviors made this a life-time event:
River Jewelwings - easily a hundred, they were landing on us and we got to watch one female ovipositing about 3" under the water. Lots of good behaviors to watch.
American Rubyspots - 40-50. They were all perched low, while the jewelwings were, for the most part, higher up on the vegetation 
Emma's Dancers - easily a hundred
Vivid Dancers - only a few, mostly away from the water
Northern Bluets - 2 dozen or so. We got to watch one female fly to a reed stem, slowly start to submerge, then abruptly turn to face head down and march 
down the stem that way til she was about 3-5" underwater (as deep as it was right there). 
Her head and legs looked ghostly white and there appeared to be white spots on her wings - realized that was the air she had brought down with her to breathe. 
Interestingly, we saw some red in her eyes, but later, looking at others that were airside, they showed this too. 
Then, as we watched her, another female Bluet floated right by, on the water surface. We were about to 'rescue' her when she got stuck on some mossy substrate and started to oviposit into it. 
Then she too submerged and began crawling all about in it ovipositing. 
After about 10 mins. observing them there, they were both still underwater ovipositing. Note that no males were involved in either of these submersions! 
Western Forktails - a few, maybe 10 in all
Blue-eyed Darners - a few
California Darners - a few
Pacific Clubtails - hundreds if not a thousand
Sinuous Snaketail Ophiogomphus occidentis - 2 males and 1 female [last report 2013] 
Beaverpond Baskettails - 6-12, 2 males examined in hand
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1 male
If you can possibly get to this site in the next week or two, it's worth the 'pilgrimage'! 
There's a link at the bottom of my CA Dragonflies website to hot spots in California for dragonflies, and this spot is under, of course, Northern California.
…….
Sonoma County
Alan Wight
Nagasawa Park in Santa Rosa - during a lunchtime visit:
Pacific Forktail - many 
Western Forktail - 1
Tule Bluet - many
Vivid Dancer - 2
Blue-eyed Darner - 1
Darner sp. - 2+
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 10+
Flame Skimmer - 4+
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 3+
Common Whitetail - 4+
Blue Dasher - 6+
Western Pondhawk - 1+
Pacific Clubtail – 1
…….
Solano County
Robert Shields
Montezuma Hills
Green Darner: Anax junius (teneral)
Blue Dasher- Pachydiplax longipennis
Variegated Meadow Hawk: Sympetrum corruptum 
…….
Tehama County
Cary Kerst

Big Chico Creek

Flame Skimmer

*Pale-faced Clubskimmer Brechmorhoga mendax

Pacific Clubtail

Bison Snaketail

Sooty Dancer

Emma's Dancer

California Dancer

American Rubyspot

…….
Humboldt County
Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River, 1 each of 

Pacific Clubtail

Bison Snaketail

Common whitetail

American rubyspot

 
May 23, 2013

SacramentoRiverside County

Cary Kerst and Tim Manolis

near Sacramento

Desert Firetail, Telebasis salva
…….
Humboldt County
Tony Westkamper
on my regular walk along the Van Duzen River(40d 29' 52.11N 123d 59' 49.80"W plus or minus a few hundred meters) Saw 
Bison Snaketail two females. 
Mosaic Darner but flying fast at treetop level… predominantly blue
 
May 22, 2013
Sonoma County
Alan Wight
Nagasawa Park in Santa Rosa - during a lunchtime visit
Widow Skimmer – my first of the year, a teneral
…….
San Diego County
BJ Stacey
House – Santee
Blue-eyed Darner
 
May 21, 2013
San Diego County
BJ Stacey
Borrego Springs Resort
Blue Dasher
Western Pondhawk
Red-rock Skimmer
Familiar Bluet
 
May 20, 2013

SiskiyouRiverside County

Dave Payne

Klamath River, floated from Gordon's Ferry River Access to Indian Creek River Access

River Jewelwing - 1 male @ Gordon's Ferry Access; several males along the way and one female.  
This is the earliest I have seen River Jewelwing in the vicinity of Happy Camp. Usually find them in June this far downriver.
Northern Bluets - males, several tandem pairs, several ovipositing females @ Gordon's Ferry River Access
Sinuous Snaketails - major emergence happening along this entire segment of river, many first flights, weather very nice for emergence. 
Pacific Clubtails -  saw 2 or 3 at our lunch stop 
Blue-eyed darner -  I noted 2 males patrolling
12 Spot Skimmer - We had one male come check out the raft near the Happy Camp River Park (which has a great pond for odes)
We found a new heron rookery I had never seen before and saw 1 river otter. A gorgeous day on the river.  
…
Celise Sharpe & Dennis Ball
Their yard ponds in Big Springs (near Montague)
8-spotted Skimmer
4- spotted Skimmer
12- spotted Skimmer
Common Whitetail
Black Saddlebags
Western Pondhawk
Cardinal Meadowhawk 
darners 
damsels 
…
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Their yard pond  near McCloud, 4700’
12-spotted Skimmer
…….
Orange County
Mike Clayton
Aliso & Wood Canyon WP
Flame Skimmer
 
May 19, 2013

Riverside County

Peter Siminski

Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos Palmas Preserve; Elev. -100’; 7:15-12:15, 75-95F, cloudless, calm to gentle breeze S.

Blue-ringed Dancer, Argia sedula 2

Vivid Dancer, A. vivida 2

Desert Forktail, Ischnura barberi 1

Rambur’s Forktail, I. ramburii 12 including one pa! ir in wheel.

Common Green Darner, Anax junius  1

*Red-tailed Pennant, Brachymesia furcata 14

Western Pondhawk, Erythemis collocata >65 including one female ovipositing.

Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis >50 including two pairs in wheel.

Mexican Amberwing, Perithemis intensa 2

*Comanche Skimmer, Libellula comanche 10

Bleached Skimmer, L. composita 18 including three tandem pairs of which two were ovipositing.

Widow Skimmer, L. luctuosa 3

Flame Skimmer, L. saturata 14

Roseate Skimmer, Orthemis ferruginea 5

*Marl Pennant, Macrodiplax balteata >30

Red Saddlebags, Tramea onusta 3

Black Saddlebags, T. lacerata 8 including one tandem pair.

Spot-winged Glider, Pantala hymenaea 5

……..

Colusa County

Kathy & Dave Biggs

Bear Valley Rd, from bridge to where the fence restarts (~1/4-1/3 mile). Spent from 1-1:45 on the banks, 77-80F, no wind [see Cary’s report at end of this day’s lists from this site and beyond]

The water is WAY low, but we were amazed o find 12 species already flying:

American Rubyspot - several

Sooty Dancer  - 2-3 males

Vivid Dancer - ~24

No/Bo Bluet - ~12 inc. in tandem

Blue-eyed Darner- 3-4

White-belted Ringtail - 4-5

Pacific Clubtail - 4

*Western River Cruiser Macromia magnifica - 2-3 males - foy

Dash/hawk (Blue Dasher or W.Pondhawk) - 1, seen briefly at a distance

Flame Skimmer - abundant, many in wheel/ovipositing

Common Whitetail - 2 males

Black Saddlebags - 2 males

We also saw a rattlesnake (with 3 rattles plus a button) curled in the shade of some grasses on the creekside, right at the edge of the gravel road,

And what I think was a bittern flew over. Interestingly, there were far fewer Swallows and swallow nests that usual.

…

Sonoma County

We could make it a 'teen' day (Tim always says a day in the teens is good!) if we count the Cardinal Meadowhawk we saw on our Sonoma Co. backyard pond before we left home!

….

Alan Wight
Helen Putnam Regional Park in Petaluma. Most of these were at or near the pond.
Tule Bluet - several
Western Forktail - 1
Eight-spotted Skimmer - several
Common Whitetail - 1+
Flame Skimmer - 3+
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 3+
Common Green Darner - 1
Darner sp. - several
Beaverpond Baskettail - 2+

……..

Colusa County
Cary Kerst
Wilbur Springs down to the HWY 20 bridge. 
California Darner
Blue-eyed Darner
Pacific Clubtail
White-belted Ringtail
Western River Cruiser
Flame Skimmer
Common Whitetail
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Western Pondhawk
Black Saddlebags
American Rubyspot
Vivid Dancer
California Dancer 
Sooty Dancer
*Boreal Bluet Enallagma boreale
Northern Bluet
Western Forktail
Desert Forktail
And Leopard Lizards and Shrikes-what a great stream.
 
May 18, 2013
Mono County 

Ron Oriti

Fish Slough

*Hoary Skimmer Libellula nodisticta
 
May 17, 2013
Sonoma County

Kathy & Dave Biggs

Their Bigsnest backyard pond in Sebastopol

Pacific Spiketail – one male flew over and behind the pond for quite a long time. Photos taken. Our foy.
Pacific Forktail
Western Forktail
Flame Skimmer
Common Whitetail
Cardinal Meadowhawk
California Darner
…
Alan Wight
Nagasawa Park in Santa Rosa - seen during a lunchtime visit:
Pacific Forktail - many
Bluet sp. - 5+
Darner sp. - 3+
Beaverpond Baskettail - 1
Pacific Clubtail - 1, my first of year, only the second time I have seen this species at this location
Flame Skimmer - 4+
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 3+
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 7+
Common Whitetail - 4+
Western Pondhawk - 3+
Blue Dasher - 5+
…….
Ventura County 
Dan Cooper
Santa Paula Creek upstream of Thomas Aquinas College. There's a apparently public (though barely signed) trail that follows the creek starting at the back of the college that (judging from graffiti) is popular w/ locals. 
SOOTY DANCER - common
AMERICAN RUBYSPOT- common
RED ROCK SKIMMER- common
CA/AZT DANCER- common
No giant darner, for whatever reason. Habitat-wise, the stream here is small by comparison to Sespe - boulders smaller, more tree cover (shaded by alder most of the way, vs. sunny and open @ Sespe).

…….

Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti 
Fish Slough
Desert Whitetail
Black Saddlebags
…
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti 
Chalk Bluff area & Owens River
Flame Skimmer
Eight-spotted Skimmer
……..
Sonoma County

Alan Wight

Agilent Technologies site in northern Santa Rosa

*Pacific Spiketail Cordulegaster dorsalis – 1, first I have seen this year, nice looks flying and perched

Beaverpond Baskettail – 1

Darner sp. - 5

Vivid Dancer – several

…….

Siskiyou County

Cary Kerst

Hudson Road, Shasta River - Simply amazing numbers of these first 2 species Plenty of the others!

*River Jewelwings Calopteryx aequabilis

American Rubyspots

Emma's Dancers Argia emma

Vivid Dancers

*Northern Bluet Enallagma annexum

Western Forktails

California Darners

Common Green Darner

Pacific Clubtails

Beaverpond Baskettails

…….

Santa Clara County

Jan Hintermeister

near Grant Lake in Joseph D. Grant Ranch County Park

Beaverpond Baskettail  - I saw a dark dragonfly patrolling  knee to waist high in a clearing  in the coyotebrush near the lake. 

With binoculars I could see the hairy thorax and yellow spots on the abdomen.  I observed for quite a while and it surprising landed so I could get some photos at
The behavior was exactly what I've also seen in the baskettails at Ogier Ponds.  I even saw Buckeyes flying up to check out the baskettail.  

The baskettail was also interacting with mosaic darners in the area.  I saw only the single male baskettail.

Leaving the parking area at Grant Lake, I saw another dragonfly that suggested baskettail, but it did not stay around long enough to verify.

[KBiggs – note – this is only the 2^nd location for the species in Santa Clara County which is the furthest south site for this species in California and indeed the whole greater Southwest]

 
May 14, 2013
San Mateo County
Kevin McKereghan
Yerba Buena Gardens in downtown San Francisco
Red Rock Skimmers – at least 10
The location is good for odes in general(as far as urban areas go), but I was surprised to see the Red Rocks there and in good numbers. 
It was rather odd, probably a 2-1 male to female ratio. I was even able to hand catch one of the females. Normally all I have seen there is darners, gliders and the occasional Meadowhawk
…….
San Diego County
BJ Stacey
Dairy Mart Pond
Black Saddlebags
Damsels
 
May 13, 2013
Santa Clara County
Leslie Flint
Ogier Ponds; lots of wind - Only 85 degrees this afternoon
Black Saddlebags (3)
Pacific Clubtail (3)
Widow Skimmer Libellula luctuosa (12-15) 
Common Whitetail (2)
8-spotted Skimmer (dozens)
Common Green Darner (1)
Flame Skimmer (10+)
Blue Dasher (6)
 
May 12, 2013

Sonoma County

Kathy & Dave Biggs
Our Bigsnest backyard pond – 6 species ovipositing on one day may be a new record for us!
Pacific Forktail - ovipositing
Western Forktail - ovipositing
California Darner- ovipositing
Western Pondhawk - our foy, young male
Flame Skimmer - ovipositing
Common Whitetail – ovipositing
Cardinal Meadowhawk - ovipositing
Blue Dasher – 1 male on the 14th, our foy
 
May 11, 2013
San Diego County
BJ Stacey
Upper Otay Reservoir
Flame Skimmer
Blue Dasher
Sweetwater Reg Park--Morrison Pond
Blue-eyed Darner
Flame Skimmer
 
May 10, 2013
Santa Clara County
Mathew Dodder
San Antonio Valley Road on a birding trip... There was probably more there
CALIFORNIA DARNER 
BLUE-EYED DARNER
COMMON GREEN DARNER
FLAME SKIMMER
COMMON WHITE TAIL
VIVID DANCER
…….
Ventura County 
Dan Cooper
Sespe Creek at the top of Grand Ave. above Fillmore. There is quasi-legal public access here and a short distance downstream (pullouts/garbage cans, no signs) but signed "no trespassing" just to the north/upstream. 
SOOTY DANCER (dozens) 
CALIFORNIA/AZTEC DANCER (dozens)
BLUET sp. (dozens)
AMERICAN RUBYSPOT (dozens)
RED ROCK SKIMMER (dozens)
GIANT DARNER (10-20) 
CARDINAL MEADOWHAWK  (10-20) 
Aeshna sp. <10 
GRAY SANDDRAGON <10 (probably, these are present along Arroyo Simi near Moorpark). 
I also saw maybe 20 of a small, "squat" damsel, sort of charcoal gray with pale reddish thorax stripes that I thought *might* be female western red damsel but I need to post a photo and get an informed opinion. 
Wings about even w/ the abdomen tip, sharing the same rocks with the larger Sooty Dancers, but obviously something different.
The area - all restricted land - has enormous boulders and a permanent stream, and abuts the Sespe Condor Sanctuary. Lower down at the end of Grand, the substrate is finer, and the stream is shallower/swifter. From here south toward town, there doesn't appear to be any decent access to the streambed that I could find, though some local kids said I could get there via the levee up from the west side of town via a bikepath.
…….

Sonoma County

Alan Wight
Nagasawa Park in Santa Rosa- I saw the following during a lunchtime visit:
Pacific Forktail - many
Bluet sp. - many
*Black Spreadwing Lestes stultus - 4+
Common Green Darner - 1 teneral
California Darner - 1
Darner sp. - 4
Western Pondhawk - 2
Common Whitetail - 3
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 4
Blue Dasher - 13
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 8
Flame Skimmer - 6
Beaverpond Baskettail – 2
…….

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper
Van Duzen River (40d 29' 52.11N 123d 59' 49.80"W)
Common Green Darners - 3 or so
Mosaic Darners, several, most likely California Darner or blue eyed darner. 
Flame Skimmer, 1
Variegated Meadowhawks 2
All of them were on the wing and none would land for me to get a good picture.
…….
Inyo County
Ron & Barbara Oriti
near Owens Dry Lake
*Desert Whitetail Plathemis subornata
 
May 8, 2013

San Mateo County

Kathy & Dave Biggs
Creek next to Humane Society near Coyote Creek – previously a good spot for San Francisco Forktails, but not found there for years now.
Pacific Forktail – 1 male
Blue-eyed Darner – 1 male
No San Francisco Forktails. Creek overgrown with bamboo, but has been dredged.
….
San Francisco County
Fort Point, under the Golden Gate Bridge – the puddles below the seep to the south of the parking area/driveway
*San Francisco Forktail Ischnura gemina - we counted 25 males and 12 females, a nice healthy colony http://www.flickr.com/photos/26704961@N03/8721042865/in/photostream
Vivid Dancer – 1 male
 
May 4, 2013
Santa Clara County 
Steve Rottenborn
#I saw a male Red Rock Skimmer in direct flight heading northward over sports fields at Ann Sobrato High School in Morgan Hill.  
Though not too surprising given the movements of this species reported by others this year, this was the first individual of this species I’ve seen so far from typical aquatic habitat.
The Ogier Ponds, along Coyote Creek just north of Morgan Hill, had the following:
*Western River Cruiser Macromia magnifica - 1 (my first of the year)
Beaverpond Baskettail  6+
Pacific Clubtail  2
Common Green Darner 
California Darner
Blue-eyed Darner
Eight-spotted Skimmer
*Widow Skimmer Libellula luctuosa
Flame Skimmer
Blue Dasher
American Rubyspot
*California Dancer Argia agrioides
Vivid Dancer
Tule Bluet
Arroyo Bluet
Pacific Forktail
Western Forktail
Exclamation Damsel
 
May 3, 2013

Alameda County

Rob Thomas
Sunol Regional Wilderness - along the creek   from the bridge near the visitor's center downstream 
American Rubyspot - 1 
bluets - (did not try to ID any)
Emma's Dancer 
Vivid Dancer 
Sooty Dancer - 2
Pacific Clubtail - 20+
Bison Snaketail - about a dozen
Flame Skimmer
Red Rock Skimmer - 20+
Cardinal Meadowhawk
…….
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Sebastopol backyard pond
Pacific Forktail– ovipositing
Western Forktail– ovipositing
California Darner
Flame Skimmer – ovipositing, photos taken
Cardinal Meadowhawk – ovipositing
…….
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Ramona, Dos PIcos County Park pond, 2:00-3:30,  mostly clear, breezy, 92 degrees.
Familiar Bluet  
Tule Bluet   
Pacific Forktail  
Common Green Darner  
Giant Darner Anax walsinghami 1 M
Blue-eyed Darner  
Cardinal Meadowhawk 
*Red-veined Meadowhawk Sympetrum madidum 1F    Settled on a Coast LIve Oak twig about 30 yards from the pond
Roseate Skimmer  2 M 1F   Female seen perched near water's edge and ovipositing
Common Whitetail   1 M
Blue Dasher  
Flame Skimmer  
Black Saddlebags
Red Saddlebags
 

May 2, 2013

Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson
San Jose Creek
Blue-eyed Darner (2)
Cardinal meadowhawk (2)
Black-fronted Forktail (4)
Vivid Dancer (1)
Flame Skimmer (1)
Lake Los Carneros
Black Saddlebags (2)
Red Saddlebags (4+)
Blue Dasher (12+)
California Darner (2)
Blue-eyed Darner (1)
Pacific Forktail (1)
Bluet sp. ( I think Tule) (3)
 

April 30 - May 1, 2013

Yolo County

Greg Kareofelas

His yard

Pantala hymenaea 1 on the 1st, 2 in the yard on the 30th

Libellula saturata in the yard on May 1st

 
April
 
 
April 30, 2013
Shasta County 
Michael Plank and wife 
Nora Lake near Shingletown. I will post a few photos in the Calodes Photos section.
*Swift Forktail Ischnura erratica  - male and female. [last report 2013]
Derrah Springs Fish Hatchery 
*Grappletail Octogomphus specularis - male and female
Cardinal Meadowhawk - male and female
Common Whitetail - male and female
Common Green Darner 
Blue-eyed Darner
…….
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson
Lake Los Carneros in Goleta
Red Saddlebags (2), my first-of-year 
Western Pondhawk, ovipositing. 
No sign of the Blue Dashers that were quite evident last week
…….
San Diego County
Mike Clayton
Ramona

Flame Skimmer

Cardinal Meadowhawk

Blue Dasher

…
BJ Stacey
Mission Trails--Kumeyaay Lake
Pacific Forktail
Flame Skimmer
Roseate Skimmer
*Mexican Amberwing Perithemis intensa
Black Saddlebags
 
April 28, 2013

Alameda County

Leslie Flint

Sunol 
#Red Rock Skimmers - at least 4 including a female ovipositing on the water - she was grabbed by a male but soon escaped
Bison Snaketails - at least 4 - the first I have seen at that location - including a female lurking in the willows
Cardinal Meadowhawk (1)
Northern/Boreal Bluet (2-3)
Vivid Dancer (many)
California Darner (2) 
American Rubyspot sitting on a rock (just one), my first of the season
Another nice sighting was a coyote coming down to the creek to drink not 20 feet away from where I was standing.  I had hiked to an area with a small swimming hole,
which is where all of these were found.  
The section of the creek behind the Visitor's Center was pretty deep and flowing well, so I didn't wade across it to see if there were more Rubyspots
Photo of Snaketail on my flicr site:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/leslie_flint/8695078954/in/photostream
…….
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Ramona, Dos Picos County Park pond, 1:45-3:30, clear, breezy, 76 degrees.
[First sighting of Roseate Skimmer in six years of visiting this pond, located at approximately 1500' elevation in foothills about 20 miles from the  coast.   
Orthemis ferruginea infrequently reported in cismontane Southern California.  
Three males chased one another along the west edge of the pond.  One showed the mature pruinose plum thorax and pinkish pruinose abdomen. 
The others had uniform plum/lilac coloration on both thorax and abdomen. 
At the southeast corner of the pond, another individual perched cooperatively for photographs.]
Familiar Bluet  
Tule Bluet   
Pacific Forktail  
Common Green Darner  
Giant Darner  1 male
Blue-eyed Darner  
Cardinal Meadowhawk  
Roseate Skimmer  3+ males    
Common Whitetail   1 female
Blue Dasher  
Flame Skimmer  
Black Saddlebags
 
April 27, 2013
Santa Barbara County
Ray Bruun 
Santa Barbara Canyon elevation 3500 feet
*Western Red Damsel  Amphiagrion abbreviatum a male (Santa Barbara County),.  Got an approach shot for voucher. CA Chart # 55, OC#:399942
…….

Santa Cruz County

Scott Peden

Rancho del Oso section of Big Basin Redwood State Park
Vivid Dancers
California Darners – pair in wheel
 
April 28, 2013

Alameda County

Matthew Dodder

Sunol Regional Wilderness - along the creek:

#Red Rock Skimmer - several (lifer!)

Pacific Clubtail

Cardinal Meadowhawk

California Darners

No Rubyspots

 
April 25, 2013
Colusa County
Greg Kareofelas 
#Paltothemis lineatipes. It actually landed at my feet and was able to get a pic of him
…….

Inyo County

Ron & Barbara Oriti

Rawson Pond #3

Black Saddlebags - our first of the year.  Great to see them, and Ron got nice photos.
 
April 24, 2013
Santa Clara County
Leslie Flint
Ogier Ponds near Morgan Hill
Pacific Clubtail – several, photographed
Common Whitetail
Flame Skimmers
Cardinal Meadowhawks
8-spotted Skimmers 
 
April 23, 2013
San Diego County
Gary Suttle
Lake Poway, Hidden Bay, 1:00-2:00,  sunny, light breeze, 72 degrees.
Familiar Bluet   
Tule Bluet  
Common Green Darner  
Giant Darner  1M  Patrolling Hidden Bay
Blue-eyed Darner  
Flame Skimmer  
Variegated Meadowhawk
…
BJ Stacey
Mission Trails—Dam
Pacific Forktail
Bluets
Dancers
*Giant Darner Anax walsinghami
Flame Skimmer
 

April 22, 2013

Sacramento County

Tim Manolis

American River Parkway,

Walking around the backwater lagoons behind Rio Americano High School, water levels very low.  Sunny, warm, little wind.  10:30 a.m. to 12:30  p.m.

Pacific Forktail -- abundant, 100s, including tandem pairs

Western Forktail -- 1 male seen for sure

Exclamation Damsel -- about 20 seen

Arroyo/Tule Bluets -- fairly common; Arroyo certainly noted.

Familiar Bluet -- fairly common, 1 male netted.

Common Green Darner -- 30, males patrolling

Blue-eyed Darner -- 5

*Sinuous Snaketail Ophiogomphus occidentis -- 2 recent emergers seen.

Western Pondhawk --  4, territorial males

Blue Dasher -- 2, territorial males

Flame Skimmer -- 1 male

*Twelve-spotted Skimmer Libellula pulchella -- 6, patrolling males

Common Whitetail -- 20, most territorial males

Variegated Meadowhawk -- 20, males patrolling

Black Saddlebags have been surprisingly scarce locally, usually common at this site but none seen here yet this spring. Also, no Pacific Clubtails yet at this site is a bit surprising.

…….

Shasta County

Ray Bruun

Nora Lake

*Swift Forktail Ischnura erratica

…….

Sonoma County
Jackie Sones
#I've been reading the recent posts about Red Rock Skimmers (Paltothemis lineatipes) with great interest, especially because I *might* have encountered this species in Sonoma County 
last week (on 18 April 2013). 
I can only say *might*, as it was a very brief sighting and not long enough to register any definitive field marks.
It was one of those moments that I'm sure most of us have experienced where everything seems to be happening at once and you're caught up in one task and completely unprepared for another.
I was in a narrow intertidal surge channel along a rocky shore collecting a few specimens for a public outreach event about tidepools.  This is pure salt water, with seaweeds and surfgrass 
as the dominant vegetation types.
The first thing that happened was unrelated to the skimmer -- a few bluets (Enallagma sp.) appeared -- probably Tule Bluets (Enallagma carunculatum).  Amazingly, there were several pairs 
in tandem and some of them landed on the surfgrass (Phyllospadix -- either P. scouleri or P. torreyi.).  I looked at them and didn't think there was a chance they'd start to oviposit, but sure enough,
it appeared as though the females were laying eggs in the surfgrass.  
(I'll need to collect some of the surfgrass blades to be absolutely certain they actually deposited eggs.)  And then I couldn't believe my eyes when a female broke free from a male and 
submerged below the surface.  
I've seen them do this in freshwater of course, but I had no idea they'd submerge in salt water!  I had to keep working on my other task, but I kept watching the area out of the corner of my eye.  
After 15 minutes I hadn't seen the female emerge, and unfortunately I don't know if she ever did because I had to leave  the area. 
But I became very curious about whether anyone has documented bluets (Enallagmas) ovipositing in Phyllospadix or submerging in the Pacific Ocean before?  
Perhaps I just haven't lived on the West Coast long enough to see or hear about this, but I'd be interested in learning about other observations.
While I was watching the bluets, at least one and possibly several large mosaic-type darners flew by...and then a red libellulid zipped by.  
My first thought was glider (Pantala sp.), but I'm not used to seeing them at this time of year, and it seemed too red, even for a Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea).  
And it didn't seem right for a meadowhawk (Sympetrum sp.) or a skimmer (Libellula sp.).  I really can't say what it was, but because of the other Red Rock Skimmer sightings recently 
(including the possible sighting in Oakland on 15 April and the observations in San Francisco on 21 April), 
it seems worth mentioning so that observers in northern California have their eyes open.
 

April 21, 2013

Sonoma County

Alan Wight

Pine Flat Road, Healdsburg

*Bison Snaketail Ophiogomphus bison - 1

Vivid Dancer – 15+

Cardinal Meadowhawk – 1

Darner sp. – 1

Beaverpond Baskettail – 1+, patrolling over asphalt as they seem to like to do

…….

Santa Clara County

Matthew Dodder

Ogier Ponds in was a very active place today for Odes. I was overwhelmed, actually. Here's what I am fairly certain I saw:

Flame Skimmer 

Eight-spotted Skimmer

California Darner

Blue-eyed Darner

Common Green Darner

Cardinal Meadowhawk

Variable Meadowhawk

Pacific Clubtails - several

There were many Damselflies, which appeared to be of two species at least, but they were too difficult for me to figure out. I'm still very new at this.

Everyone was rushing around, chasing each other, mating and ovipositing feverishly. It was dizzying to watch. I think they enjoy tormenting beginners...

…….

Monterey County

Don Roberson & Rita Carratell
Pacific Grove, nice and sunny (finally)
It was the peak of the mid-day sun when Rita rushed in to say there were odes in the front yard, and at least two species -- a darner and something red, maybe a meadowhawk, and I should get my camera.  
#We quickly found a couple apparent California Darners in flight along the street (it has gotten pretty easy to i.d. them on size/shape) and then this largish red thing sailed by. 
We chased it around our yard and our neighbors' yard across the street, and finally one landed -- and gosh almighty, it was a # Red Rock Skimmer!  And not just one, but three of them!
Okay, that is ridiculous. We are many life-zones away from their habitat in the southern foothills of MTY's Santa Lucia Mountains, 
e.g.http://creagrus.home.montereybay.com/RedRockSkimmer.html
But here are a couple of photos from the neighbors' yard... one also landed on our second floor deck, where General Grant charged it [the General is a cat] and dispersed the intruder 
before another shot was fired.http://creagrus.home.montereybay.com/PGyardOde01.html

…….

San Francisco County

Paul Saraceni

Interesting to read Don's report from Monterey Co. -- perhaps there was a more widespread movement today.

This morning in "coastal" San Francisco, while Hugh Cotter and I were conducting an informal migrant bird/raptor watch from atop Battery Godfrey

(an old artillery battery in the Presidio just south of the Golden Gate Bridge overlooking the Golden Gate Channel),

I observed 3-5 male # Red Rock Skimmers between 9:30 AM-Noon during easterly winds. One perched vertically on a cement wall of the Battery allowing for some photos.

On a handful of occasions in the last 10 years I have observed single Red Rock Skimmers in random locations in SF (e.g., in a "landlocked" residential neighborhood and near Crissy Lagoon), but this was the first time I have observed multiple individuals in SF.

…….

Santa Barbara County

Nick Lethaby
Manzana Creek 
Red Rock Skimmers, 3-4 
Flame Skimmer, 1
*Sooty Dancer Argia lugens, 1
Vivid Dancers 
bluets, some
 
April 13, 2013
Imperial County
Bob Miller
Salton Sea 
 Black Saddlebags - a female along a canal on Young Road near the seawall. A few other dragons were glimpsed throughout the morning that may have been Gliders (Pantala).

…….

Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti 
Fish Slough
*Four-spotted Skimmer Libellula quadrimaculata 
 

April 12, 2013

San Benito County
Paul Johnson
I was hiking along ridge tops in chaparral at Pinnacles National Park and saw several common green darners cruising and hunting, the first of these I've seen this year.
…….
Alameda County

Noah Arthur

while hunting butterflies along Agua Vista Street in Oakland (a city street near Brookdale Park), I saw what could only have been a male # RED ROCK SKIMMER come sailing down the street past me, then continue on for almost half a block before crossing a busy intersection, where I lost him

I've never seen a Red Rock in this area before (the closest one was another single male that I chased for half a block in Pleasanton three years ago); is this unusual for western Alameda Co?

I've also been seeing a few SPOT-WINGED GLIDERS around Oakland lately, the first time I've seen them in the early spring.

April 11, 2013

Sonoma County

Alan Wight

Nagasawa Park, Santa Rosa,

Tule/Arroyo Bluet – 1

Pacific Forktail – many

Western Pondhawk – 1 female, first of year

*Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis – 2 teneral, first of year

Cardinal Meadowhawk – 1, first of year

Beaverpond Baskettail – 11

California Darner – 2

Darner sp. – 7

…….

Yolo County

Tom Hahn

Putah Creek

*Emma's Dancer Argia emma - photo

April 10, 2013

Santa Clara County

Matthew Dodder

Adobe Creek (near the Hwy 101 ovepass)

VARIEGATED MEADOWHAWK - my first-of-season

There was also a large Darner at the Palo Alto Flood Control Basin, and a second one along Matadero Creek. They shot past me and over the reeds, so I was not able to identify them.

…….
Sacramento County
Tim Manolis

the backwater lagoons behind Rio Americano High School along the American River Parkway; river level very low, one lagoon nearly isolated from the river, sky clear, temp in the 80s deg.F

Pacific Forktail -- 100s seen, many in tandem, some seen ovipositing.

Western Forktail -- a female seen ovipositing.

Familiar Bluet -- one male netted, others probably this seen (perhaps 100s)

*Arroyo Bluet Enallagma praevarum -- one male netted, others probably this seen (some could have been Tule Bluet)

Exclamation Damsel -- about 2 dozen seen, most mature, so they have been on the wing here for a while.

Common Whitetail Common Green Darner -- 12, ovipositing pairs and patrolling males.

Common Whitetail Plathemis lydia -- a female and a male seen.

Variegated Meadowhawk -- about 8 seen, ovipositing pairs and patrolling males.

At home I also had 2 darner sightings (not Common Greens), a small one in back in the morning that may have been California Darner, and another at sunset feeding over the front yard that may have been Blue-eyed.  They never stopped flying though!

…….

Contra Costa County
Rob Thomas
Sindicich & Maricich Lagoons, Briones Regional Park
1000-1300, upper 70s, blue sky, light breeze – heaven
Pacific Forktail – lots
Western Forktail – lots
Familiar Bluet – many
No/Bo Bluets – few
Tule/Arroyo Bluet – many
California Darner – few
Common Green Darner – few (one ovipositing pair)
Cardinal Meadowhawk – few
Variegated Meadowhawk – few

…….

San Benito County
Paul Johnson
Benito River on private property in mid-San Benito County.  It's a sad river due to a completely unnatural flow regime thanks to releases from the Hernandez Reservoir times to facilitate groundwater recharge farther upstream.  
Black-fronted forktail - 1
Western forktail - 2
Vivid dancer - 3
American rubyspot - 4
Spot-winged glider - 1
Unidentified reddish skimmer, not flame, maybe red rock
Bear Gulch, Pinnacles National Park
cardinal Meadowhawk - 1
 

April 9, 2013

Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Their Sebastopol backyard pond
Western Forktail – a mature male; a pruinose female ovipositing in pond
California Darner – a male checks out the pond every half hour or so
Beaverpond Baskettail – a male spend 15 mins. cruising the pond. Species # 27 for the pond!!
Cardinal Meadowhawk – a female does solo ‘aerial’ ovipositing; a male perches on pond for hours
…

Alan Wight

Agilent Technologies site on Fountaingrove Parkway in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County.

Variegated Meadowhawk – 1

Darner sp. - 1

Beaverpond Baskettail – 1, patrolling just above surface of asphalt road

April 8, 2013

Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Their Sebastopol backyard pond
Western Forktail – a male on the back lawn, a pruinose female ovipositing in pond
California Darner – a male checks out the pond every half hour or so
Cardinal Meadowhawk – a female does solo ‘aerial’ ovipositing
…

Alan Wight

Agilent Technologies site on Fountaingrove Parkway in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County.

Vivid Dancer – 1

California Darner – 2

Beaverpond Baskettail – 1-2

…….
Alameda County
Ken A. Wilson 
the southern portion of Shadow Cliffs RRA in Pleasanton
Pacific Clubtails - 6 or 7. Several looked like they had recently emerged. These were the only dragonflies seen.
Pacific Forktail and other damselfly species were numerous
 
April 7, 2013

Riverside County

Peter Siminski

Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100’; 7:30-12:10, 68-88F, cirrus to stratocirrus, calm then light breeze SE.

*Blue-ringed Dancer, Argia sedula  2

Vivid Dancer, A. vivida  1

*Desert Forktail, Ischnura barberi  2

*Citrine Forktail, I. hastata  1

Rambur's Forktail, I. ramburii   9

Common Green Darner, Anax junius  9

Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna multicolor  1

*Western Pondhawk, Erythemis collocata  >100 including three pair in wheel.

*Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis  >85

*Bleached Skimmer, Libellula composita  3

Flame Skimmer, L. saturata  >65

*Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata 26 including four pair in wheel, one tandem ovipositing.

*Red Saddlebags, Tramea onusta 4

Spot-winged Glider, Pantala hymenaea  3

…….
Santa Cruz County
Scott Peden
Norris's Pond in the Doonbocks, Rancho del Oso section of Big Basin Redwood State Park
Pacific Forktails
Desert Firetail Telebasis salva – young male 
California Darners – 4 males
Cardinal Meadowhawk – taking on all the Darners
 
April 5, 2013
Santa Cruz County
Scott Peden
Norris's Pond in the Doonbocks, Rancho del Oso section of Big Basin Redwood State Park
*Desert Firetail Telebasis salva – male – new flight data by exactly one week
California Darners – 2, one atop another teneral, damaging its wing.
…….
Humboldt County
Tony Westkamper

untended garden

mosaic darner – one [probably California –kb]

…….

Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Their Sebastopol backyard pond
Western Forktail - Our first emerger of the year - a male!

…….

Santa Cruz County
Scott Peden
Cardinal Meadowhawk – bright mature male  

…….

Kern County
Alison Sheehey
Fay Creek in Weldon
Red Rock Skimmers - a pair in flight on 

…….

Yolo County
Tom Hahn
*Pacific Clubtail Gomphus kurilis
*Common Whitetail Plathemis lydia 
 
April 4, 2013
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson
San Jose Creek in Goleta
Black-fronted Forktails - one with a bright white head
 
April 3, 2013
Mono County
Ron & Barbara Oriti 
Fish Slough

Flame Skimmer – our first of the season, a nice bright and fresh looking male. 

 
March
 
March 31, 2013
San Diego County
BJ Stacey

Crestridge Ecological Reserve--La Crest Heights Access

*Spot-winged Glider Pantala hymenaea 
 
 
March 30, 2013
Sonoma County
Gloria & Harry Conley
Their Sebastopol backyard pond

Cardinal Meadowhawk – NINE emerged from their pond today, despite on and off rain!

…….

Santa Clara County

Matthew Dodder

Alum Rock Park

California Darners, several 

Flame Skimmer, one 

…

Steve Rottenborn 

Coyote Creek and the first pond north of the entrance road to the Ogier Ponds, which are located north of Morgan Hill:

Tule Bluet– 10+

*Familiar Bluet Enallagma civile – 1

Pacific Forktail – 20+

*Exclamation Damsel Zoniagrion exclamationis – 1

Common Green Darner – 1

California Darner – 2

Beaverpond Baskettail – 1 flying a beat over the southwest corner of the pond

March 27, 2013

Alameda County

Ken A. Wilson

Sunol Regional Wilderness

California Darner - I observed a solo on patrol. Despite looking about for the past few weeks this was the first dragonfly I've seen in the Bay Area this year. What a slow start this year it seems.

March 26, 2013

Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson
Santa Ynez River in the Red Rock area along Paradise Road. There was considerably less water in the river than when Peter Gaede and I were there in August of last year.
Vivid Dancer-- 2 males, plus 9 unidentified dancer females (presumed Vivid).
Bluet sp.-- 16+
Pacific Forktail -- 3
Common Green Darner --  2, including a female ovipositing
Red Rock Skimmer --  23, including a female ovipositing
*Flame Skimmer Libellula saturata -- 1 male
*Blue Dasher/ Western Pondhawk Pachydiplax/Erythemis  -- Too brief of a view to positively ID.
 

March 24, 2013

San Diego County

Ken A. Wilson

Mission Trails Regional Park, San Diego

I observed my first dragonfly of this year:

*Red Rock Skimmer Paltothemis lineatipes

…
BJ Stacey

Santee--Mast Park

Pacific Forktail

March 23/24, 2013

Imperial County

Bob Miller

Algodones Dunes - spent the weekend hiking in the dunes, doing insect surveys with the Kimseys and Zavaortinks from UC Davis. 
We hiked about ten miles over the course of the weekend in multiple locations between I-8 on the south and Mammoth Wash on the north which is most of the dunes. 
Variegated Meadowhawk - widely scattered and we probably saw between ten and fifteen individuals.

…….

Madera County

Tim & Annette Manolis

Yosemite Lakes area home of our son-in-law's parents, near Coarsegold

Tule Bluet Enallagma carunculatum -- on the 23^rd, a teneral male in their yard. 

On the 24th, at Black Hawk Reservoir, within a short walk of their home

Pacific Forktails -- many (emerging, mating and ovipositing)

Western Forktails -- a few

Bluets -- many teneral

Variegated Meadowhawks -- some

Common Green Darners -- some

 
March 23, 2013
Sonoma County
Gloria & Harry Conley
Their Sebastopol backyard pond

California Darner – one emerged from their pond – photo taken.

…….
Santa Barbara County

Peter Gaede

small man-made pond with cattails at the end of La Patera Lane, Goleta

California Darner – At least 8 seen at pond, including two pairs in wheel and one ovipositing female. OC#: 398574

…….
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Their Sebastopol backyard
Anisopteran – one, probably a Beaverpond Baskettail
…
Alan Wight
Nagasawa Park in Santa Rosa,
*Beaverpond Baskettails Epitheca canis,- at least six including three nicely seen perched.  
Pacific Forktails - lots flying near the edge of the lake. 
 
March 20, 2013
Inyo County

Ron & Barbara Oriti

Millpond, just north of Bishop

Common Green Darners – 4, including one pair ovipositing – photo

…….

San Diego County

Tim & Annette Manolis

near Anza-Borrego SP

sewage ponds:  At the only pond with any water (small, grassy, bordered all around by a fence) we saw:

Common Green Darner -- 1-2 patrolling males

Roseate Skimmer -- 2 patrolling males

*Wandering Glider Pantala flavescens  -- 2 patrolling males

Variegated Meadowhawk -- about 6 or so

I was surprised not to see damselflies there, but the fence kept me from getting real close to the water, which was basically just a big shallow puddle in the middle of the mostly grassy pond.

…….

Riverside County

Mick McHugh

Indian Wells

*Paiute Dancer Argia alberta – 1 male, photo taken

Variegated Meadowhawk - several

March 19, 2013

San Diego County

Tim & Annette Manolis

Anza-Borrego SP at Coyote Creek Canyon, as far as the second crossing, walking along the creek there and at the first crossing. 

*American Rubyspot Hetaerina americana -- fairly common, we probably saw a dozen or more.

Vivid Dancer -- very common

*Aztec/Cal type Dancer -- fairly common, a dozen or more seen.  Don't know which occurs there and since it is State Park property, I didn't try collecting.  A pic taken of a male.

Roseate Skimmer -- 1 male at the second crossing

White-belted Ringtail Erpetogomphus compositus -- I found the remnants of a gomphid nymph floating in an algal mat in Coyote Creek at the first crossing, photographed it   and then retrieved it. 

Initially it looked something like a discarded exuvia, but the damage to the thorax area looked more like predation than emergence.  I got it I keyed it out at home.

 
March 17, 2013
Glenn County
Michael Plank 
Sacramento Wildlife Refuge.
Pacific Forktails - male and female
…….
Orange County
Mike Clayton
Silverado Creek  
Red Rock Skimmer
 
March 16, 2013
Santa Clara County

Matthew Dodder

on the drainage of Lambert Creek on the south end of Horseshoe Lake (Skyline Ridge OSP). Look for the wooden bridge on the far end of the lake.

*Western Forktail Ischnura perparva - a male

.......

Santa Barbara County

Tim & Annette Manolis

Santa Cruz Island (my first landing on a Channel Island) on our trip. Very cool place, we saw the Island Scrub-Jay and Island Gray Fox, among other things. 

Only one ode seen, a female teneral bluet.  It was either Tule or Familiar, I guess both have been recorded for the island.

 
 
March 15, 2013
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs, Gloria & Harry Conley
Conley’s pond in Sebastopol
*Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum – one emerged – 5 days earlier than usual at their pond
Damselfly – one emerged, probably a Pacific Forktail
…….
Santa Barbara County
Peter Gaede, Hugh Ranson, Nick Lethaby, Tony Leukering 
Lake Los Carneros in Goleta – [we went] specifically to look for this species (the only other Santa Barbara County record is from herelast year, March 25). 
*California Darner Rhionaeschna californica - one ovipositing female along a narrow tule-lined channel on the east side of the lake, closest to La Patera Lane.OC#:398544
…….
Mono County

Ron & Barbara Oriti

Fish Slough 

Pacific Forktails - several – photos of mature males and young female

Black-fronted Forktail - one

*Bluets Enallagma, a few

March 10, 2013
San Diego County
BJ Stacey

Mission Trails--Kumeyaay Lake

Pacific Forktail

Lindo Lake

Variegated Meadowhawk

 
March 2, 2013
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson 
Lake Los Carneros near Goleta
Pacific Forktails, at least 10 including a group of seven together. All were males, save for a female in tandem with a male.
They were in long grass at the base of oak trees.
Vivid Dancers 
Black-fronted Forktails – a female and a male photographed
…….
Monterey County
Don Roberson
Laguna Grande Park, Seaside - A mid-day visit to produced 
PACIFIC FORKTAIL - an adult male in the little seep I call "forktail heaven." 
This beats the earliest MTY record by 10 days. As it was a full adult male, it surely was flying in late February...
but no one was there to see our first "February ode."
…….
Mono Country
Ron & Barbara Oriti
Fish Slough
Variegated Meadowhawk – photo of a fresh female (foy for them)
 
March 1, 2013
Santa Barbara County
Hugh Ranson 
San Jose Creek in Goleta
an unseasonably warm day, there were quite a few odes. 
*Vivid Dancers, Argia vivida 2 
Black-fronted Forktails 9 
one smallish dragonfly that got away (I suspect Variegated Meadowhawk). 

……..

Riverside County

Peter Siminski

Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100’; 7:45-11:30, 65-80F, cloudless, calm then light breeze SW.

*Vivid Dancer, Argia vivida 2

Rambur’s Forktail, Ischnura ramburii 3

Common Green Darner, Anax junius 5

Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum corruptum 1.

Roseate Skimmer, Orthemis ferruginea 1

 
February
 
 

February 28, 2013

San Diego County 
Bob Miller
Anza-Borrego DSP, Borrego Palm Canyon Campground Pupfish Pond parking area
While leading a field trip to for the San Diego Bird Festival 
Blue-eyed Darner - probable. I say probable because I can not positively rule out other Aeshna. Have never found Aeshna other than Blue-eyed in our desert myself.
 
 

February 27, 2013

Santa Barbara County 
Hugh Ranson
San Jose Creek in Goleta, where I saw lots of odes in late summer/fall of last year. 
There was zero activity yesterday, but today, a slightly warmer day (70 F), 
*Black-fronted Forktails Ischnura denticollis - multiple (minimum of 6), including a pair ovipositing. All were males except for the female of the pair.
  

February 23, 2013

San Diego County 
Doug Aguillard 
Miramar 
Blue­-eyed Darners - two
 

February 18, 2013

Inyo County

Ron & Barbara Oriti

Buttermilk
Variegated Meadowhawk
 

February 17, 2013

Alameda County

Alice Cavette

Fremont

**Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor – http://bugguide.net/node/view/746135  [with this record, Blue-eyed Darners have now been found in early month of the year – kb]
 

February 15, 2013

Sonoma County

Alan Wight

Nagasawa Park in Santa Rosa

*Pacific Forktail Ischnura cervula - two males seen at lunchtime at Nagasawa.  These are the first I have seen this year.
 

February 11, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River bar - 40d 29m 36.31s X 123d 59m 12.56s. Weather sunny and cool. Time was probably about 13:00. Breezy.

Variegated Meadowhawk – photo on Facebook’s Western Odonata page: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=568063316539072&set=oa.409080995853282&type=1&theater 
 

February 10, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Another sunny day in paradise so another walk. This time I chose the same locale I walked to yesterday and today a Variegated Medowhawk flitted tantalizingly close.

I was in the middle of negotiating my way through a tangle of storm washed brush, and driftwood so could not pursue it.

I saw another one later about 100 meters away from the first in an open clearing. Couldn't discern if they were the same individual or two different ones.

According to Google Earth this is about 4/5ths of a mile from my usual sighting location (As the Ode flies) or over a mile along the river. 40d 29m 36.31s X 123d 59m 12.56s.

Weather sunny and cool. Time was probably about 13:30 or 14:00. Both sightings were dull gray color. I believe all I have seen this winter (and last winter) are females.

Despite the calendar we are just starting to see some very early spring flowers (brassica and pussy willows) Alder twigs are greening up and swelling.

~February 8, 2013

Riverside County

Elias Elias

#Variegated Meadowhawk - image of a dull female, taken in the wind tunnel of San Gorgonio Pass between Riverside and Palm Springs.during a strong westerly wind.

I had dozens of what I suspect were this same species flying into the wind from the desert to the LAbasin. This movement was a one day event being a middle day of a 4 day site visit. 

February 8, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River bar

Variegated Meadowhawk on my walk along the Van Duzen River today. She was quite skittish, and wouldn't stay put whenever I got within 3 meters or so, so no photo today. Same location as usual..
 

February 3, 2013

Riverside County

Peter Siminski

Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100’; 8:15-12:00, 65-75F, 60% altostratus then 30% cirrus, calm then light breeze W.

*Rambur’s Forktail, Ischnura ramburii 5

*Common Green Darner, Anax junius 5

Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum corruptum 1.

**Roseate Skimmer, Orthemis ferruginea 4 [this establishes an all year flight data –kb]

 
 
January
 
 

January 31, 2013

Humboldt County

Robb Hamilton

Puente Hills

Variegated Meadowhawks - a couple there today and Dick saw three somewhere in the Puente Hills yesterday. Photo shows a fresh female,
 

January 17, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River bar

Variegated Meadowhawk Sympetrum corruptum – a female

January 8, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper

Van Duzen River. Because of location I suspect this is a different individual from the one reported earlier this month

Variegated Meadowhawk Sympetrum corruptum – a female

January 2, 2013

Humboldt County

Tony Westkamper 
Van Duzen River Bar - 40d 29' 52.11N 123d 59' 49.80"W

*Variegated Meadowhawk Sympetrum corruptum - 1 female photographed

This is the first one I've seen in some weeks, this was the second sunny day in a row.  Before setting out I saw a small butterfly, (maybe painted lady, maybe tortiseshell, maybe anglewing) so I took a camera.  
All the ones I see late in the year are like this one, abdomens primarily dull gray and noticeably thicker than the ones I see in summer.  I'd guess females maybe with eggs on board?
 
 
 
 =I=  =I= =I=  =I=  =I= =I= =I=  =I= =I=  =I=  =I= =I=  =I=  =I= =I= =I=  =I= =I= 
 
 
New County Records reported in 2013 but with original data from prior years:
 
 
May 30, 2011

Santa Cruz County

Steve Gerrow

Northeast portion of Natural Bridges State Beach, near a small intermittent creek/marshy area

Northern Spreadwing Lestes disjunctus CA Chart #110 OC#: 398212

 
June 23, 2010

Santa Luis Obispo County

Audrey Weichert/Peter Gaede
Latitude 35.38650° Longitude -120.55489°Crescent Lake on Hind Ranch, approximately 2 miles east of the town of Santa Margarita. 
Widow Skimmer Libellula luctuosa - mature male photographed. CA Chart #112 OC#: 398537
 
July 2008

Sierra County

Rob Thomas

Sierraville

Chalk-fronted Corporal Ladona julia – photo record. CA Chart #125, OC# 400560

Also from Lake of the Woods, Sierra Co last July (dual county trip and appears under Plumas Co on the 2012 sightings list)

July 23, 2008

Madera County

Ron & Barbara Oriti

Devil’s Post Pile

Shadow Darner Aeshna umbrosa – photo record. CA Chart #100, OC# 420627

July 28, 2008

Santa Barbara County

Don Roberson & Rita Carratello

Santa Ynez River @ Paradise Road

Pale-faced Clubskimmer Brechmorhoga mendax -  4 m Photo record, CA Chart #29, OC# tbd

Photos also at http://creagrus.home.montereybay.com/CA-SBA-ParadiseRoad.html

August 29, 1969

Kern County

Rosser Garrison

Lost Hills

California Darner Rhionaeschna californica - CSUS (RWG) CA Chart #10, OC# 411567