Pope Creek, & Bear Creek, CA

Pope Creek, Lake Berryessa, Napa Co.
Link to Topozone.com map
&
Bear Creek, Highway 20, Colusa Co.
geographic coordinates: 39 00.490' N 122 22.105' W alt: 1015 feet
Link to Topozone.com map

Guenoc Pond, Butts Canyon Rd., Lake County 38D42.62' 122D28.54'

Bear Creek at ~ 1/4 mile north of Highway 20
Link to Topozone.com map

Opportunities to collect and observe Pacific Odonata abounded at Pope Creek and Bear Creek
and other nearby sites in the rugged coastal mountains of California!

All areas offered collecting and photography amidst the unique geology, ecology and beautiful scenery of California's coastal chaparral.

Bear Creek: Located just 20 miles due east of Williams on Highway 20 and only 25 miles north of Pope Creek. Both Bear & Pope Creeks were easily included in the day trip. Bear Creek shares much of its Odonate fauna with Pope Creek, but also boasts a population of Anax walsinghami, the largest dragonfly in North America. See list below of what was seen.

Image of a Giant Darner in hand by Bob Behrstock

List of species found at Bear Creek in previous years and on the DSA 03 trip (bold text=seen at DSA field trip, *=new data):

1	Hetaerina americana	American Rubyspot
2	*Archilestes grandis	Great Spreadwing Previously only recorded as Archilestes sp.*
3	Argia agrioides	California Dancer
4	A. emma	Emma's Dancer
5	A. lugens	Sooty Dancer
6	A. vivida	Vivid Dancer
7	Enallagma carunculatum	Tule Bluet
8	E. boreale	Boreal Bluet
9	E. civile	Familiar Bluet
10	E. cyathigerum	Northern Bluet
11	Ischnura barberi*	Desert Forktail* a female collected by Rosser Garrison for a new county record
12	Ischnura cervula	Pacific Forktail
13	I. perparva	Western Forktail
14	Telebasis salva	Desert Firetail
15	Erpetogomphus compositus	White-belted Ringtail
16	Gomphus kurilis	Pacific Clubtail
17	Progomphus borealis	Gray Sanddragon
18	Stylurus olivaceus	Olivaceus Clubtail
19	Aeshna californica*	California Darner*
20	Aeshna multicolor	Blue-eyed Darner
21	Anax junius	Common Green Darner
22	A. walsinghami	Giant Darner
23	Cordulegaster dorsalis	Pacific Spiketail
24	Macromia magnifica	Western River Cruiser
25	Epitheca canis*	Beaverpond Baskettail*
26	Brechmorhoga mendax	Pale-faced Clubskimmer
27	Erythemis collocata	Western Pondhawk
28	Libellula forensis	Eight-spotted Skimmer
29	L. luctuosa	Widow Skimmer
30	L. lydia	Common Whitetail
31	L. pulchella	Twelve-spotted Skimmer
32	L. saturata	Flame Skimmer
33	Pachydiplax longipennis	Blue Dasher
34	Pantala flavescens	Wandering Glider
35	P. hymenaea	Spot-winged Glider
36	Paltothemis lineatipes	Red Rock Skimmer
37	Sympetrum corruptum	Variegated Meadowhawk
38	Sympetrum madidum	Red-veined Meadowhawk
39	Sympetrum pallipes	Striped Meadowhawk
40	Tramea lacerata	Black Saddlebags

Alas, although 29 species were seen, the unusually late and cool spring in CA meant that many of these species were not out in their usual high numbers!

Bear Creek at ~ 4 miles north of Highway 20

Pope Creek: Located 1 hour and 30 minutes west of Davis in the Lake Berryessa State Recreation Area, Pope Creek is one of the best collecting localities in the coastal ranges of northern California. Many Pacific coast species are common here, including Gomphus kurilis, Ophiogomphus bison, Octogomphus specularis, Argia agrioides and the CA endemic Zoniagrion exclamationis. There is also a population of Tanypteryx hageni nearby, but it is small and difficult to access due to the high level of Lake Berryessa. We were able to arrange to transport (i.e. ferry) a few of the most adventurous collectors to the site, but it turned out to be too late in the season for the Tanypteryx hageni .
See list below of what was seen.

1

Argia agrioides

California Dancer

2

A. vivida

Vivid Dancer

3

Enallagma carunculatum

Tule Bluet

4

E. praevarum

Arroyo Bluet

5

Ischnura sp

Forktail sp

6

Telebasis salva

Desert Firetail

7

Gomphus kurilis

Pacific Clubtail

8

Macromia magnifica

Western River Cruiser

9

Cordulegaster dorsalis

Pacific Spiketail

10

Brechmorhoga mendax

Pale-faced Clubskimmer

11

Erythemis collocata

Western Pondhawk

12

Libellula comanche

Comanche Skimmer

13

L. luctuosa

Widow Skimmer

14

L. saturata

Flame Skimmer

15

Pachydiplax longipennis

Blue Dasher

16

Tramea lacerata

Black Saddlebags

Because it was visited late in the day, fewer species were seen here.

Additional Places visited to see/photograph/collect that are near POPE/BEAR CREEKS -

Guenoc Pond: An unmarked pond with ephemeral stream on same site. This was a good source for the pond skimmer species. It lies on the west side of Butts Canyon Rd. which is a route between the Pope and Bear Creek sites. This pond had not been thoroughly inventoried and contained species not previously found in Lake County - we greatly appreciated those who took this opportunity to help us determine distribution in California!
See list below of what was seen.

List of species found at Guenoc Pond on the DSA 03 trip (* & in bold = new county record - THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!):

1	Hetaerina americana	American Rubyspot
2	Archilestes californicus*	California Spreadwing*
3	Lestes congener	Spotted Spreadwing
4	Lestes stultus	Black Spreadwing
5	Argia agrioides	California Dancer
6	A. emma	Emma's Dancer
7	A. lugens	Sooty Dancer
8	A. vivida	Vivid Dancer
9	Enallagma carunculatum	Tule Bluet
10	Ischnura cervula	Pacific Forktail
11	Telebasis salva*	Desert Firetail*
12	Aeshna multicolor	Blue-eyed Darner
13	Anax junius*	Common Green Darner* now a specimen record
14	Erpetogomphus compositus*	White-belted Ringtail* sight record
15	Gomphus kurilis	Pacific Clubtail
16	Progomphus borealis	Gray Sanddragon
17	Brechmorhoga mendax
18	Erythemis collocata	Western Pondhawk
19	Libellula forensis	Eight-spotted Skimmer
20	L. luctuosa	Widow Skimmer
21	L. lydia	Common Whitetail
22	L. saturata	Flame Skimmer
23	Pachydiplax longipennis	Blue Dasher
24	Sympetrum illotum	Cardinal Meadowhawk
25	Sympetrum madidum	Red-veined Meadowhawk
26	Sympetrum occidentale*	Western Meadowhawk*
27	Sympetrum pallipes	Striped Meadowhawk
28	Tramea lacerata	Black Saddlebags

We thank everyone for their efforts here, 5 new county records were made!

Cold Canyon: Also located near Lake Berryessa, but to the east and below the dam, the stream through Cold Canyon is ephemeral. This rugged rocky canyon supports populations of both California and Great Spreadwings Archilestes californicus and grandis, Walker's Darner Aeshna walkeri, Red Rock Skimmer Paltothemis lineatipes, and others in the late summer. However, no daring or brazen folks had the time to try their luck at this earlier season even though Walker's Darner has been recorded as early as May in California.

Cache Creek: a quick stop here produced no odes, but it was a convenient potty stop.

Putah Creek, Yolo/Solano County line : This turned out to be the BEST site where several folks were able to find
Zoniagrion exclamationis Exclamation Damsel!! Species found there included:

1	Argia agrioides	California Dancer
2	Enallagma cyathigerum	Northern Bluet
3	Ischnura cervula	Pacific Forktail
4	Zoniagrion exclamationis	Exclamation Damsel

Granzella's parking lot, Williams: the DSA yet again found the motel parking lot THE spot for spotting Gliders: Pantala hymenaea Spot- winged Glider

THANKS FOR COMING EVERYONE!