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18 Nov Walker's Darner [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 18 Nov new images up [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 18 Nov dragonfly calendar [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 18 Nov dragonfly calendar [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 15 Nov Calif. Anispotera [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 15 Nov Calif. Anispotera [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 14 Nov Minuscule Ladybug Bombs Dragonflies : Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted) [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 11 Nov Tecopa Hot Springs [Dennis Paulson ] 05 Nov More late Summer flier dates for 09 [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 05 Nov Late dates for Summer fliers [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 26 Oct New County Records [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 26 Oct Re: Great Spreadwing flying in Tulare Co. [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 26 Oct Great Spreadwing flying in Tulare Co. [Paul Johnson ] 25 Oct Late flight daes [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 17 Oct Riverside County Odes ["Peter Siminski" ] 24 Oct Contra Costa Co. ["mathesont" ] 21 Oct Davis Cemetery, Davis, Yolo Co., Ca ["edwhisler" ] 13 Oct late flight dates [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 13 Oct San Diego & Imperial County ["Gary Suttle" ] 12 Oct Species seen this year [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 7 Oct New file uploaded to CalOdes [] 07 Oct Joshua Tree National Park [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 5 Oct Re: Ownership change [Dennis Paulson ] 4 Oct Re: Ownership change [Don Roberson ] 04 Oct Ownership change [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 03 Oct CalOdes & SouthWestOdes [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 03 Oct Re: CalOdes Guidelines [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 3 Oct RE: APOLOGY TO PETER SIMINSKY Re: Mediterranean Dragonfly Conservation Assessment ["John Sterling" ] 04 Oct CalOdes Guidelines ["Doug" ] 3 Oct Re: APOLOGY TO PETER SIMINSKY Re: Mediterranean Dragonfly Conservation Assessment [Dennis Paulson ] 3 Oct Re: APOLOGY TO PETER SIMINSKY Re: Mediterranean Dragonfly Conservation Assessment [Zachary Smith ] 03 Oct APOLOGY TO PETER SIMINSKY Re: Mediterranean Dragonfly Conservation Assessment ["rbehrstock" ] 3 Oct Re: Siskiyou Sightings - Castle Lake - September 12, 2009 [Dennis Paulson ] 03 Oct Re: Siskiyou Sightings - Castle Lake - September 12, 2009 [Ray Bruun ] 2 Oct Re: Siskiyou Sightings - Castle Lake - September 12, 2009 [BRUCE DEUEL ] 3 Oct Re: Siskiyou Sightings - Castle Lake - September 12, 2009 [] 2 Oct Re: Siskiyou Sightings - Castle Lake - September 12, 2009 [Paul Johnson ] 2 Oct Re: Siskiyou Sightings - Castle Lake - September 12, 2009 [] 2 Oct Re: Siskiyou Sightings - Castle Lake - September 12, 2009 [Dennis Paulson ] 16 Sep Re: [nw_odonata] Paddle-tailed vs Shadow Darners [Jim Johnson ] 02 Oct THREAD CLOSED Re: Mediterranean Dragonfly Conservation Assessment ["Doug" ] 02 Oct Female Walker's Darner photographed . . . . [Don Roberson ] 1 Oct Mediterranean Dragonfly Conservation Assessment ["Peter Siminski" ] 01 Oct Siskiyou Sightings - backyard pond - October 1, 2009 ["zdapper" ] 01 Oct Siskiyou Sightings - Castle Lake - September 12, 2009 ["zdapper" ] 30 Sep Re: deformed ode [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 30 Sep deformed ode [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 30 Sep [Fwd: Deformed Damselfly?] [1 Attachment] [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 29 Sep Re: Siskiyou County [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 29 Sep Siskiyou County [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 29 Sep Modoc County odes, 25-26 Sep. ["Steve Rottenborn" ] 28 Sep Re: Shadow Darner Ovipositing in Coarse Sand [Dennis Paulson ] 28 Sep Re: Shadow Darner Ovipositing in Coarse Sand [] 27 Sep Shadow Darner Ovipositing in Coarse Sand [Ray Bruun ] 26 Sep San Diego County ["Gary Suttle" ] 20 Sep Pt. Pinos & beyond [Don Roberson ] 20 Sep Riverside County and San Bernardino County Odes ["Peter Siminski" ] 19 Sep SF County [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 19 Sep Re: Oviposition [Dennis Paulson ] 18 Sep Re: Oviposition [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 17 Sep Oviposition [Paul Johnson ] 17 Sep Re: Bluet ID please ["Adam" ] 16 Sep Re: Bluet ID please [Dennis Paulson ] 16 Sep Bluet ID please ["Adam" ] 15 Sep RE: Paddle-tailed vs Shadow Darners ["Jim Johnson" ] 15 Sep Re: Paddle-tailed vs Shadow Darners [Ray Bruun ] 15 Sep Paddle-tailed vs Shadow Darners [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 14 Sep CA Website [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 14 Sep CA Dragonfly website [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 14 Sep Common Dragonflies of California - correction [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 14 Sep Common Dragonflies of California - correction [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 11 Sep Joseph Grant C.P., Santa Clara County ["Steve Rottenborn" ] 08 Sep Trinity County [Kathy &/or Dave Biggs ] 8 Sep Modoc County, 4-5 Sep. ["Steve Rottenborn" ] 08 Sep Re: ID help please ["sbfledgling" ] 7 Sep RE: ID help please ["Jim Johnson" ] Subject: Walker's Darner From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:00:02 -0800 Images of female Walker's Darner are rarer than hen's teeth. I've just put up a set of posed images taken by Gary Suttle last summer: http://southwestdragonflies.net/caphotos/walker_Female_GSSuttle.html THANKS GARY!! Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: new images up From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:06:28 -0800 Hi all, I'm getting my 'winter' ode-fix by posting some of the lovely images I was sent this year. This is one of my favorites, a female Brimstone Clubtail: http://southwestdragonflies.net/caphotos/DSC_6194_GS_6-29ImCo.jpg Others include Russet-tipped Clubtail, White-belted Ringtail, Exclamation Damsel, Chalk-fronted Corporal, and Emerald Spreadwings. Enjoy!! Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: dragonfly calendar From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:14:30 -0800 Hi all, I was sent a very nice dragonfly calendar, which I've decided to promote thru the SW Dragonfly website. If you are interested, you may buy it from it's originator, Relf Price of New Mexico. Information on the calendar is at http://southwestdragonflies.net/NMCalendar.html Please pass this along to any of the TX, or more eastern dragonfly groups (which I don't belong to). Cheers!! Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ Odonata-l mailing list Odonata-l AT listhost.ups.edu http://mailweb.ups.edu/mailman/listinfo/odonata-l Subject: dragonfly calendar From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:14:30 -0800 Hi all, I was sent a very nice dragonfly calendar, which I've decided to promote thru the SW Dragonfly website. If you are interested, you may buy it from it's originator, Relf Price of New Mexico. Information on the calendar is at http://southwestdragonflies.net/NMCalendar.html Please pass this along to any of the TX, or more eastern dragonfly groups (which I don't belong to). Cheers!! Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Calif. Anispotera From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:10:29 -0800 Hello all (please pardon any cross postings!), In order to cut my costs for maintaining the California Dragonfly website, I've migrated the link to California Anisoptera to http://southwestdragonflies.net/caphotos/2_Anisoptera.html The old link (http://bigsnest.members.sonic.net/Pond/dragons/2_Anisoptera.htm) may work for awhile, but it will become outdated with time, so if you've bookmarked it, please change to the above address. The opening page, California Dragonflies and Damselflies (http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly) is unchanged. BTW: I just added some nice Striped Emerald pictures! Cheers!! Kathy Ps. I'll migrate the key next, but if you find any links from the anisoptera page not working, please copy the broken link and email it to me. THANKS!! -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ Odonata-l mailing list Odonata-l AT listhost.ups.edu http://mailweb.ups.edu/mailman/listinfo/odonata-l Subject: Calif. Anispotera From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:10:29 -0800 Hello all (please pardon any cross postings!), In order to cut my costs for maintaining the California Dragonfly website, I've migrated the link to California Anisoptera to http://southwestdragonflies.net/caphotos/2_Anisoptera.html The old link (http://bigsnest.members.sonic.net/Pond/dragons/2_Anisoptera.htm) may work for awhile, but it will become outdated with time, so if you've bookmarked it, please change to the above address. The opening page, California Dragonflies and Damselflies (http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly) is unchanged. BTW: I just added some nice Striped Emerald pictures! Cheers!! Kathy Ps. I'll migrate the key next, but if you find any links from the anisoptera page not working, please copy the broken link and email it to me. THANKS!! -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Minuscule Ladybug Bombs Dragonflies : Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted) From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:25:28 -0800 http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2009/11/minuscule_ladybug_bombs_dragon.php Just for fun!! Kathy Subject: Tecopa Hot Springs From: Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson AT comcast.net> Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:18:33 -0800 Hello, all. I was just wondering if anyone in Caliornia had visited Tecopa Hot Springs, on hwy 127 in southern Inyo County. I was just searching for a place for my wife to camp (she and a friend are heading toward Death Valley from Las Vegas) and found it, then the aerial photo makes it look as if there are a lot of wetlands there. Presumably the usual hot-springs odonates, but it might be a neat place. There is a county park that looks as if it provides access to some of the wetlands. Dennis ----- Dennis Paulson 1724 NE 98 St. Seattle, WA 98115 206-528-1382 dennispaulson AT comcast.net Subject: More late Summer flier dates for 09 From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:16:48 -0800 {Please send a report if you saw a species later this year than the date given below: Northern Spreadwing - 9/4 Sooty Dancer - 9/27 Aztec Dancer - 7/3 Northern Bluet - 9/27 Western Pondhawk - 10/2 Comanche Skimmer - 9/25 Eight-spotted Skimmer - 8/12 Common Whitetail - 8/12 White-faced Meadowhawk - 7/14 (ONLY report 2009!?!) Thanks!! Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Late dates for Summer fliers From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:04:48 -0800 These are the last reports I have for these summer flying species. If you've seen a species at a later date, please send a report: Western Red Damsel - Aug. 19 River Bluet - NO REPORTS!?! Boreal Bluet - Sept. 5, last for certain of this species Alkali Bluet - July 19 Swift Forktail - May 22 Exclamation Damsel - July 17 Giant Darner - Aug. 22 Olive Clubtail - July 11 Western River Cruiser - September 11 American Emerald - Aug. 19 Crimson-ringed Whiteface - July 31 Hudsonian Whiteface - July 31 Dot-tailed Whiteface - July 31 Bleached Skimmer - Sept 20 - NEW LATE FLIGHT DATE Hoary Skimmer - July 19 Cherry-faced Meadowhawk - July 18 Red-veined Meadowhawk - Aug. 1 Cheers!! Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: New County Records From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:54:33 -0700 Besides Paul's new record for Tulare County, I found a few other new records lurking at Odonata Central that I hadn't previously put up: *June 4, 2009 _Humboldt County_* Cock Robin Island, Eel River Estuary** Sean McAlllister// /_Lestes dryas_/_ (Emerald Spreadwing) _CA Chart #106; OC # 314428 *July 11, 2009* *_Shasta County_* *Ray Bruun* Stream nearby, South Fork Bear Creek** /*_Stylurus olivaceus_*/*_ (Olive Clubtail) CA Chart #55, OC#_* 314322 *July 4, 2009* *_Modoc County_* *Steve Rottenborn* Dismal Swamp, along Forest Service Road 48N21 approx. 1.25 miles NE of Highgrade Road, Modoc National Forest** /*_Leucorrhinia hudsonica_*/*_ (Hudsonian Whiteface)_ CA Chart #102; OC#* 314013 -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Great Spreadwing flying in Tulare Co. From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:02:32 -0700 Wonderful! As I write a Shadow Darner is cruising the pond... AND, thanks for the updated late dates everyone!! Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Paul Johnson wrote: > > > All, > > I took my kids to Three Rivers to visit friends over the weekend, and > on Sunday we went into Sequoia National Park for a hike. We hadn't > planned on swimming because of the cool weather and the flood a couple > weeks earlier, but the river turned out to be just too much for the > kids (and adults) to resist. > > I was not expecting any noteworthy odes. Saw a few variegated > meadowhawks -- no surprise. As I sat on the sandy river bank, I saw a > wispy shadow land on the shadow of a tree branch. Not being very good > at identifying odes from their shadows, I jumped up and spotted a > large spreadwing damselfly. Embarrassingly, I had not yet seen any > /Archilestes/ this year, so this was a treat. Assuming it must be a > California spreadwing but always hopeful, I sllowly approached it for > a better look. That's odd...metallic green abdomen. Solid line on > the side of the thorax! > > I've only seen great spreadwings once before, and only after a lot of > searching, so this was a wonderful addition to an already fine day at > the river. When I got back to civilization and checked Kathy's web > site, I found that *any* /Archilestes/ in Tulare Co. is a species > record. Go figure. > > Image is in the Paul Johnson CalOdes folder, and record submitted to > Odonata Central (OC#315548). > > > 2009 October 25 > Tulare Co. > Middle Fork Kaweah River ~2.5 miles upstream of the Marble Fork > confluence (below the suspension foot bridge. To get there, take the > Buckeye Flat Campground turnoff, make the first possible right, park > and walk upstream about 0.2 miles.) > Calm, clear, ~75 F. 1130-1500. > (I was not particularly looking for odes.) > Paul G. Johnson > -Great spreadwing - 2 (males) > -Variegated meadowhawk - 3 > > > As I remind folks every fall, don't let anybody tell you the 2009 ode > season is over! > > Paul > > > > > > > Subject: Great Spreadwing flying in Tulare Co. From: Paul Johnson <pjpolliwog AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:53:05 -0700 (PDT) All,   I took my kids to Three Rivers to visit friends over the weekend, and on Sunday we went into Sequoia National Park for a hike.  We hadn't planned on swimming because of the cool weather and the flood a couple weeks earlier, but the river turned out to be just too much for the kids (and adults) to resist.   I was not expecting any noteworthy odes.  Saw a few variegated meadowhawks -- no surprise.  As I sat on the sandy river bank, I saw a wispy shadow land on the shadow of a tree branch.  Not being very good at identifying odes from their shadows, I jumped up and spotted a large spreadwing damselfly.  Embarrassingly, I had not yet seen any Archilestes this year, so this was a treat.  Assuming it must be a California spreadwing but always hopeful, I sllowly approached it for a better look.  That's odd...metallic green abdomen.  Solid line on the side of the thorax!    I've only seen great spreadwings once before, and only after a lot of searching, so this was a wonderful addition to an already fine day at the river.  When I got back to civilization and checked Kathy's web site, I found that any Archilestes in Tulare Co. is a species record.  Go figure.   Image is in the Paul Johnson CalOdes folder, and record submitted to Odonata Central (OC#315548).     2009 October 25 Tulare Co. Middle Fork Kaweah River ~2.5 miles upstream of the Marble Fork confluence (below the suspension foot bridge. To get there, take the Buckeye Flat Campground turnoff, make the first possible right, park and walk upstream about 0.2 miles.) Calm, clear, ~75 F.  1130-1500. (I was not particularly looking for odes.) Paul G. Johnson -Great spreadwing - 2 (males) -Variegated meadowhawk - 3     As I remind folks every fall, don't let anybody tell you the 2009 ode season is over!   Paul     Subject: Late flight daes From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:12:01 -0700 Below are the last reports I've received for Spring and Summer flying species. If you've seen a species later than this date, please send in a report. THANKS!! Emerald Spreadwing 7/31 Emma's Dancer 7/11 Lavender Dancer 5/8 (ONLY report 2009) Double-striped Bluet 8/8 (ONLY report 2009) Citrine Forktail 8/16 Variable Darner 9/25 White-belted Ringtail 10/2 Serpent Ringtail 10/10 (ONLY report 2009) Grappletail 7/29 Bison Snaketail 7/9 Gray Sanddragon 8/9 Russet-tipped Clubtail 10/2 Pacific Spiketail 8/22 Widow Skimmer 8/12 12-spotted Skimmer 9/5 4-spotted Skimmer 7/29 Desert Whitetail 9/25 Marl Pennant 9/20 Saffron-winged Meadowhawk 9/25 Black Meadowhawk 9/27 Red Saddlebags 9/25 -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Riverside County Odes From: "Peter Siminski" <dsiminski AT dc.rr.com> Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:18:49 -0700 October 17, 2009 Riverside County Peter Siminski Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100'; 8:50-12:10, 80-100F, cloudless, calm to gentle breeze S. Blue-ringed Dancer, Argia sedula 7 Familiar Bluet, Enallagma civile 10 including one tandem pair ovipositing. Desert Forktail, Ischnura barberi 2 Rambur's Forktail, I. ramburii 15 Common Green Darner, Anax junius 13 Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna multicolor 12 Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum corruptum >100 including many tandem pairs some ovipositing. Red-tailed Pennant, Brachymesia furcata 4 Flame Skimmer, Libellula saturata 4 Roseate skimmer, Orthemis ferruginea 17 Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata 7 Red Saddlebags, T. onusta 2 Wandering Glider, Pantala flavescens 2 Subject: Contra Costa Co. From: "mathesont" <mathesont AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:16:55 -0000 Briones RP, Sindicich & Maricich Lagoons 11:00am to 2:00pm, mid-70s, clear, light NE breeze Spotted Spreadwing – 17 include 2 pairs Tule Bluet – 3 No/BO Bluet – 20-30 Western Forktail – 1M Blue-eyed Darner – 2 Common Green Darner – 1 Variegated Meadowhawk – 8 Cardinal Meadowhawk – 2M barely alive in water Rob Thomas Martinez Subject: Davis Cemetery, Davis, Yolo Co., Ca From: "edwhisler" <edwhisler AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:38:12 -0000 Sorry about the late post. My internet access had a nervous breakdown. Davis Cemetery, Davis, Yolo Co., Ca 4 October 2009 11:00am-12:11pm 60 degrees F, calm, clear skies Variegated meadowhawk-15 Wandering glider-1 Black saddlebags-2 10 October, 2009 11:15am-12:30pm Calm, clear skies, 62 degrees F Variegated meadowhawk-2 Black saddlebags-1 Common green darner-2 Ed Whisler Davis, CA 916-204-0471 Subject: late flight dates From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:59:40 -0700 For the spring fliers, here are the last report dates I have for this year. If you saw the species after this date, please send a report: River Jewelwing - July 19 Black Spreadwing - July 25 Lyre-tipped Spreadwing - July 25 Sedge Sprite - July 14 [ONLY report] Black Petaltail - June 28 [ONLY report] California Darner - August 12 Pacific Clubtail - July 27 Great Basin Snaketail - July 17 Sinuous Snaketail - July 17 Pale Snaketail - July 19 Beaverpond Baskettail - July 11 Spiny Baskettail - June 9 [ONLY report] Ringed Emerald - July 15 [ONLY report] Mountain Emerald - July 31 Chalk-fronted Corporal - June 18 [ONLY report] Thanks!! Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: San Diego & Imperial County From: "Gary Suttle" <odonatophilia AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:58:42 -0000 San Diego County October 10, 2009 Pond at lower end of Laguna Meadows in the Laguna Mountains, 1:30-2:30, partly sunny, light breeze, 70 degrees. Spotted Spreadwing >100 Tule Bluet 1 Cardinal Meadowhawk 2 The pond, nearly dried-up and degraded by cattle, still harbored Lestes congener, tandem ovipositing in large numbers on California Bulrush. Counted 6 pairs girding a crowded nine-inch length of stem. ______________________ Imperial County October 2, 2009 Westside Main Canal AT Highway the 98 bridge crossing, 9:30-12:30, partly sunny to mostly cloudy, with a few sprinkles, 76-88 degrees. American Rubyspot 2 Powdered Dancer many Blue-ringed Dancer many Common Green Darner >20 Blue-eyed Darner 1F Russet-tipped Clubtail 5M 2F (including a wheel) White-belted Ringtail 1M Roseate Skimmer >10 (mostly females) The Russet-tipped Clubtail and the Brimstone Clubtail (a frequent companion species at this site) lie at the southwestern edge of their range in the U.S. along this north-south trending canal, a stark thread of water that separates irrigated fields to the east from desert lands to the west. Triple-digit temperatures prevail during much of their flight period. In a half dozen visits, including times early and late in the day, I have never observed foraging flight...they always appear hunkered down in the shade of the arrowweed and tamarisk shrubs lining the canal. Out of dozens of photographs, a couple show flies being eaten; I have simply missed feeding activity. But wondering if these populations are less active than their kin in more clement climates, with the sedentary behavior reflecting a thermoregulatory adaptation to their torrid environment. Also wondering if the Russet-tipped Clubtail's paler color (compared to eastern populations) illustrates adaptive coloration-- the lighter markings absorbing less heat than would darker markings, as well as affording better camouflage in the xerophytic vegetation--often light in color, like arroweed, with a high albedo to reflect intense sunlight. Gary Suttle Poway, CA Subject: Species seen this year From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:41:28 -0700 So far 103 species have been reported as flying this year. Has anyone seen an Autumn Meadowhawk (formerly Yellow-legged) yet? Or a Taiga Bluet? The only other species not reported are those that may not breed in Calif, but occasionally visit here such as: *Striped Saddlebags Filigree Skimmer Belted Whiteface (not found in state since 2005) *Plateau Dragonlet Riffle Darner Turquoise-tipped Darner Canada Darner (anyone been to Willow Lake?) Baja Bluet Kiowa Dancer *still possible to be seen this year. Cheers!! Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: New file uploaded to CalOdes From: CalOdes AT yahoogroups.com Date: 7 Oct 2009 20:04:11 -0000 Hello, This email message is a notification to let you know that a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the CalOdes group. File : /Ode checklists/Joshua Tree.xls Uploaded by : bigsnest Description : Odonata of Joshua National Park You can access this file at the URL: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CalOdes/files/Ode%20checklists/Joshua%20Tree.xls To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit: http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/groups/original/general.htmlfiles Regards, bigsnest Subject: Joshua Tree National Park From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:06:52 -0700 I've just put an excel chart showing the dragonflies that have been reported to me/CalOdes at Joshua Tree in the CalOdes Files as an Excel chart. If you have have visited the park and can add to this data, please let me/the group know. Thanks!! Kathy Biggs -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Ownership change From: Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson AT comcast.net> Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2009 17:27:23 -0700 I will enthusiastically concur with Don's comments. Dennis On Oct 4, 2009, at 10:49 AM, Don Roberson wrote: > I want to thank Doug Aguillard for setting up CalOdes some years ago, > and for operating it efficiently through this decade. A fine job. It > has been a wonderful source of information for me as I learned about > dragonflies. I also continue to enjoy Doug's ode photos on his > personal website. > > I also look forward to continued very helpful and thoughful posts by > Pete Siminiski (as all his posts have been) and hope that CalOdes > continues, under Kathy's tutelage, in the fine tradition it was begun. > > Don Roberson > Pacific Grove CA > http://creagrus.home.montereybay.com/ > > ----- Dennis Paulson 1724 NE 98 St. Seattle, WA 98115 206-528-1382 dennispaulson AT comcast.net Subject: Re: Ownership change From: Don Roberson <creagrus AT montereybay.com> Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2009 10:49:03 -0700 I want to thank Doug Aguillard for setting up CalOdes some years ago, and for operating it efficiently through this decade. A fine job. It has been a wonderful source of information for me as I learned about dragonflies. I also continue to enjoy Doug's ode photos on his personal website. I also look forward to continued very helpful and thoughful posts by Pete Siminiski (as all his posts have been) and hope that CalOdes continues, under Kathy's tutelage, in the fine tradition it was begun. Don Roberson Pacific Grove CA http://creagrus.home.montereybay.com/ Subject: Ownership change From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Sun, 04 Oct 2009 10:12:40 -0700 The ownership of CalOdes and SoWestOdes has changed. Kathy Biggs has been given the ownership from Doug Aguillard. Many thanks to Doug for originally setting these groups up. Cheers!! Kathy Biggs -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: CalOdes & SouthWestOdes From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:37:59 -0700 Hello everyone, I just want everyone to know that Doug and I are discussing possible changes in the operations of CalOdes and SouthWestOdes. Cheers!! Kathy Biggs -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: CalOdes Guidelines From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:27:00 -0700 Doug and all, Peter's post is a very valid post for California because of our Mediterranean climate. It brings up an issue that I think we, in California, need to be aware of. It was not a list of what species he saw in the Mediterranean area. Doug, I know I have thanked you often for starting this group, and that is a given. So please don't feel that what you've done isn't appreciated!! It is!! And I'm not even certain how many CalOdes members are even aware of the Odonata-L list, no less members. I ask you again to reconsider this issue. I'm very sad to see Peter leave this group as his posts have helped us understand California's dragonflies much better, but I understand his frustration. I do think that in this instance you have interpreted the focus too narrowly. As Co-moderator I ask that you change your mind! :-P Cheers (and THANKS!!) Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: RE: APOLOGY TO PETER SIMINSKY Re: Mediterranean Dragonfly Conservation Assessment From: "John Sterling" <jsterling AT wavecable.com> Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2009 11:52:57 -0700 My feelings exactly. This report is really helpful to me in trying to get some awareness/funding for Odonata work in CA. The parallels are all too striking, especially since climate change and water issues are a Global concern. John Sterling VVVVVVVVVV 26 Palm Ave Woodland, CA 95695 cell 530 908-3836 jsterling AT wavecable.com From: CalOdes AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:CalOdes AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of rbehrstock Sent: Saturday, October 03, 2009 10:07 AM To: CalOdes AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [CalOdes] APOLOGY TO PETER SIMINSKY Re: Mediterranean Dragonfly Conservation Assessment Dear Peter, On behalf of (nearly) all CalOdes members, I would like to assure you that not all of us are too narrow minded and unimaginative to even consider that the conservation and population dynamics of Odonata in one drought-stricken part of the world might bear some important parallels to the situation in California. Thank you for trying to insert an educational article with a world view to a regional listserv. Sincerely, Bob Behrstock Hereford, AZ Subject: CalOdes Guidelines From: "Doug" <doug AT basiclink.com> Date: Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:30:12 -0000 I just don't get it folks. When you sign up for a listserv, there is usually a set of guidelines/rules that are established for that particular listserv. By joining, you've agreed to live by those rules. Now you decide that you want to change them? There was a more appropiate list that Peter could have posted his message to. It's called Odonata-L for those who may have forgotten about it. Here is CalOdes simple guidelines "Description This forum is for the reporting of sightings and discussion of the Dragonflies and Damselflies in California that will further the knowledge base of the Status and Distribution of California's Dragonflies and Damselflies. A signature is required at the end of every message, including name, location, and E-mail address. Cross posting is discourage, and only postings dealing with the California region including Baja California are acceptable. All new members are on a Moderated Status until their first posting, this is designed to stop spammers." I started this list and have OWNED it for many years, and the list has been void of any spam, and information about California Odes has flowed back and forth without any problems. I enforce the simple rules and I get crap from some people. Ones who rarely even post to the group in any positive form, but they are quick to attack me in public? I run into these types of people all of the time, and they are just plain simple back bitters, always willing to start problems. What about a plain simple- Thanks Doug for taking the time to start this group, and making sure it runs without any problems-nope that never happens! Doug Aguillard CALODES LISTOWNER doug AT basiclink.com Subject: Re: APOLOGY TO PETER SIMINSKY Re: Mediterranean Dragonfly Conservation Assessment From: Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson AT comcast.net> Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2009 12:52:18 -0700 I'll add my endorsement to Bob's post. I know that regional listserves do like to focus on the region, but I don't think a single other one to which I belong (all NA odonate lists at this point) has objected to the occasional, even regular, introduction of information relevant to the subject matter that might be of wider interest. After my last post, it dawned on me that I would have had only one story to tell about roosting odonates if I had limited myself to my experiences in California or the Pacific states. Doug, I think hardly any subscribers to the list object to such posts, and I would beg you to loosen your strict interpretation of the focus of the list. Obviously there are many things that could be posted that would be quite irrelevant or objectionable, but that hasn't happened on CalOdes, and we all respect and enjoy this list. Dennis On Oct 3, 2009, at 12:25 PM, Zachary Smith wrote: > I agree with Mr. Behrstock, and I hope most of us on this list do as > well. Since we live in a Mediterranean climate, such information on > ode conservation in a similar life zone is quite pertinent here. It > gives perspective on what is happening elsewhere and how we should > think of our part of the world as connected to other regions. I'm a > little surprised Doug chose to pipe up on this topic, as it seems > like good information, and I don't remember seeing a flood of > responses that might warrant closing the thread. > > > Zach Smith > Davis, Ca > > On Sat, Oct 3, 2009 at 10:07 AM, rbehrstock > wrote: > > Dear Peter, > > On behalf of (nearly) all CalOdes members, I would like to assure > you that not all of us are too narrow minded and unimaginative to > even consider that the conservation and population dynamics of > Odonata in one drought-stricken part of the world might bear some > important parallels to the situation in California. Thank you for > trying to insert an educational article with a world view to a > regional listserv. > > Sincerely, > > Bob Behrstock > Hereford, AZ > > > > > -- > Zach Smith > Davis, Ca. > www.sphaelerite.smugmug.com > www.centvalleyraptor.blogspot.com > > ----- Dennis Paulson 1724 NE 98 St. Seattle, WA 98115 206-528-1382 dennispaulson AT comcast.net Subject: Re: APOLOGY TO PETER SIMINSKY Re: Mediterranean Dragonfly Conservation Assessment From: Zachary Smith <zsgavilan AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2009 12:25:18 -0700 I agree with Mr. Behrstock, and I hope most of us on this list do as well. Since we live in a Mediterranean climate, such information on ode conservation in a similar life zone is quite pertinent here. It gives perspective on what is happening elsewhere and how we should think of our part of the world as connected to other regions. I'm a little surprised Doug chose to pipe up on this topic, as it seems like good information, and I don't remember seeing a flood of responses that might warrant closing the thread. Zach Smith Davis, Ca On Sat, Oct 3, 2009 at 10:07 AM, rbehrstock wrote: > > > Dear Peter, > > On behalf of (nearly) all CalOdes members, I would like to assure you that > not all of us are too narrow minded and unimaginative to even consider that > the conservation and population dynamics of Odonata in one drought-stricken > part of the world might bear some important parallels to the situation in > California. Thank you for trying to insert an educational article with a > world view to a regional listserv. > > Sincerely, > > Bob Behrstock > Hereford, AZ > > > -- Zach Smith Davis, Ca. www.sphaelerite.smugmug.com www.centvalleyraptor.blogspot.com Subject: APOLOGY TO PETER SIMINSKY Re: Mediterranean Dragonfly Conservation Assessment From: "rbehrstock" <rbehrstock AT cox.net> Date: Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:07:00 -0000 Dear Peter, On behalf of (nearly) all CalOdes members, I would like to assure you that not all of us are too narrow minded and unimaginative to even consider that the conservation and population dynamics of Odonata in one drought-stricken part of the world might bear some important parallels to the situation in California. Thank you for trying to insert an educational article with a world view to a regional listserv. Sincerely, Bob Behrstock Hereford, AZ Subject: Re: Siskiyou Sightings - Castle Lake - September 12, 2009 From: Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson AT comcast.net> Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2009 08:28:40 -0700 Much has been written about Common Green Darners roosting in low herbaceous vegetation, and, like Tim, I have seen it many times. In migration, sometimes great numbers of them come to roost in open fields at night. They seem much more likely to do so than Aeshna and Rhionaeschna darners, which tend to roost up in shrubs and trees. However, Anax junius will also roost in trees, sometimes up fairly high. I'm often surprised at how difficult it is to find odonates sleeping at night, even damselflies. In Costa Rica once I came across what seemed a sleeping aggregation of dragonlets (several species of Erythrodiplax) low in herbaceous vegetation along a forest trail, but I've never seen anything else like that. I think damselflies, when they go to roost for the night, may land on a branch and then crawl along it to get more deeply within the vegetation. I found such a roost of jewelwings (Calopteryx maculata) once when I brushed a clump of tall grass and they started flying out from it - not a single one was visible until it popped out of the grass. Another time I found a bunch of damselflies roosting around a lake in Modoc Co., CA, both bluets and spreadwings resting along grass stems early on a cool morning. I sat down and started looking and found a surprising number of them. I was able to pluck them off by hand. But for all my years of field work, these occasions stand out as unique. Paul, your hypothesis is interesting, and good luck if you decide to test it! Dennis On Oct 2, 2009, at 9:38 PM, ylightfoot AT aol.com wrote: > > In a message dated 10/2/2009 9:03:33 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, pjpolliwog AT yahoo.com > writes: > (this is the part where Tim chimes in to tell me he wrote about this > in his field guide!) > I'm pretty sure I DIDN'T mention it in the field guide, but I have > often found Common Green Darners roosting in grass within a few > inches of the ground, occasionally early in the morning, probably > prior to their first foraging flight. Have found other dragonflies, > i.e., other than darners, under such circumstances, too. > > Cheers, > > Tim > > ----- Dennis Paulson 1724 NE 98 St. Seattle, WA 98115 206-528-1382 dennispaulson AT comcast.net Subject: Re: Siskiyou Sightings - Castle Lake - September 12, 2009 From: Ray Bruun <bruun AT frontiernet.net> Date: Sat, 03 Oct 2009 07:16:52 -0700 Interesting conversation. I have often seen Common Green Darners landing in grass and other low spots to rest during the day, even when taller vegetation is readily available. They were landing down low and up high (chest to head height) when I was at Kilarc Reservoir a few weeks back. In September of 2006, Variable Darners were landing in marsh grass, during the day, at a small pond along the north boundary of Lassen Park. I got some good pictures of them. I have also been to Lake McCumber and observed the behavior Bruce mentioned. Lake McCumber has a large meadow at the upper end. The meadow is surrounded by trees and bushes except where it meets the lake. Sometimes when Common Green Darners are present, I find many in the grass but at other times only (or mostly) in the trees and shrubbery. I don't know what makes them choose which location at any given time. Ray Bruun Shingletown, Shasta County, CA BRUCE DEUEL wrote: > > > Tim just reminded me that I saw many Common Green Darners coming out > of the sedges and grass in the meadow at Lake McCumber, Shasta County, > early in the morning on September 2, 2002. > > Cheers, > Bruce Deuel > Red Bluff > > On Fri, Oct 2, 2009 at 9:38 PM, > wrote: > > > > In a message dated 10/2/2009 9:03:33 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, > pjpolliwog AT yahoo.com writes: > > (this is the part where Tim chimes in to tell me he wrote > about this in his field guide!) > > I'm pretty sure I DIDN'T mention it in the field guide, but I have > often found Common Green Darners roosting in grass within a few > inches of the ground, occasionally early in the morning, probably > prior to their first foraging flight. Have found other > dragonflies, i.e., other than darners, under such circumstances, too. > > Cheers, > > Tim > > > > > > Subject: Re: Siskiyou Sightings - Castle Lake - September 12, 2009 From: BRUCE DEUEL <bdeuel AT wildblue.net> Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2009 22:58:01 -0700 Tim just reminded me that I saw many Common Green Darners coming out of the sedges and grass in the meadow at Lake McCumber, Shasta County, early in the morning on September 2, 2002. Cheers, Bruce Deuel Red Bluff On Fri, Oct 2, 2009 at 9:38 PM, wrote: > > > In a message dated 10/2/2009 9:03:33 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, > pjpolliwog AT yahoo.com writes: > > (this is the part where Tim chimes in to tell me he wrote about this in his > field guide!) > > I'm pretty sure I DIDN'T mention it in the field guide, but I have often > found Common Green Darners roosting in grass within a few inches of the > ground, occasionally early in the morning, probably prior to their first > foraging flight. Have found other dragonflies, i.e., other than darners, > under such circumstances, too. > > Cheers, > > Tim > > > Subject: Re: Siskiyou Sightings - Castle Lake - September 12, 2009 From: ylightfoot AT aol.com Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2009 00:38:37 EDT In a message dated 10/2/2009 9:03:33 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, pjpolliwog AT yahoo.com writes: (this is the part where Tim chimes in to tell me he wrote about this in his field guide!) I'm pretty sure I DIDN'T mention it in the field guide, but I have often found Common Green Darners roosting in grass within a few inches of the ground, occasionally early in the morning, probably prior to their first foraging flight. Have found other dragonflies, i.e., other than darners, under such circumstances, too. Cheers, Tim Subject: Re: Siskiyou Sightings - Castle Lake - September 12, 2009 From: Paul Johnson <pjpolliwog AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2009 21:02:58 -0700 (PDT) Hi all,   I have seen darners (blue eyed or common green) at ponds flying/feeding until it was so dark that I could barely see them.  I mean, it was quite dark, like I could barely make them out against the dimly-lit sky at the horizon, so maybe a half-hour or so after sunset.  I can't imagine how they could have possible seen their prey.  Do you suppose that on a warm night with lots of insects in the air, it's possible for odes to just hunt blindly by holding their legs in a basket?  That part seems plausible, but I don't know how they could find a perch in the dark.   But that brings to mind something I observed at DeChambeau Ponds (Mono Co.).  It seemed very odd to me (this is the part where Tim chimes in to tell me he wrote about this in his field guide!) because I'm used to dragonflies roosting overnight well off the ground in shrubs or trees.  That makes sense, because they would make such a great meal for many predators that roosting on or near the ground would make them too vulnerable.  That morning, as I walked among the grass behind the ponds, I flushed numerous common green darners from down near the ground.  I don't think I had seen any flying yet that morning, so I assume that's where they roosted for the night, rather than that they had flown there from their tree/shrub roost in order to better warm up in the morning sun.  And there were plenty of taller plants around for them to roost in.  But there were lots of darners down in the grass.    So here's my thought.  Maybe they stayed out foraging until well after dark, so that they were unable to hang up in a woody plant to roost for the night.  So instead, they just crash landed in the grass and then climbed up as far as they could, so at least they weren't on the ground where the small mammals gould get them.  Makes sense to me.   It seems like it would be pretty easy to test this hypothesis.  If you have a location where you suspect this is happening, you could do the following:   1) After dark, net the air to get an idea of the prey density. 2) Use a really bright flood light to see if there are any odes flying. 3) Go out just before sunrise, so that the odes haven't had a chance yet to start flying, and survey both woody plants and low vegetation for odes.  Since they may be really hard to spot, continue surveying until they have started flying for the day.  This will give you a good idea of the numbers roosting up high vs. down low.  Also, if you see only darners in the flood light, and your morning survey reveals only darners in the low vegetation, I think that pretty much confirms it.   What do you all think?   Paul --- On Fri, 10/2/09, ylightfoot AT aol.com wrote: From: ylightfoot AT aol.com Subject: Re: [CalOdes] Siskiyou Sightings - Castle Lake - September 12, 2009 To: dennispaulson AT comcast.net, dapayne AT sisqtel.net, CalOdes AT yahoogroups.com Date: Friday, October 2, 2009, 7:15 PM   Hi Guys:   I've occasionally seen darners (Rhionaeschna  multicolor and probably Anax junius -- it's not always easy to ID stuff at night;-) well after sunset, but always in the vicinity of artificial lighting.  I once saw a dragonfly (either a Pantala or Sympetrum corruptum) foraging low over a crowd (including me!) at a track meet well after (over an hour and a half after) sunset, but of course, there was lots of artificial lighting at the meet.  If there is no artificial lighting around, it is quite a mystery.  But was the bat-netting team wearing head-lamps (for example) while making their rounds? Such artificial lighting might trigger flight by roosting darners.   Cheers,   Tim Subject: Re: Siskiyou Sightings - Castle Lake - September 12, 2009 From: ylightfoot AT aol.com Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2009 22:15:20 EDT Hi Guys: I've occasionally seen darners (Rhionaeschna multicolor and probably Anax junius -- it's not always easy to ID stuff at night;-) well after sunset, but always in the vicinity of artificial lighting. I once saw a dragonfly (either a Pantala or Sympetrum corruptum) foraging low over a crowd (including me!) at a track meet well after (over an hour and a half after) sunset, but of course, there was lots of artificial lighting at the meet. If there is no artificial lighting around, it is quite a mystery. But was the bat-netting team wearing head-lamps (for example) while making their rounds? Such artificial lighting might trigger flight by roosting darners. Cheers, Tim Subject: Re: Siskiyou Sightings - Castle Lake - September 12, 2009 From: Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson AT comcast.net> Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2009 19:06:21 -0700 Hi, Dave. I wonder if there is any chance those female Aeshna were flushed by the activities of your bat team, then flew into and were caught by the nets. Maybe they were roosting near the lake. Otherwise, this is quite an amazing thing. At least several species of Aeshna commonly fly until it's just about dark, but an hour and a half after dark is quite astonishing. Even the tropical dusk-flying aeshnids aren't known to fly after it gets completely dark. And I've netted bats in Costa Rica from time to time without ever catching one. Dennis On Oct 1, 2009, at 4:09 PM, zdapper wrote: > Hi all, > > I'm a little late in posting this sighting because I have been on > the Lower Salmon River in Idaho for the last two weeks. > > On the evening of September 12 I assisted a team of bat biologists > who were mist netting a drying wetland on the edge of Castle Lake. > We set up five different nets and waited for dusk. During the net > setup I noticed three male Aeshna sp. patrolling the wet area. I did > notice one female ovipositing on wet wood and rocks along the lake's > edge. A few Bluet sp. were also about. > > Just prior to dusk we unfurled the nets and waited to see who we > could catch. We caught a few bats right away and also caught female > Aeshna flying after dark! After the first bat flurry, things slowed > down with the bats, but picked up with the female Aeshna. We ended > up catching four females, the last being caught around 21:11 hrs. It > was dark by 19:45 hrs that evening. I was able to show the bat folks > how to easily handle a dragon by the wings and extract them from the > nets without injury. One specimen was injured and could not fly > properly so it was kept for identification purposes. > > Back in Mt. Shasta we keyed the female to be a Variable Darner > (Aeshna interrupta). > > I didn't realize the females were so active after dark. You would > think a bat might catch them. Guess they were trying to ditch the > patrolling males. > > Castle Lake is located just east of Mt. Shasta on Mount Eddy. The > elevation is around 6,000 feet. Temps were chilly, mid 40's after > dark. > > Dave Payne > Happy Camp, Ca > > ----- Dennis Paulson 1724 NE 98 St. Seattle, WA 98115 206-528-1382 dennispaulson AT comcast.net Subject: Re: [nw_odonata] Paddle-tailed vs Shadow Darners From: Jim Johnson <jt_johnson AT comcast.net> Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:09:14 +0000 (UTC) Another feature that I find helpful is the thickness of the pale marking on the side of the first abdominal segment--very thin (often hair-thin) on Shadow Darner (Aeshna umbrosa), more obviously thicker overall and often not parallel (usually thicker towards the bottom end) on Paddle-tailed (A. palmata). This is visible in Steve Rottenborn's top image at Kathy's link. It can be handy in photos of these things when you only see the side view and the ventral spots on the abdomen or the top of the tenth abdominal segment are not clearly visible. This also works on females, and it is also a distinction on Paddle-tailed vs. Walker's Darner (A. walkeri)--that mark being very thin on Walker's. It's quite variable on Variable Darner (A. interrupta), which makes sense, and seems to correspond with variation in the extent of the lateral thoracic stripes and blue on the dorsum of S10 (when those are reduced, the mark on S1 is often reduced too). Cheers, Jim Johnson Vancouver, Washington jt_johnson AT comcast.net http://odonata.bogfoot.net/ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kathy &/or Dave Biggs" To: "CalOdes" , "nw odonata" Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 3:33:12 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific Subject: [nw_odonata] Paddle-tailed vs Shadow Darners   Hi all, Usually it's not too difficult to tell a Paddle-tailed from a Shadow Darner - at least IN HAND as you can look at their undersides, and from the top, you can see whether there are spots on s10 or not. That said, I still blew it with the image on page 56 in my revised CA guide. It turns out that Steve Rottenborn had just been doing comparison shots of these two species up at Lily Lake in Modoc Co. earlier this month. Here's a link to some images he took on the 5th: http://bigsnest.members.sonic.net/Pond/dragons/ShadowVSPaddle-tailedDarner.html I hope you find these helpful. Thanks Steve!! Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ---------------------------------------------------------- Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ---------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ---------------------------------------------------------- Subject: THREAD CLOSED Re: Mediterranean Dragonfly Conservation Assessment From: "Doug" <doug AT basiclink.com> Date: Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:37:18 -0000 This message has nothing to do with California and therefore does not eet the guides for CalOdes. This thread is declared closed and the message will be removed from the archives. Doug Aguillard CalOdes Listowner doug AT basiclink.com --- In CalOdes AT yahoogroups.com, "Peter Siminski" wrote: > > For the curious or the concerned, the IUCN recently published a conservation > assessment of dragonflies in the Mediterranean. See the attached: > > * The IUCN article: > http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/species/?3913/Dragonflies-go-thirs > ty-in-the-Mediterranean > * The report: http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/edocs/2009-030.pdf > > > > Peter Siminski > Subject: Female Walker's Darner photographed . . . . From: Don Roberson <creagrus AT montereybay.com> Date: Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:49:40 -0700 When something sounds too good to be true, it usually isn't true. My subject line is actually true . . . sort of. On Sunday 27 Sep I tried to photograph a tandem pair of Walker's Darner, and did get a couple pics before they scuttled off too soon, but the angle and position they chose when perched on a big cottonwood was such that all you can see of the female is her eyes and wings. Sorry Dennis. If I remember right, Dennis Paulson was unable to locate a publishable photo of female Walker's Darner for his grand book on western odes. So it is sort-of like the Holy Grail of western ode photographers. I was lucky to see the tandem -- first in flight, and then briefly perched -- but they were so skittish that they were off again before I could get very close. I have posted one shot in the Photo section of CalOdes, in a folder with my name. As they say: better luck next time. Here is a full report from the visit to my favorite odeing spot in Monterey County: 27 Sep 2009 Monterey County San Antonio River, North Ford, below Wagon Caves in Los Padres NF 1150-1320; calm, clear, 101 degrees (!!) -- really hot this day Given the very dry summer, the river is reduced to a small rivulet with larger puddles were ponds used to be elev. ~1400 ft.; oak savanna with huge rock outcroppings Northern Bluet 10 i.d. presumed on these Northern/Boreal types. All such damsels caught here previously have been Northerns, and Boreal remains unrecorded for MTY (also date too late for Boreal) California Dancer 6 including tandem Sooty Dancer 1 male Walker's Darner 4 including a tandem in flight and briefly perched (photo) Flame Skimmer 1 m Red Rock Skimmer 1 m (photo) Striped Meadowhawk 1 (photo) Cardinal Meadowhawk 3 Don Roberson Pacific Grove MTY Subject: Mediterranean Dragonfly Conservation Assessment From: "Peter Siminski" <dsiminski AT dc.rr.com> Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 19:27:34 -0700 For the curious or the concerned, the IUCN recently published a conservation assessment of dragonflies in the Mediterranean. See the attached: * The IUCN article: http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/species/?3913/Dragonflies-go-thirs ty-in-the-Mediterranean * The report: http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/edocs/2009-030.pdf Peter Siminski Subject: Siskiyou Sightings - backyard pond - October 1, 2009 From: "zdapper" <dapayne AT sisqtel.net> Date: Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:32:34 -0000 Hi all, While sunning by the backyard pond this afternoon I noticed a female Aeshna flitting about. The dragon was backlit by the sun and I noticed what I will call "Dragon silk" being emitted from the rear of the abdomen. She looped about all the tall vegetation on the edge of the pond emitting strands of silk that looked like spider webs. She criss-crossed the pond area leaving lots of strands of silk. They glistened in the sun. If I had not seen who produced them, I would have thought they were spider webs. She did this for about twenty minutes then stopped producing silk. After that she patrolled, even challenging a junco that flew past. I have never seen this behavior before. I was curious if anyone has an explanation for what is going on. Is this a form of dragon communication telling others that this pond is claimed? I did not capture the female. She was quite tolerant of my presence. I watched here for about an hour, from 1400 to 1500 hrs. It was sunny and warm, mid 70's at the time. Yesterday, several male Aeshna were patrolling the pond during the sunny period of the afternoon. Dave Payne Happy Camp, Ca Subject: Siskiyou Sightings - Castle Lake - September 12, 2009 From: "zdapper" <dapayne AT sisqtel.net> Date: Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:09:37 -0000 Hi all, I'm a little late in posting this sighting because I have been on the Lower Salmon River in Idaho for the last two weeks. On the evening of September 12 I assisted a team of bat biologists who were mist netting a drying wetland on the edge of Castle Lake. We set up five different nets and waited for dusk. During the net setup I noticed three male Aeshna sp. patrolling the wet area. I did notice one female ovipositing on wet wood and rocks along the lake's edge. A few Bluet sp. were also about. Just prior to dusk we unfurled the nets and waited to see who we could catch. We caught a few bats right away and also caught female Aeshna flying after dark! After the first bat flurry, things slowed down with the bats, but picked up with the female Aeshna. We ended up catching four females, the last being caught around 21:11 hrs. It was dark by 19:45 hrs that evening. I was able to show the bat folks how to easily handle a dragon by the wings and extract them from the nets without injury. One specimen was injured and could not fly properly so it was kept for identification purposes. Back in Mt. Shasta we keyed the female to be a Variable Darner (Aeshna interrupta). I didn't realize the females were so active after dark. You would think a bat might catch them. Guess they were trying to ditch the patrolling males. Castle Lake is located just east of Mt. Shasta on Mount Eddy. The elevation is around 6,000 feet. Temps were chilly, mid 40's after dark. Dave Payne Happy Camp, Ca Subject: Re: deformed ode From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:14:08 -0700 Try this http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CalOdes/photos/album/1636695710/pic/list Most folks are thinking it's missing a leg, and that leg somehow got attached to the front of the thorax! ...so not deformed, just irregular!! Cheers!! Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Scott Peden wrote: > I'm not finding a deformed section in the damselfly photo's. > > Kathy &/or Dave Biggs wrote: > >> >> >> The photo is in the PHOTOS section, under 'deformed'. >> Kathy >> >> -- >> California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly >> >> Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ >> >> Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------- >> Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net >> 707-823-2911 >> 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 >> ---------------------------------------------------------- >> dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net >> fax: 707-823-2911 >> http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------- >> >> > Subject: deformed ode From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:51:21 -0700 The photo is in the PHOTOS section, under 'deformed'. Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [Fwd: Deformed Damselfly?] [1 Attachment] From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:26:18 -0700 Very interesting email - I'll post the pix in the files section under 'deformed'. Kathy -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Deformed Damselfly? Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:07:59 -0700 From: Denise To: bigsnest AT sonic.net Hi, On Sunday (September 27), I photographed a damselfly (bluet?) at Shoreline Park in Mountain View, CA. When I loaded the photo onto my computer and enlarged it, I noticed some puzzling features, and I'm wondering whether you have seen or heard of anything like it. The (cropped) photo is attached. It looks like there is a leg growing out of its back. And it's unclear what's going on with the front legs, but it looks like something is wrapped around the front part of the thorax. I would really appreciate any feedback/info you are able to offer. Sincerely, Denise Denise D. Greaves, Ph.D. dionysia AT aol.com -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Siskiyou County From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:59:49 -0700 Whoops! Road weary here...the following should be changed from Familiar Bluet /Enallagma carunculatum/ - many, all very dark with 3rd segment >50% black, in-hand ID to Familiar Bluet /Enallagma civile/ - many, all very dark with 3rd segment >50% black, in-hand ID -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Kathy &/or Dave Biggs wrote: >Hi all! > >A few year's ago the Nature Conservancy bought the Nelson Ranch, a >cattle ranch with a shallow lake on it, located north of Grenada and >south of Monteque. I promised to survey the ranch for dragonflies, but >only now have gotten started on it. Being so late in the season, I >thought maybe we'd find 5-7 species there, but we found 8 so I feel good >about that! Our report: > >September 27, 2009 >Siskiyou County >Kathy & Dave Biggs; Bob and Patti Claypole >The Nelson Ranch, off A-12 near the Lava Lakes >Spotted Spreadwing /Lestes congener/ - abundant, in-hand ID >No/Bo Bluets /Enallagma annexum /&/or /boreale/ >Familiar Bluet /Enallagma carunculatum/ - many, all very dark with 3rd >segment >50% black, in-hand ID >Arroyo Bluet /Enallagma / /pravareum/- 1 male. probably more of this >species, in-hand ID. Found along A12 at intersection of Nelson Rd. >Blue-eyed Darner /Rhionaeschna multicolor,/ many, in-hand ID - possibly >other darner species, more of these than the next species >Common Green Darner /Anax junius/ - some >Variegated Meadowhawk /Sympetrum corruptum -/ many >Band-winged Meadowhawk /Sympetrum semicinctum /- 2 females seen well > >This property is closed to the public, but it would be easy to get >permission to survey it. There is a large shallow lake, mostly lacking >in vegetation, many small irrigation ditches, flooded areas and at the >back of the property the Shasta River, which we found to be still >running and deep.....those of you who know the Owen's River from our >Blitz where we found the Olive Clubtails, this part of the Shasta River >is more like that, not like it is by Hudson Rd. I think the potential >for River Jewelwings at this site in the Spring/early summer is still >probably high though. > >Cheers!! >Kathy > > > Subject: Siskiyou County From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:57:01 -0700 Hi all! A few year's ago the Nature Conservancy bought the Nelson Ranch, a cattle ranch with a shallow lake on it, located north of Grenada and south of Monteque. I promised to survey the ranch for dragonflies, but only now have gotten started on it. Being so late in the season, I thought maybe we'd find 5-7 species there, but we found 8 so I feel good about that! Our report: September 27, 2009 Siskiyou County Kathy & Dave Biggs; Bob and Patti Claypole The Nelson Ranch, off A-12 near the Lava Lakes Spotted Spreadwing /Lestes congener/ - abundant, in-hand ID No/Bo Bluets /Enallagma annexum /&/or /boreale/ Familiar Bluet /Enallagma carunculatum/ - many, all very dark with 3rd segment >50% black, in-hand ID Arroyo Bluet /Enallagma / /pravareum/- 1 male. probably more of this species, in-hand ID. Found along A12 at intersection of Nelson Rd. Blue-eyed Darner /Rhionaeschna multicolor,/ many, in-hand ID - possibly other darner species, more of these than the next species Common Green Darner /Anax junius/ - some Variegated Meadowhawk /Sympetrum corruptum -/ many Band-winged Meadowhawk /Sympetrum semicinctum /- 2 females seen well This property is closed to the public, but it would be easy to get permission to survey it. There is a large shallow lake, mostly lacking in vegetation, many small irrigation ditches, flooded areas and at the back of the property the Shasta River, which we found to be still running and deep.....those of you who know the Owen's River from our Blitz where we found the Olive Clubtails, this part of the Shasta River is more like that, not like it is by Hudson Rd. I think the potential for River Jewelwings at this site in the Spring/early summer is still probably high though. Cheers!! Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ Subject: Modoc County odes, 25-26 Sep. From: "Steve Rottenborn" <srottenborn AT harveyecology.com> Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:40:23 -0700 I spent last weekend in Modoc County and visited several areas to see what odonates were still around this time of year. On the afternoon of 25 Sep., along County Road 94 through the mountains in the southwestern part of the county, Striped Meadowhawks were common and widespread in virtually every habitat type (even miles from water). Spotted Spreadwings were nearly as widespread but in much lower numbers. This was a theme repeated throughout the weekend; even residential areas in Alturas and in Lakeview, Oregon had Striped Meadowhawks and Spotted Spreadwings scattered throughout. Most of my time spent looking at odonates was on 26 Sep., when I had the following: Pond on south side of Forest Service Road 9, ½-mile west of County Road 1 (on the east side of Fandango Pass): Spotted Speadwing 200+ Tule Bluet 15 Western Forktail 50 Mosaic darner 15 males (several seen well, and one photographed, were Variable Darners) Striped Meadowhawk 200+ pairs ovipositing at edge of pond in "swarms" of up to 15 pairs/square meter where a very short (1-2" tall) sedge was growing in moist areas just above the water's edge. In my limited experience watching this species ovipositing in Santa Clara County, the females were dropping eggs from heights of 6-12 inches or more above the vegetation, but all the females at this pond were physically brushing the tops of the sedges with the tips of their abdomens. Saffron-winged Meadowhawk 6+ pairs ovipositing in the same areas where the Striped Meadowhawks were Applegate Hot Spring, along County Road 15B in Surprise Valley: Spotted Spreadwing 5 Paiute Dancer 1000+ (numerous tandem pairs) Pacific Forktail 1 Black-fronted Forktail 1000+ Mosaic darner sp. 1 Western Pondhawk 200+ Comanche Skimmer 1 Desert Whitetail 3 Black Meadowhawk 2 Striped Meadowhawk 20 Band-winged Meadowhawk 3 Stough Reservoir, ~6300' elevation north of Cedar Pass in North Warner Mountains: California Spreadwing 10 (several tandem pairs, ovipositing in willows) Spotted Spreadwing 5 Northern/Boreal Bluet 1 Western Forktail 5 Mosaic darner 45 (of 10 males netted, 9 were Shadow and 1 was Paddle-tailed); 1 female Shadow also seen Striped Meadowhawk 12 North Fork of Pit River, Highway 395 pulloff 4.2 mi N of Rt. 299, north of Alturas: American Rubyspot 2 California Spreadwing 11 (several tandem pairs) Spotted Spreadwing 4 Mosaic darner 2 Striped Meadowhawk 8 Modoc NWR: Spotted Spreadwings, Common Green Darners, and Striped Meadowhawks numerous, with a few Variegated Meadowhawks Steve Rottenborn Morgan Hill, CA Subject: Re: Shadow Darner Ovipositing in Coarse Sand From: Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson AT comcast.net> Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:51:30 -0700 Ray, That species has always seemed to me more varied in its oviposition sites than most Aeshna. They often try to oviposit just at the water's edge on rocks at the edge of the pond in my yard, even those that have no moss on them. I've had them probing on my pants leg while I was standing at the edge of the pond, and I've seen them ovipositing on moist earth banks up to a foot or more above the water. This may be why the cerci are much more often broken off in female umbrosa than in other species. Dennis On Sep 27, 2009, at 7:31 PM, Ray Bruun wrote: > I just got back from a delightful picnic at Summit Lake in Lassen Park > with family and friends. There were quite a few Aeshna males > patrolling > the lake shore. Along a beach there I saw a female darner, which > through the binoculars appeared to be Shadow (no line across face and > Shadow looking side thoratic stripes), ovipositing in coarse sand at > the > water's edge. There wasn't any wet wood within a 100 feet either side. > It's the first time I've seen an Aeshna ovispositing in non-organic > material. In fact, a few moments earlier I was asking myself why some > male darners seemed to be patrolling such an unproductive stretch of > shoreline for females. After leaving the beach she landed on the > ground > along the shoreline for a brief moment before taking off for good. > > Ray Bruun > Shingletown, Shasta County, CA > > > ----- Dennis Paulson 1724 NE 98 St. Seattle, WA 98115 206-528-1382 dennispaulson AT comcast.net Subject: Re: Shadow Darner Ovipositing in Coarse Sand From: ylightfoot AT aol.com Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:31:55 EDT Hi Ray: I once (23 September 1999, according to my notes) observed one or two female Shadow Darners appearing to attempt oviposition on wet rocks with a partial covering of "slime" (thin coat of algae) along the shoreline of a Different Summit Lake (in Butte County). The rocks were of volcanic origin (i.e., the kind that are "holey" sort of like Swiss cheese), so perhaps the darners were attempting to oviposit in the holes (or in the thin coat of slimy algae?). No wonder that Shadow Darner females usually have broke-off cerci after ovipositing! Cheers, Tim Subject: Shadow Darner Ovipositing in Coarse Sand From: Ray Bruun <bruun AT frontiernet.net> Date: Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:31:07 -0700 I just got back from a delightful picnic at Summit Lake in Lassen Park with family and friends. There were quite a few Aeshna males patrolling the lake shore. Along a beach there I saw a female darner, which through the binoculars appeared to be Shadow (no line across face and Shadow looking side thoratic stripes), ovipositing in coarse sand at the water's edge. There wasn't any wet wood within a 100 feet either side. It's the first time I've seen an Aeshna ovispositing in non-organic material. In fact, a few moments earlier I was asking myself why some male darners seemed to be patrolling such an unproductive stretch of shoreline for females. After leaving the beach she landed on the ground along the shoreline for a brief moment before taking off for good. Ray Bruun Shingletown, Shasta County, CA Subject: San Diego County From: "Gary Suttle" <odonatophilia AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 26 Sep 2009 02:32:08 -0000 September 25, 2009 Lake Poway, 2:30-4:30, sunny, light breeze, 93-91 degrees. (Dam base pond) California Spreadwing 2M California Dancer 1M Vivid Dancer 1 Desert Firetail 3M 2F Common Green Darner 6 Variegated Meadowhawk 2 Blue Dasher 4 (lake) Familiar Bluet 3 Tule Bluet 5 Bluet sp. >20 Common Green Darner >60 Tandems composed nearly half the count. Walking by a shallow 20'X 75' inlet stirred 11 simultaneously ovipositing pairs. Blue-eyed Darner 1 Variegated Meadowhawk 5 Mexican Amberwing 1 Red-tailed Pennant 9M Blue Dasher >10 Western Pondhawk 3 Flame Skimmer 6 Black Saddlebags 13 Red Saddlebags 2 Gary Suttle Poway, CA Subject: Pt. Pinos & beyond From: Don Roberson <creagrus AT montereybay.com> Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:11:00 -0700 On 18 Sep, a half-dozen male darners, all of which looked to be Blue- eyed Darners, were over Crespi Pond and around Pt. Pinos. One landed for diagnostic photos. As far as I know, no odes breed here so this might be considered a migration movement on a calm, hot, sunny morning. There was a good migration of western birds happening. On 19 Sep, others on my boat trip saw an unidentified dragonfly some 34 n.miles SW of Pt. Pinos. This is even farther offshore than the one on 23 Aug. I didn't see it, but my guess would be BE Darner again, consistent with the movement at the nearest point of land the day before. Don Roberson Pacific Grove CA http://creagrus.home.montereybay.com/ Subject: Riverside County and San Bernardino County Odes From: "Peter Siminski" <dsiminski AT dc.rr.com> Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:01:23 -0700 September 20, 2009 Riverside County Peter Siminski Dos Palmas Oasis and Fish Ponds, Dos Palmas Preserve, Elev. -100'; 7:15-11:45, 75-100F, cloudless, calm to gentle breeze SE. Paiute Dancer, Argia alberta 3 including two in hand. Blue-ringed Dancer, A. sedula 1 in hand. Familiar Bluet, Enallagma civile 3 Desert Forktail, Ischnura barberi 16 Rambur's Forktail, I. ramburii >20 Common Green Darner, Anax junius >50 including wheels, tandem pairs and ovipositing pairs. Blue-eyed Darner, Rhionaeschna multicolor 11 Variegated Meadowhawk, Sympetrum corruptum >60 including tandem pairs some ovipositing. Red-tailed Pennant, Brachymesia furcata 14 Western Pondhawk, Erythemis collocata >40 including a wheel. Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis 14 Flame Skimmer, Libellula saturata 1 Roseate skimmer, Orthemis ferruginea 12 Marl Pennant, Macrodiplax balteata >40 including one tandem pair Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata >75 including tandem pairs. Red Saddlebags, T. onusta 14 Note: It rained in the past month, one big downpour I believe. Most of the roads along the fish ponds have been graveled over the past year. About 8 acres east of the fish ponds are being scraped of Tamarisk, idodine bush and saltbush leaving bare earth and puddles. September 19, 2009 San Bernardino County Peter Siminski Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, Elev. 2500': 7:45-9:40, 62-77F, cloudless, calm. Vivid Dancer, Argia vivida 11 Neon Skimmer, Libellula croceipennis 2 Flame Skimmer, L. saturata 1 Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata 1 Subject: SF County From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:33:41 -0700 Dave and I, along with Bob Miller planned to stop at Hawk Hill, in Marin Co., just above the Golden Gate Bridge to watch the hawks & dragonflies migrating this morning. Alas, it was totally fogged in for the whole 2 hrs we were there. Only 3 hawks were seen and no dragonflies - luckily the sun wasn't too far away... ...so we drove down to Ft. Point to look for SF Forktails 1:30-2:00, 59F, light breeze SF Forktail - 2-3 males It was cold enuf that they were just an inch or so above the water, and on our return canvas of the area, they had disappeared. No other odes seen, but several sea lions and at least one dolphin were cavorting out in the bay. Bob is on his way south again now. Cheers!! Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Oviposition From: Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson AT comcast.net> Date: Sat, 19 Sep 2009 09:35:19 -0700 Hello, all. As far as I know, all Tramea the world over oviposit in this manner. I've seen it personally in quite a few species, and I have never seen a report of another mode. However, females also oviposit by themselves, presumably in all species. When they do so, they often tap the water much more frequently than they do during the tandem oviposition with a male. Another related genus, Hydrobasileus of Asia and Australia, also oviposits in the Tramea fashion, but I know of no other dragonflies that do so. Dennis On Sep 18, 2009, at 9:20 PM, Kathy &/or Dave Biggs wrote: > Hi Paul and all, > > Neat that you got those photos! I'll link to them from my website. > What you saw with the Saddlebags is called the "Tramea Dance" - I'm > not certain that all Tramea do it, but the Blacks certainly do. > Often he completely releases the female, hovering above her by > several images, so this is just a little bit different! Very nice to > get more images of this. > > > Cheers!! > Kathy > > > ----- Dennis Paulson 1724 NE 98 St. Seattle, WA 98115 206-528-1382 dennispaulson AT comcast.net Subject: Re: Oviposition From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:20:53 -0700 Hi Paul and all, Neat that you got those photos! I'll link to them from my website. What you saw with the Saddlebags is called the "Tramea Dance" - I'm not certain that all Tramea do it, but the Blacks certainly do. Often he completely releases the female, hovering above her by several images, so this is just a little bit different! Very nice to get more images of this. Bob Miller is staying with us between pelagic trips out of Bodega Bay - he hasn't seen any Odes out over the Cordell Banks, the wind has been blowing towards shore. But yesterday we went out, mostly sight seeing/birding but we included a stop at Bullfrog Pond in Armstrong Redwoods out of Guerneville - there were lots and lots of Striped Meadowhawks there. Only saw one pair though, and they were in wheel. At this time of year, when many ponds/lakes are low, it's not unusual to see the Meadowhawks ovipositing along the 'dry' shoreline, in an area where the water will rise to at least that level by Spring. I've even seen Striped Meadowhawks ovipositing on suburban lawns - but I think their varied strategies are what make them so successful. We saw Cardinal Meadowhawks ovipositing from 3 ft above the waterline at Tilden Park earlier this year...I wonder if this strategy scatters the eggs over a larger surface area and thus reduces predation from fish - esp. the pesky mosquito fish that follow dragonflies around the pond, eating the eggs as quickly as they are laid? I think the fish consider the meadowhawks their own personal fish feeders!! Our sightings yesterday: Sonoma County Kathy & Dave Biggs, Bob Miller Bullfrog Pond (1300 ft, 87F, 3:30-4:00), Armstrong Redwoods State Park, Guerneville Spotted Spreadwing - several Common Green Darner Blue-eyed Darner 12-spotted Skimmer - 1 male Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1 male Striped Meadowhawk - ~12 on the pond, and dozens seen flying over the nearby hills We had seen a few Common Green Darners and what I assumed were Varigated Meadowhawks along the coast, the but Meadowhawks could have all be Striped! At Steelhead Park on the Russian River north of Forestville we had what we think was a Shadow Darner. Diversity is way down already...darn.... Cheers!! Kathy > ___ Subject: Oviposition From: Paul Johnson <pjpolliwog AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:45:08 -0700 (PDT) Hi all, Inspired by Steve Rottenborn's post about seeing the striped meadowhawk's eggs in mid-air, I went to the most reliable local place I know to find the species (CA: San Benito County, Pinnacles National Monument, Bear Gulch Resevoir), in order to see it for myself.  To be honest, I was a bit skeptical.  Those eggs must be so small. But he was absolutely right.  I didn't see any with the naked eye, but I was able to see them through my camera, and it would have been very easy with binoculars.  I ended up getting a few photos in which you can see the egg in mid-air.  Thanks, Steve! Also while I was there, I saw black saddlebags ovipositing in a way I had not seen before.  They were ovipositing in tandem.  Well, almost.  What happened was that the male would release the female, she would fly down and tap the water, then as she flew back up he would catch her and re-attach his appendages behind her head, and they would continue to fly in tandem.  I saw this happen repeatedly.  Photos of this and the striped meadowhawks are at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25358884 AT N06/sets/72157622374637438/detail/   To see an image at full size, click on it, then click on the "all sizes" button above the new photo that pops up.   Here's a list of my observations for the day.  I didn't pay a lot of attention to damsels.   12 Sept 2009 San Benito Co. Pinnacles National Monument, Bear Gulch Reservoir (back end) 1030-1200.  Calm, clear, 90F.   -California spreadwing - 3 -California dancer - 6 -bluet spp. - 15 -western forktail - 2 -desert firetail - 3 -common green darner - 5 -blue-eyed darner - 7 -variegated meadowhawk - 5 -cardinal meadowhawk - 3 -striped meadowhawk - 6 -flame skimmer - 3 -black saddlebags - 4 -wandering glider - 1 Happy odeing, Paul Subject: Re: Bluet ID please From: "Adam" <aj.lewis AT cox.net> Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:09:02 -0000 Dennis Paulson, Tim Manolis and Kathy ID'ed this as a young male Tule Bluet. The captions on my Flickr site have been changed accordingly. Per request I added the best picture I have of the side view of the cerci. Next time I'll try to get a better one. Thanks for the coaching! Adam Lewis Goleta CA aj.lewis AT cox.net Subject: Re: Bluet ID please From: Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson AT comcast.net> Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:34:31 -0700 Adam, As nearly as I can tell from the amount of black on the middle abdominal segments and the rather short cerci (superior appendages), it's an immature male Tule Bluet. Familiar Bluet would have less black on the abdomen and longer cerci. Arroyo Bluet, which has a lot of black, would also have longer, more slender cerci without that little round pale tubercle at the end. Dennis On Sep 16, 2009, at 3:10 PM, Adam wrote: > There's a lavender bush in our front yard that's a magnet for > honeybees. This bluet was sitting on it today... a good opportunity > for me to start looking at these. It was skinny and short compared > to the ones I see at the marshes. > > After pouring over the reference material I think it's an immature > male Familiar Bluet. I found this very difficult to ID even though I > took photos of the parts I thought were important. Your feedback and > comments are most welcome. > > pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbfledgling/sets/72157622265860877/ > > Thanks > > Adam Lewis > Goleta CA > aj.lewis AT cox.net > > > ----- Dennis Paulson 1724 NE 98 St. Seattle, WA 98115 206-528-1382 dennispaulson AT comcast.net Subject: Bluet ID please From: "Adam" <aj.lewis AT cox.net> Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:10:35 -0000 There's a lavender bush in our front yard that's a magnet for honeybees. This bluet was sitting on it today... a good opportunity for me to start looking at these. It was skinny and short compared to the ones I see at the marshes. After pouring over the reference material I think it's an immature male Familiar Bluet. I found this very difficult to ID even though I took photos of the parts I thought were important. Your feedback and comments are most welcome. pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbfledgling/sets/72157622265860877/ Thanks Adam Lewis Goleta CA aj.lewis AT cox.net Subject: RE: Paddle-tailed vs Shadow Darners From: "Jim Johnson" <jt_johnson AT comcast.net> Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:06:37 -0700 Another feature that I find helpful is the thickness of the pale marking on the side of the first abdominal segment--very thin (often hair-thin) on Shadow Darner (Aeshna umbrosa), more obviously thicker overall and often not parallel (usually thicker towards the bottom end) on Paddle-tailed (A. palmata). This is visible in Steve Rottenborn's top image at Kathy's link. It can be handy in photos of these things when you only see the side view and the ventral spots on the abdomen or the top of the tenth abdominal segment are not clearly visible. This also works on females, and it is also a distinction on Paddle-tailed vs. Walker's Darner (A. walkeri)--that mark being very thin on Walker's. It's quite variable on Variable Darner (A. interrupta), which makes sense, and seems to correspond with variation in the extent of the lateral thoracic stripes and blue on the dorsum of S10 (when those are reduced, the mark on S1 is often reduced too). Cheers, Jim Johnson Vancouver, Washington jt_johnson AT comcast. net http://odonata. bogfoot.net/ _____ From: CalOdes AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:CalOdes AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Kathy &/or Dave Biggs Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 3:33 PM To: CalOdes; nw_odonata AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [CalOdes] Paddle-tailed vs Shadow Darners Hi all, Usually it's not too difficult to tell a Paddle-tailed from a Shadow Darner - at least IN HAND as you can look at their undersides, and from the top, you can see whether there are spots on s10 or not. That said, I still blew it with the image on page 56 in my revised CA guide. It turns out that Steve Rottenborn had just been doing comparison shots of these two species up at Lily Lake in Modoc Co. earlier this month. Here's a link to some images he took on the 5th: http://bigsnest. members.sonic.net/Pond/dragons/ShadowVSPaddle-tailedDarner.html I hope you find these helpful. Thanks Steve!! Kathy Subject: Re: Paddle-tailed vs Shadow Darners From: Ray Bruun <bruun AT frontiernet.net> Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:29:33 -0700 Excellent job, Steve! Great comparison shots. Ray Bruun Shingletown, Shasta County, CA Kathy &/or Dave Biggs wrote: > Hi all, > > Usually it's not too difficult to tell a Paddle-tailed from a Shadow > Darner - at least IN HAND as you can look at their undersides, and from > the top, you can see whether there are spots on s10 or not. > That said, I still blew it with the image on page 56 in my revised CA guide. > > It turns out that Steve Rottenborn had just been doing comparison shots > of these two species up at Lily Lake in Modoc Co. earlier this month. > Here's a link to some images he took on the 5th: > http://bigsnest.members.sonic.net/Pond/dragons/ShadowVSPaddle-tailedDarner.html > I hope you find these helpful. > > Thanks Steve!! > Kathy > > > Subject: Paddle-tailed vs Shadow Darners From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:33:12 -0700 Hi all, Usually it's not too difficult to tell a Paddle-tailed from a Shadow Darner - at least IN HAND as you can look at their undersides, and from the top, you can see whether there are spots on s10 or not. That said, I still blew it with the image on page 56 in my revised CA guide. It turns out that Steve Rottenborn had just been doing comparison shots of these two species up at Lily Lake in Modoc Co. earlier this month. Here's a link to some images he took on the 5th: http://bigsnest.members.sonic.net/Pond/dragons/ShadowVSPaddle-tailedDarner.html I hope you find these helpful. Thanks Steve!! Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: CA Website From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:43:54 -0700 Thanks all who responded - turns out it was working in FireFox but not Internet Explorer. One tiny problem, I didn't use the html tag to end the title. FireFox could get past it, but not explorer. It's fixed now!! Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: CA Dragonfly website From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:17:28 -0700 Hi All, I had someone come by today and they said that although the damselfly website links were working on my CA Website, the dragonfly links weren't. They work fine here and I don't see an obvious error in my html, but wondered if a some of you would be so kind as to click on the top link below and try a few of the dragonfly links and let me know the results! THANKS!! Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Common Dragonflies of California - correction From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:23:12 -0700 Hi all, There's been quite a discussion about the Aeshna darners going on on the Northwest discussion group (nw_odonata AT yahoogroups.com). Thru it Ray Bruun started looking at his photos, and discovered what he thought might be an identity error - and he is correct, and unfortunately I used that photo in my book with the wrong species! Mea culpa! The photo which appears on page 56 in my newly revised (2009) "Common Dragonflies of California" as a Paddle-tailed Darner in flight, is NOT a Paddle-tailed Darner. It IS a Shadow Darner. So, please label the photo as a Shadow Darner. The main ID mark that helped us make this identification: no blue spots on segment 10. I'm so sorry for not noting this before publication. I have posted the following image (also by Ray) of a REAL Paddle-tailed Darner on my website: http://bigsnest.members.sonic.net/Pond/dragons/3807284947_af80b34243RayPaddleSide2.jpg Please print it out and carry it in your copy of the book so you'll make the correct ID. Good Oding to you!! Kathy Biggs -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ Odonata-l mailing list Odonata-l AT listhost.ups.edu https://mailweb.ups.edu/mailman/listinfo/odonata-l Subject: Common Dragonflies of California - correction From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:23:12 -0700 Hi all, There's been quite a discussion about the Aeshna darners going on on the Northwest discussion group (nw_odonata AT yahoogroups.com). Thru it Ray Bruun started looking at his photos, and discovered what he thought might be an identity error - and he is correct, and unfortunately I used that photo in my book with the wrong species! Mea culpa! The photo which appears on page 56 in my newly revised (2009) "Common Dragonflies of California" as a Paddle-tailed Darner in flight, is NOT a Paddle-tailed Darner. It IS a Shadow Darner. So, please label the photo as a Shadow Darner. The main ID mark that helped us make this identification: no blue spots on segment 10. I'm so sorry for not noting this before publication. I have posted the following image (also by Ray) of a REAL Paddle-tailed Darner on my website: http://bigsnest.members.sonic.net/Pond/dragons/3807284947_af80b34243RayPaddleSide2.jpg Please print it out and carry it in your copy of the book so you'll make the correct ID. Good Oding to you!! Kathy Biggs -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Joseph Grant C.P., Santa Clara County From: "Steve Rottenborn" <srottenborn AT harveyecology.com> Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:04:59 -0700 This afternoon I checked Joseph Grant County Park and Smith Creek, both along Mt. Hamilton Road east of San Jose in Santa Clara County, for odes. Highlights were a late Western River Cruiser (one day shy of the late date for the state, I believe), Walker's Darner, and seeing the eggs drop from aerially ovipositing Striped Meadowhawks. Totals were as follows: Grant Lake (I just checked the southern shoreline): Spotted Spreadwing 4 Tule Bluet 40 Common Green Darner 15 Blue-eyed Darner 1 Flame Skimmer 2 Variegated Meadowhawk 7 Striped Meadowhawk 3 Black Saddlebags 4 McCreery Lake (a small pond just southeast of Grant Lake): Spotted Spreadwing 8 Tule Bluet 175 Pacific Forktail 2 Western Forktail 6 Desert Firetail 12 Common Green Darner 15 Blue-eyed Darner 2 (plus one female mosaic darner sp.) Western River Cruiser 1 (made several passes low over the pond before disappearing) Flame Skimmer 5 Variegated Meadowhawk 12 Cardinal Meadowhawk 3 Striped Meadowhawk 18 (including 3 tandem pairs aerially ovipositing over spikerush (Eleocharis) and pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium); when the meadowhawks were backlit, I could see the eggs dropping into the dry vegetation, which was 4-5 vertical feet or more above the current level of the pond but which is likely at least moist (if not inundated) in spring) Black Saddlebags 20 Smith Creek at Mt. Hamilton Road: Walker's Darner 2-3 males Emma's Dancer 1 Steve Rottenborn Morgan Hill, CA Subject: Trinity County From: Kathy &/or Dave Biggs <bigsnest AT sonic.net> Date: Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:46:21 -0700 Hi all, Man, it's next to impossible to find any new species in Trinity, even through there are dozens not recorded there, that OUGHT to be there! Dave and I tried hard. We did manage to find a nice little colony of Great Spreadwings, not they're not a new record though, but perhaps the first of the year. The story: We were in Fort Bragg on the coast on Monday and decided it would be fool-hardy to try to head home that nite, so we headed north and I found a spot on the map that was in Trinity County and reachable be dark: Ruth Lake. We got there just in time to eat dinner and sleep in the back of the car (had a mattress in the back of the van already, so that was easy!). We slept in as it got COLD that nite and it was only 57 at 10:00 am. We found a place with coffee and orange juice and headed over to the marina at the north end of the lake to eat breakfast. All we saw there were Green Darners, a Variegated Meadowhawk and a Tule Bluet. So we drove over to the far north end of the lake, to the Sheriff's Cove, there we found Tule Bluet Common Green Darner Aeshna sp. Flame Skimmer Next we drove north of the Ruth Lake, along the Mad River on Mad River Rd. and stopped at the Mad River Campground. There we only found Emma's Dancer - one female Green Darner Aeshna sp (Shadow?) Flame Skimmer Skimmer sp. Our last stop was along the South Fork of the Trinity River along Hwy. 36 AT Forest Glen Campground. We found *Great Spreadwing - ~12 males Aeshna sp. Green Darner Variegated Meadowhawk Skimmer sp. This last spot was really pretty and had the potential, we thought, of having Red Rock Skimmers, which would be a new county record, so I hope someone will be able to check this site out next year. And Ray, the Great Spreadwings were quite photogenic. There possibly could have been a Pantala flying too - but we never could get close to it. The only other species seen in Trinity County was one young Striped Meadowhawk just 2 miles inside the border with Shasta County. Darn - couldn't find a Pondhawk, Dasher or Familiar Bluet anywhere! Cheers!! Kathy -- California Dragonflies http://www.sonic.net/dragonfly Southwest Dragonflies http://southwestdragonflies.net/ Bigsnest Wildlife Pond http://www.bigsnestpond.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kathy and Dave Biggs bigsnest AT sonic.net 707-823-2911 308 Bloomfield Rd. Sebastopol, CA 95472 ----------------------------------------------------------------- dba Azalea Creek Publishing azalea AT sonic.net fax: 707-823-2911 http://www.sonic.net/~bigsnest/azaleacreekpublishing/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Modoc County, 4-5 Sep. From: "Steve Rottenborn" <srottenborn AT harveyecology.com> Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2009 16:05:37 -0700 I spent a long weekend in northeastern Modoc County, and though I did not spend a lot of time looking for odonates, I did see a few species. Common Green Darners and Striped Meadowhawks were common and widespread, from lowland grasslands on the east side of Goose Lake (often far from water) to Lily Lake in the north Warner Mountains. Band-winged Meadowhawks were less abundant and widespread than Striped, but were still scattered around the lowlands east of Goose Lake. Species/numbers in specific locations were as follows: 4 September 2009 1 Black Meadowhawk in New Pine Creek, along railroad tracks just south of Stateline Road Lower Lily Pond, along Forest Service Road 2 in north Warner Mountains east of New Pine Creek: Northern Spreadwing 20 Vivid Dancer 3 Boreal/Northern Bluet 60+ (all 6 males examined in hand were Boreal) Pacific Forktail 4 Western Forktail 3 Variable Darner 100 Paddle-tailed Darner 6 Common Green Darner 15 Twelve-spotted Skimmer 1 Lily Lake, along F.S. Road 2 east of Lower Lily Pond: Boreal/Northern Bluet 20 Variable Darner 40 Paddle-tailed Darner 3 Shadow Darner 2 Common Green Darner 4 Band-winged Meadowhawk 6 Striped Meadowhawk 5 5 September 2009 Lower Lily Pond, along Forest Service Road 2 in north Warner Mountains east of New Pine Creek: Spotted Spreadwing 3 Northern Spreadwing 2 Vivid Dancer 2 Boreal/Northern Bluet 20 Pacific Forktail 6 Western Forktail 2 Variable Darner 100 Paddle-tailed Darner 15 Shadow Darner 2 Common Green Darner 20 Striped Meadowhawk 4 Steve Rottenborn Morgan Hill, CA Subject: Re: ID help please From: "sbfledgling" <aj.lewis AT cox.net> Date: Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:53:25 -0000 This is a female Cardinal Meadowhawk. The captions in the Flickr set have been updated accordingly. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbfledgling/sets/72157622294344076/) My thanks to Tim Manolis, Ray Bruun (and his photos of a female Cardinal Meadowhawk) and Jim Johnson for nailing this for me. The appropriate field marks are now clear in my head. Adam Lewis Goleta CA aj.lewis AT cox.net Subject: RE: ID help please From: "Jim Johnson" <jt_johnson AT comcast.net> Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2009 21:12:31 -0700 Looks like a female Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum) to me. She has a transverse carina on abdominal segment 4, which places her in the subgenus Tarnetrum-this includes Cardinal, Red-veined (S. madidum), and Variegated Meadowhawks (S. corruptum). Variegated doesn't have a orange suffusion in wing bases, the body coloration is wrong, and, as you say, the pterostigmas are wrong. Radial planate is wrong for Red-veined-also as you say, and the orange suffusion also tends to be more extensive along the leading edge of the wings. This leaves Cardinal Meadowhawk, and I don't see anything inconsistent with that species. Jim _____ From: CalOdes AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:CalOdes AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of sbfledgling Sent: Monday, September 07, 2009 4:48 PM To: CalOdes AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [CalOdes] ID help please I found this one on the ocean bluffs west of UCSB yesterday. I'm pretty sure it's a Meadowhawk but a check of the field marks leaves me with no clear answer. Your ID and key field marks used are most welcome. Pics at http://www.flickr. com/photos/sbfledgling/sets/72157622294344076/ Adam Lewis Goleta CA aj.lewis AT cox. net