County records are underlined and in orange text
*= first/last sighting of species of year in CA
**= possibly new flight data for species in CA
#= possibly a migratory event

92 species (out of 108 known species) were reported to this site as flying in CA in 2002.

There were 92 county records &/or upgrades to county records this year (this # includes several upgrades of previous 'sighting only' records, and newly accessed museum collections).
`Sighting only' records need further documentation, but please report them so we can try to get substantiation. There may be some upgrades of previous `sighting only' records and new specimen records from recently examined museum/private collections. If you find such a record, please email it in.
County records should be substantiated with specimen (preferable) or photo and notes.

DECEMBER

28 December 2002
Nevada County
David Lukas
... I don't know if this is seen very often but I found an overwintering Variegated Meadowhawk* [last sighting of '02] on December 28. It was an apparent female clinging to a fern about 12 inches above the ground on a south- facing grassy slope in the South Yuba River canyon (at the Hwy. 49 crossing) in Nevada County of the Sierra Nevada (about 2000' elevation). This was on a cold raining day (snowing just a few hundred feet higher), but it's also been raining and snowing pretty continuously for about two weeks straight so she couldn't possibly have flown during the last two weeks at least. She was perched vertically so that the rain ran down her body but she was obviously breathing steadily and readjusted her front leg once during the time I watched. Her colors and condition looked normal (not tattered or faded at all)

17 December 2002
Imperial County
Bob Miller
... we had one Variegated Meadowhawk and one Roseate Skimmer* [last sighting of '02]near the Salton Sea just outside of Calipatria in Imperial County.
Yuba County
Tim Manolis
... Bruce Webb found some Variegated Meadowhawks on the Marysville CBC (Dec. 17), include one he collected (I have the specimen). It was actually in the foothill part of the count circle, in open Blue Oak woodland, but near to marshy ponds. I regularly see these guys around Sacramento, often in reasonably good numbers, in the CBC period till near the end of December. I have never seen one in January, however. But that is because January is mostly rainy or foggy around here (not much sun). I don't doubt that some occur well into January in the Sacramento Valley and surrounding foothills and perhaps overwinter, however. I would urge folks who find some in December (especially if they find more than one in a small area that includes potential breeding habitat) to mark the wings with some sort of waterproof color marker and see if they can find wing-marked individuals later in January, February, or thereafter in the same area. Some sort of study such as this is about the only way we are going to prove that individuals survive the winter.

15 December 2002
Imperial County
Bob Miller
... we had one Variegated Meadowhawk in a backyard in BorregoSprings which is San Diego County.

8 December 2002
Imperial County
Bob Miller
New River Wetlands Imperial site:
**Rambur's Forktail (Ischnura ramburii)** - about 1,000; photos and specimens taken
**Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile)**- ~100
Roseate Skimmer - ~20
[**=new late season flight data]

7 December 2002
Butte County
Bruce Deuel
I led a birding field trip to Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, Butte Co. It was very calm, mostly sunny, and got up to 65 degrees. I saw 2 male Variegated Meadowhawks during our hike around the trails.

1 December 2002
Sonoma County
Chris Heaivilin
I saw a female S. Corruptum at Jack London's pig palace (Glen Ellen).

NOVEMBER

30 November 2002
Sonoma County
Alan Wight-
I saw two probable Variegated Meadowhawks at Bodega Dunes Campground. Neither hung around long enough for me to get a good look.

19 November 2002
Sonoma County
David A. Hofmann -
I visited Gualala Point Regional Park in Sonoma county, located at the mouth of the Gualala River. I had one late dragonfly there, a female Shadow Darner*. [last sighting of '02]She was perched head up, on a California Coffeeberry bush. Unfortunately there was ten feet of brush between my camera and her, so no photos. I was however able to use my birding scope to get an excellent view of her. That was all I saw all day on the Sonoma county coast.

18 November 2002
Shasta County
Bruce Deuel -
Here in Redding, .... the weather has been mild so .... I checked one of the best ode spots in town, Turtle Bay West. Only 1 ode was flying, a suspected Shadow Darner.

17 November 2002
Imperial County
Doug Aguillard-
... I finally was able to get away today, and went tramping down to the Imperial Valley, at my secret spot near Calexico, there was NOTHING flying, so it was off to Fig Lagoon, and still nothing, so I hit Bob's places and at the Imperial Wetlands Project I had the following.
Desert* and Rambur's Forktails, and maybe the Powdered Dancer(?, we'll see when I put the pics on my web site). One Blue-eyed Darner.
At the Brawley Wetlands Project, I saw Roseate Skimmers, **Blue-ringed Dancers**, Blue-eyed Darner* [last sighting of '02] and a small Reddish Dragon (Variegated ?)
Overall, it was a beautiful day in the desert, and cooler than the coastline in San Diego. [**=new late season flight data]

15 November 2002
Butte County
Ray Bruun-
... At Butte College in their No. 1 biology pond, I saw 8 to 10 Sympetrum pallipes (Striped Meadowhawk)* [last sighting '02] including three pairs in wheel. It was a beautiful day, warm (in the 60s) and sunny.
Sonoma County
Kathy Biggs-
Helped lead a bird watch for the local HS Advanced Biology class at the Laguna Wetlands Park this morning, 9:30-10:15. Not even a Variegated Meadowhawk was seen. :-(

14 November 2002
Imperial County
Bob Miller-
...While birding (of course) ..., I had a few Rambur's Forktail at several locations. Roseate Skimmer are still widespread andfairly common. A few glimpses of what I thought were Variegated Meadowhawk but not certain.

11 November 2002
Sonoma County
Rod Miller-
Rod watched a female **Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes) flying along Warm Springs Creek next to Morgan's Hot Springs Resort (near Glenn Ellen). He saw it about 2:15 and it amazes both of us after the weekend's rather violent storm, but it is presently sunny and in the 60-70 degree range here.
[**new late flight data - kb]

8 November 2002
Imperial County
Bob Miller-
...While birding in Imperial County ... Friday the 8th, I did not see any flyers around the New River Wetlands Project but was there very early in the morning. As the day warmed up we did see Rambur's and Desert Forktail, **Powdered and **Blue-ringed Dancer, Roseate Skimmer andVariegated Meadowhawk in several places near the shore of the Salton Sea. Saw other fliers but the focus was birding so was not able to investigate!
[**new late flight data - kb]

5 November 2002
Yuba County
Tim Manolis-
...today was so nice and warm and sunny, that after seeing good numbers of Variegated Meadowhawks (Sympetrum corruptum), including many tandem pairs, and darners (most if not all Blue-eyed [Aeshna multicolor]but also some possible Common Greens [Anax junius])* (last sighting of '02) while birding the flooded rice country of Yuba County northeast of Marysville (thousands of Tundra Swans, Greater White-fronted Geese, and White-faced Ibis were out there, among other things), that I decided to drive a few extra miles to where Los Verjeles Road crosses South Honcut Creek, the county line between Butte and Yuba counties at that point. This is a good spot for California Spreadwing (Archilestes californica)* (last sighting of '02) and I have harbored hopes of finding Great Spreadwing there as well, which is known from elsewhere in Yuba County but had not been found in Butte -- until today!
Butte County
Tim Manolis-
... I saw 1-2 male Great Spreadwings (Archilestes grandis) along the creek and finally netted one for a Butte County voucher specimen. Also saw a handful of male **American Rubyspots (Hetaerina americana), 1-2 patrolling male Walker's Darners (Aeshna walkeri)* (last sighting of '02), and 5-6 California Spreadwings, including 2 tandem pairs, along the creek. Throw in a couple of poor looks at forktails (Ischnura) in rice country roadside ditches (possibly one of each of Pacific [I. cervula] and Black-fronted [I. denticollis]) and you have a fairly nice variety of species for the first week of November.
[**new late flight data - kb]

3 November 2002
Sonoma County
Kit Crump, Kathy and Dave Biggs-
Went to Bodega Bay and looked for the 'Western' Meadowhawk with Kit Crump, the biologist at Chanslor Ranch. We saw 2 meadowhawks. The one we got in hand was a Variegated Meadowhawk and the other was elusive. Kit says that the Variegated didn't match the one they saw, but I guess it'll just have to remain as speculation as to the species. Kit and Dave saw one lone damsel, probably a Bluet.
many observers inc. Kathy & Dave, Rod Miller
Elsewhere in the county we are still seeing both Variegated Meadowhawks and Darners which I assume to be Shadow Darners. Rod thought he might have seen a Cardinal Meadowhawk, but this would be new late season data and would need a voucher.

OCTOBER

28 October 2002
Shasta County
Ray Bruun-
Took an hour long look at Mary Lake in Redding today. Not much happening but not altogether quiet either.
Enallagma carunculatum (Tule Bluet)* [last sighting of '02] - not lots but quite a few along the shore of the lake. Many paired.
Sympetrum pallipes (Striped Meadowhawk) - 10 to 20 individuals (none paired)
Pachydiplax longipennis (Blue Dasher) [last sighting of '02] - 1 male
Libellula saturata (Flame Skimmer) [last sighting of '02] - 1 male

27 October 2002
Contra Costa County
Chris Heaivilin-
I had some time on my hands so I took a hike to Diablo today. Pond was completely dry. Normally there's a perimeter ~10m thick of dense reeds around a 1m deep circle of open water. Now the water is gone leaving the wall of reeds. I managed to hack my way through the weeds to the dry bed at the center. Found that Common Spreadwings* (last sighting of '02) are still there and mating. Tooka male and female Spotted Spreadwing L. congener * (last sighting of '02) and a male L. disjunctus. To my surprise, I also discovered a small population of CA Spreadwings! All summer I've been looking for that species on Diablo, only to find them at the very end of the season. I managed to take a male and female back with me.

26 October 2002
Sonoma County
Kathy & Kit Crump-
On a trip to Bodega Bay, they were lucky to see two male Meadowhawks that might have been Westerns on a dirt trail up in the hills not too far from a shallow pond containing 22 Western Pond Turtles. These were the first possibleSympetrum occidentale and Western Pond Turtles they have seen in the wild. [and IF they were Western Meadowhawks, this would be only the 2nd time for Sympetrum occidentale to be seen in this county! - kb]
Siskiyou County
Kathy Dave Biggs -
We looked for A. californica but no luck. Even shook the willows at Cayuse Put-in on the Klamath where I've seen/photoed them before to no avail. No odes seen at all.

21 October 2002
Sonoma County
Kathy Biggs & Nancy Bauer-
I coaxed Nancy into wading across the river with me and we were then able to watch some Am. Rubyspots who were so cooperative as to even mate right there next to us. The beautiful heart they formed while in the wheel really amazed her. I looked for Archilestes species at both sites, but saw neither.
Sightings:
Healdsburg area: Russian River at Alexander Valley Bridge:
American Rubyspot - several seen across the river
Darner sp. - 2 'fly-bys'
Meadowhawk sp. - 3 seen, 1 IDed as Variegated
Asti area: Russian River at Summer Crossing:
American Rubyspot - 4-5 males and 1-2 females. Pair in wheel observed
Pond Damsel sp. - a few seen at a distance, most likely Tule Bluets
Common Green Darner - one male seen
Darner sp. - 1-2 seen
Meadowhawk sp. - 4 Variegated Meadowhawks IDed; one other, possibly a Striped Meadowhawk
Shasta Co.
Ray Bruun
....at lunch, I took a little walk near the Sacramento River here in Redding. ... mention of Archilestes grandis (Great Spreadwing) motivated me to check out likely habitat, mostly because A. grandis has not been found yet in Shasta County. But I had no luck with that species. The habitats I searched were flat/hilly dry grassland, dry pond, and dry streambed.
Species observed:
Archilestes californica (California Spreadwing) - 3 caught, two flybys assumed to be A. californica
Lestes congener (Spotted Spreadwing) - 2 seen; 2 caught
Sympetrum pallipes (Striped Meadowhawk) - lots and lots (50? +); mostly single males, a few females, and 5 to 10 in wheel
The few L. congener I've seen, seem to prefer dried up ponds, at least this time of year. Both specimens today were in that kind of habitat. The five A. californica were all found in (3) or near (2) the dried up channel of Salt Creek as itruns through the Arboretum (sp?), a natural habitat on the Sacramento River. S. pallipes occupied a diversity of habitats, including grassland, dry pond, and dry streambed. There were few pallipes on the hillsides.

20 October 2002
Sonoma County
Kathy & Dave Biggs-
Dave and I realized that no one had reported seeing an *Archilestes grandis (Great Spreadwing)* yet this year, so when we went into Rohnert Park today to shop, we also took time to go up in the foothills nearby where we've seen them before. It took a bit of searching, but we finally did find some: 2 males and 1 female on Lichau Rd, Rohnert Park. Also seen were 3-4 Variegated Meadowhawks and a Darner- probably a Shadow Darner by the greenish face.
Shasta Co.
Ray & Steven Bruun
Steven (my son) and I went looking for birds and dragonflies yesterday in extreme southern Shasta County near Battle Creek.
Archilestes californica (California Spreadwing) - 1, male
Hetaerina americana (American Rubyspot) - 8 males << Steven's first look at these; he was jazzed.
Enallagma carunculatum (Tule Bluet) - 50+; males, females, pairs
Enallagma sp. - from a distance, one of the bluets did not appear to be Tule
Argia vivida (Vivid Dancer)* [last sighting of '02] - 1, male (may have been some other kind of Argia, but that is my best guess)
Anax junius (Common Green Darner) - 5+
Aeshna sp. - 3
Sympetrum corruptum (Variegated Meadowhawk) - 5+
Santa Clara Co.
Teresa Nemeth
11:00 AM Sighted within McClellan Ranch Park, along Steven's Creek, Cupertino, CA.
Variegated Meadowhawk - Sympetrum corruptum

19 October 2002
San Diego Co.
Doug Aquillard
... Today there were large numbers of the Common Green Darner flying about with up 5 seen at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, and then later 7 at Lindo Lake in Lakeside.

13 October 2002
Shasta Co.
Ray & Steven Bruun
... My son, Steven, and I checked out Nora Lake this afternoon:
Aeshna umbrosa (Shadow Darner) - 8 to 10 males (two were caught; I assume the others were the same)
Archilestes californica (California Spreadwing) - 4 males, 4 females
Numbers haven't changed much in the last month three weeks.

12 October 2002
Shasta Co.
Ray Bruun
... I took about an hour to look for odes along Cow Creek in Shasta County
Sympetrum corruptum (Variegated Meadowhawk) - 1
Sympetrum pallipes (Striped Meadowhawk) - 2 (several unidentified sympetrum also seen)
Anax junius (Common Green Darner) - 1
Libellula saturata (Flame Skimmer) - 1 (Haven't seen one of these for a while)
Hetaerina americana (American Rubyspot) - 2
San Francisco Co.
Paul Saraceni
I observed a (the?) **Pacific Spiketail Corduelgaster dorsalis**in the same location where I observed one on 10/7-- behind our house in upper Cole Valley in San Francisco (this location is about midway up the north-facing hillside leading up to Sutro Tower/Twin Peaks). I observed it on and off for 5 minutes around 11:45 before it zipped off to the east. [new late flight season data!- kb]

8 October 2002
Butte Co.
Ray Bruun
... a rare return to the days of mid-summer. While on a ranch in Butte County, I saw 50 to a 100 each of Lestes congener (Spotted Spreadwing) and Sympetrum pallipes (Striped Meadowhawk) depositing eggs, the spreadwings laying them in or on grass stems, the meadowhawks dropping them while flying above the dry tules. Both species oviposited in tandem, congener always, pallipes most of the time. I also saw 15 to 20 Sympetrum corruptum (Variegated Meadowhawk) but these were mostly in the open fields away from the dry pond which had the two other species.
I'd forgotten my net, this being a work related trip and after a while discovered that the spreadwings were very easy to catch while in pairs. Photographing them was another story. The single spreadwings were especially hard to approach. But after 2.5 hours and about 100 pictures, I got a few passable shots.

7 October 2002
San Francisco Co.
Paul Saraceni
upper Cole Valley, SF:
As on Sept. 13th, I observed (with 10X binocs) a single, large (approx. size of a Green Darner) dragonfly with alternating yellow and black spots along the length of its abdomen and two yellow stripes on the side of a black thorax. In each instance, the dragonfly exhibited a strong flight characteristic as it flew into the wind and repeatedly returned to roughly the same spot where it hung in the air - Pacific Spiketail Corduegaster corsalis .
Shasta Co.
Ray Bruun, Bruce Deuel, Kathy and Dave Biggs
We met in Redding and Bruce and Ray showed the Biggses the Neon Skimmer spot at Turtle Bay East Fishing Access. No skimmers, but we saw a couple of Vivid Dancers, then moved to the dried pond where Ray had captured and photographed Shasta Co.'s first Spotted Spreadwing Lestes congener yesterday morning. Some Tule Bluets and a couple of Variegated Meadowhawks were all we could find.
We then moved to Turtle Bay West, where 3 Widow Skimmers* [last sighting of '02], 2 more Variegated Meadowhawks, and many, many bluets were cruising over the backwater. We identified both Tule and Familiar bluets. In spite of the 95-degree temperatures, it appears ode season is definitely winding down.

6 October 2002
Siskiyou Co.
Kathy & Dave Biggs
We looked for dragonflies in the Medicine Lake Highlands area (not on Medicine Lake itself however):
Blache Lake was reduced to nothing but a big puddle with mud around the edges. There we saw a few pairs of Sympetrum costiferum* and S. pallipes (Saffron-winged* and Stripped Meadowhawks) [*=last sighting of '02] and one or two Aeshnas.
Bullseye Lake (just .2 miles away) still was full! There we saw NO meadowhawks but several Aeshna (Mosaic Darners), 2 Lestes type spreadwings and a few pond damsels.
Little Medicine Lake (just north west of Medicine Lake) had several spreadwings and pond damsels and many darners, which we assumed by their behavior to be Shadow Darners. We looked for Archilestes californicum (California Spreadwing) in the willows there, but found none. We still need a voucher for Siskiyou County. One female Lestes congener (Spotted Spreadwing) collected.
At our last stop, despite the late hour (~4 pm), there at tiny Pumice Stone Well Pond (which is not much larger than a backyard swimming pool and with similar depth to a swimming pool), we saw many darners, some pond damsels and several spreadwings. 2 Aeshna we found floating dead on the pond surface turned out to be a male and a female Aeshna interrupta (Variable Darner)*. [last sighting of '02] We presume the 2 males we saw flying were the same species as their general appearance was the same. We also collected one female Spotted Spreadwing and a male Familiar Bluet (E. civile) and therefore a voucher for the species for Siskiyou County!

1 October 2002
Santa Cruz Co.
Dennis Ecklon
Los Gatos, Ca. I took some shots of a Common Green Darner Anax junius "sleeping in the sun" in my front yard.... I got a great close-up with my new Sony Cybershot... [upgrade of previous sighting only record - kb]

SEPTEMBER

28 September 2002
Shasta Co.
Ray Bruun
Saturday I stopped by Cow Creek for about an hour of chasing odes.
Pale-faced Clubskimmer* [last sighting in '02] - 1
Variegated Meadowhawk - about 7, two pairs in wheel/linked
Striped Meadowhawk - about 5, one pair in wheel
Common Green Darner - two dozen or more patrolling over the water
Tule Bluet - dozen + (individual males + teneral male + possible female)
Sooty Dancer* [last sighting in '02] - 2 males
American Rubyspot - 4 or 5 males

23 September 2002
Marin Co.
Bob Behrstock
Stafford Lake Co. Park, west of Novato (c. 6.25 mi SW of U.S. 101 / CA 37 intersection, noon-2:30 p.m. Sunny, hot, little breeze, water low with most of bank exposed and unvegetated, most odonates in one small cove with emergent vegetation.
Lestes congener - Several at lake edge, 20+ (males) in weedy patches back from lake edge
Enallagma carunculatum - Abundant
Enallagma civile - Common
Ischnura perparva* [last sighting of '02] - 6+
Aeshna sp. (presumably multicolor) - Several at lake edge
Anax junius - Several at lake edge
Sympetrum corruptum - 1
Sympetrum illotum - 3
Sympetrum pallipes - 5+
Tramea lacerata - 6+ lake edge

20 September 2002
San Mateo Co.
Al Jarmillo
California Spreadwing, Archilestes californicum - a male photographed and collected at Alpine Pond in San Mateo county.

19 September 2002
Shasta Co.
Ray Bruun
California Spreadwing, Archilestes californicum - 2 at Nora Lake, a male and a female photographed
Butte Co.
Tim Manolis & Bob Behrstock
We visited a couple of sites in Butte and Yuba counties to photograph species Bob had not seen previously.
Our first stop was at a small, drying pond with dense sedge borders along Rabe Road on the Oroville Wildlife Area a few miles east of Oroville, Butte County. Here Bob got to photograph a number of Spotted Spreadwings (Lestes congener), including at least one tandem pair. Other species at this site were: Striped Meadowhawk (Sympetrum pallipes), in good numbers, males seemingly on territory in the sedge beds, with much chasing about going on; hundreds of bluets, all those netted or seen well being Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile); Pacific Forktail (Ischnura cervula)* [last sighting of '02]; Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum); Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata)* [last sighting of '02]; and Blue-eyed Darner (Aeshna multicolor).
Butte/Yuba Co.
We next went to South Honcut Creek at the Los Verjeles Road bridge, about 2 miles SE of Bangor, Butte County. The creek is the Butte/Yuba county line at this point. Along a small, bone-dry side channel on the Yuba County side of the creek we found a little "pocket" of **California Spreadwing (Archilestes californica) [last date sighted 2002] activity. Of about 10-12 spreadwings, at least 6 were flying about in tandem, often landing on small 2-3 m high willows and occasionally exhibiting ovipositing behavior. This was the other "target" species on Bob's list. Other species seen here were: Vivid Dancer (Argia vivida), a few along the creek; Striped Meadowhawk; Black Saddlebags; a Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) ; a few male darners, probably Walker's Darner (Aeshna walkeri), collected here in the past, patrolling the creek; and as we were leaving, a male Pale-faced Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga mendax) was threading its way down the creek between us. I did not realize until some time later, when back at home, that the clubskimmer sighting represented a first for Yuba County, quite surprising considering how common the species is in neighboring Butte County.
San Francisco Co.
Paul Saraceni
Mt. Davidson, SF (grassy hillside):
Common Green Darner - 2
Striped Meadowhawk -1 [this will be a new county record if a voucher can be found - kb]

7-14 September 2002
San Diego Co.
Doug Aguillard
I've added 3 new lifers last week to my list, all from San Diego. They are Black Saddlebags from the Eastlake region of Chula Vista, Neon Skimmer from the Bonita region of Chula Vista, and today in my own yard, a Wandering Glider.

13 September 2002
San Francisco Co.
Paul Saraceni
Tank Hill, SF (while scanning for raptors)
I observed (with 10X binocs) a single, large (approx. size of a Green Darner) dragonfly with alternating yellow and black spots along the length of its abdomen and two yellow stripes on the side of a black thorax. In each instance, the dragonfly exhibited a strong flight characteristic as it flew into the wind and repeatedly returned to roughly the same spot where it hung in the air. From Common Dragonflies and the web site all I can deduce is Pacific Spiketail Corduelgaster dorsalis *. [It is, and this is a new sight record for the county - kb]

11 September 2002
Tehama Co.
Tim Manolis and Bruce Deuel
We made a valiant effort to find Archilestes but couldn't find any. Here is our trip list.
Foothill Road near A Street, Tehama Co.
Irrigation ditch along road
Common Green Darner -- 1-2 flybys
Blue-eyed Darner -- a patrolling male
Red Rock Skimmer Paltothemis lineatipes -- a patrolling male, 1st Tehama County sight record
Variegated Meadowhawk -- a few
Black Saddlebags -- a few
Cone Grove Park, Tehama Co.
Antelope Creek
American Rubyspot -- a few seen
California Dancer Argia agroides * -- a male netted, but not kept, first Tehama County sight record [last sighting in '02]
Sooty Dancer -- at least 2 seen
Vivid Dancer -- a few seen
Familiar Bluet -- common
Tule Bluet -- common
Pacific Forktail -- fairly common
Common Green Darner -- a few seen
Blue-eyed Darner -- 1 male at least, a few other Aeshna sp? seen
Western Pondhawk* [last sighting in '02] --4-5
Common Whitetail* [last sighting in '02] -- 1 female
Flame Skimmer -- a few males seen
Variegated Meadowhawk -- 8-10 including some ovipositing pairs
Black Saddlebags -- a few seen
Butte Co
Upper Bidwell Park, Chico, Butte Co. Big Chico Creek along the Yahi Trail
American Rubyspot -- some seen
Sooty Dancer -- 10-15 seen
California Dancer -- fairly common
Vivid Dancer -- fairly common
Northern Bluet* [last sighting in '02] -- 2-3 males netted; bluets in general fairly common
Familiar Bluet -- at least 2 netted
Tule Bluet -- at least 3 netted
Pacific Forktail -- uncommon
Black-fronted Forktail -- a male seen
Desert Firetail -- 6-8 seen, including a tandem pair
Common Green Darner -- one seen
Neon Skimmer* [last sighting in '02] -- a male seen
the Oroville Wildlife Area:
Oroville Wildlife Area, Butte Co., small drying pond at Clay Pit Shooting Range
Spotted Spreadwing -- 8-10 males seen
Bluets -- 100s roosting in shade, probably Familiar Bluets for the most part
Variegated Meadowhawk -- some seen
Striped Meadowhawk -- 5 seen
Black Saddlebags -- 1 seen

9 September 2002
Tulare Co.
Terri Gallion
Fish Creek, Sequoia National Forest
Walker's Darner Aeshna walkeri

8 September 2002
Inyo Co.
Terri Gallion & Susan Steele
We went to a few of the ponds and springs on the west side of Owen's Lake. We were surprised to find plenty of water despite several years of continued drought.
Before Owen's Lake, we accessed Haiwee Reservoir at two fishing areas and saw only a few Bluets in the desert bushes and a couple of Aeshna flying high overhead. The highlight here was a Canada Warbler!
At a small, marshy, sedge-filled seep spring (2-3" standing water) near were Dirty Socks Spring used to be, we found:
Paiute Dancer (Argia alberta) * [last sighting in '02] - 4 seen, one pair in tandem.
Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) -1
Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) - 1
Aeshna sp. (Probable multicolor) -1
Next, we went to the ponds at Cartago. Lots of shorebirds and a few ducks. The highlight ode was Desert Whitetail.
Tule Bluet (Enallagma carunculatum) - common in the tea- colored puddles near the ponds and some along the edges of the ponds, 30
Western Forktail (Ischnura perparva) - common in the tea-colored puddles, 20
Desert Whitetail (Libellula subornata)* [last sighting in '02] - 2 males
Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) - 5
Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) - 4, two tandem pairs
Blue-eyed Darner (Aeshna multicolor) - Two caught and released, 15
Common Green Darner (Anax junius) - 3, two in tandem.
The last stop was lower Lubken Canyon. This canyon contains a cold stream that is dense with, salt brush, bushy willows and cane (Phragmites australis).
Vivid Dancer (Argia vivida) - 8
Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) - 3
Aeshna s p. (Probable multicolor) - 2
Common Green Darner (Anax junius) - 1
San Diego Co.
Bob & Dee Parks
One male Red-tailed pennant* [last sighting in '02] at Santee Lakes

7 September 2002
Shasta Co.
Ray Bruun
I spent some time at Cow Creek and Lake McCumber today. Both places were pretty slow except for Common Green Darners which were abundant.
Cow Creek:
american rubyspot - 6+
sooty dancer - 3
common green darner - 20+
variegated meadowhawk - 1
pale-faced clubskimmer - 2
familiar bluet - 1
northern bluet (probable) - 1
pacific forktail - 3+
western forktail - 1
common green darner - 50+
western meadowhawk* [last record of '02]- 1

5 September 2002
Imperial Co.
Bob Miller
This evening I played in the mud, under the guise of research you understand, in the little canal that runs in front of my house. It was an overcast day, very humid with monsoon flow pushing through. Hoped for rain did not happen. The surrounding deserts are the driest I have seen them in my lifetime. So back to the ditch.... I was checking all of the ischnura that I could find and they were all Deserts! I have found few Rambur's along the canal systems here in the Imperial Valley. They are mostly found near larger ponds and lakes like the NR Wetlands.
Blue-ringed Dancer ~20
Familiar Bluet ~20
Desert Forktail ~50
Western Pondhawk 1
Roseate Skimmer 3
Mexican Amberwing* [last sighting of '02] 2

4 September 2002
Imperial Co.
Bob Miller
On the way back to the Imperial Valley I stopped at the Brock Research Center (CA) on I-8 and spent an hour there. There is one little overgrown canal that supplies the property and it is in the middle of the desert although the All American Canal is less than a quarter mile away. This is the only "marshy" type habitat for miles. Two Roseate Skimmers. About ten each of Blue Dasher and Western Pondhawk. Four Blue-ringed Dancers and about 15 Rambur's Forktail.

3 September 2002
Sierra Co.
Doug Vaughn
Sand Pond
Variable Darner, one netted, other Aeshna seen probably this sp?
White-faced Meadowhawk*,[last sighting of '02] one male collected (the only one seen) -- I'm reasonably comfortable with this identification, based on illustrations of hamules in Needham et al., the pale face, and dark wing veins, but I have no comparative experience with very similar spp
Striped Meadowhawk, one netted
Nevada County
Oregon Creek Day Use Area
Walker's Darner, one male collected
two elusive and unidentified red skimmers, most likely Flame Skimmers?
Shasta Co.
Ray Bruun
East Turtle Bay, Redding
Desert Firetail Telebasis salva * [last sighting of '02] - 1 male photographed; several seen
Bruce Deuel
Emma's Dancer* [last sighting of '02]
at the Redding sewer ponds

2 September 2002
Trinity Co.
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Common Green Darner Anax junius - seen at Deadfall Lakes & at Bucket Line Dredges at Highway 3
Blue-eyed Darner Aeshna multicolor - specimen taken for county voucher at Bucket Line Dredges at Highway 3 (ponds in the midst of mining trailings and within view of Trinity Lake).
Mosasic Darner sp. Aeshna sp. - seen at Bucket Line Dredges at Highway 3, most likely Shadow Darner, which is not recorded yet in the county
Tule Bluet Enallagma carunculatum - specimen taken for county voucher at Bucket Line Dredges at Highway 3
Shasta Co.
Bruce Deuel
The meadow area on the west side of McCumber Lake was full of Sympetrums, and I managed to catch a voucher specimen of White-faced Meadowhawk for Shasta Co. Other things I noticed were:
Common Spreadwing - 3
bluets of 2 kinds, not identified- 6-7 total
Western Forktails - 3-4
Common Green Darner - 100+
Widow Skimmer
Twelve-spotted Skimmer* [last sighting of '02] - 1
Variegated Meadowhawk - 2
White-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum obtrusum - 3
Western Meadowhawk - 5
Striped Meadowhawk - 10-12
Black Saddlebags - 1
Plumas Co.
Doug Vaughn
Little Bear Lake
Variable Darner, several netted
Shadow Darner, several netted, one male collected -- this is perhaps a half mile from the Sierra County line; there appear to be no records for Sierra County
Striped Meadowhawk, one male collected (the only one seen)

1 September 2002
Shasta Co.
Kathy & Dave Biggs
We went out to Big Lake with our kayaks and went across to the shores of Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park (located at the end of McArthur Swamp) in Shasta Co.. There we saw many species inc. one very 'interesting' female Meadowhawk. She was very bulbous in the 2nd abd. segment area, and prunoise (or at least very pale) under this area. Her coloring was golden without stripes and she had a prominent scoop like ovipositor and all pale legs. I failed to notice the stigma. The only other Meadowhawks seen that day at all were Variegated ( S. corruptum), which were mostly tenerals. This most likely was S. vicinum (Yellow-legged Meadowhawk)? I really don't want to call a county record on just one sighting but since this might possibly be only the 3rd place to find the bug in CA, I'd love to have someone else go look for it.
What we could ID at Big Lake were:
CA/Aztec Dancer- only a few seen from a distance
Northern/Boreal/Familiar Bluet - ABUNDANT - Familiar IDed in hand, No/Boreal type not distinguishable with my little handlens
Tule Bluet - ABUNDANT - IDed in hand
Pacific Forktail - some
Western Forktail - some
Blue-eyed Darner - IDed in hand; dead specimen collected on lake surface
Shadow Darner - probably this species
Green Darner - many; dead specimen collected on lake surface
Western Pondhawk - many
8-spotted Skimmer* [last sighting of '02] - ~12
Widow Skimmer - one male and one young female
Common Whitetail - 2-3 males
Flame Skimmer - many, males and females
Blue Dasher - >/= one male
Variegated Meadowhawk - many emerging
Meadowhawk sp. - most likely S. vicinum (Yellow-legged Meadowhawk)
Black Saddlebags - many in the middle of the lake flying over algae mats. Hardly any alongside the shore!
Elsewhere in Shasta Co. we saw a Western Meadowhawk on Spring Creek Rd. to the west of Big Lake.

AUGUST

31 August 2002
Siskiyou Co.
Kathy & Dave Biggs
All we saw were Common Green Darners, hundreds of them in Squaw Valley out of McCloud. A very few Aeshna (probably Shadow Darners) were flying along Squaw Creek.
Imperial Co.
Bob Miller
I did bird surveys at the New River Wetlands sites and spent the rest of the day oding and taking pics.
American Rubyspot - ~100
*Powdered Dancer Argia moesta[first sighting of '02]- ~200
Blue-ringed Dancer - ~50
Familiar Bluet - ~40
Rambur's & Desert Forktail - ~300
Mostly Rambur's but I did find some that were Desert. (got some great comparison pics of the two which will be posted soon!) It is interesting that these are the first Deserts I have found at the Imperial site since I first photographed them there about a year ago. I did find them in one other location near the Salton Sea about one month ago.
Common Green Darner - ~50
Western Pondhawk - ~800
Widow Skimmer - 2
Roseate Skimmer - 6
Blue Dasher - +1,000
Wandering Glider* [last sighting of '02] - 15
Spot-winged Glider* [last sighting of '02] - 1
Mexican Amberwing - ~100
Black Saddlebags - 8
Red Saddlebags* [last sighting of '02] - 2
A note on White-belted Ringtail. I have recorded only one individual at each of the NRW sites for a total of two. I have not been able to find them anywhere since?!
Sierra Co.
Doug Vaughn
Along the N. Yuba River, near Bassetts, Sierra County
Common Green Darner, numerous in spots, one female collected

29 August 2002
Tehama Co.
Bruce Deuel
There is now a specimen of Blue-eyed Darner Aeshna multicolor for Tehama Co., thanks to my wife's Mercury Villager. It's in remarkably good shape for being hit by a mini-van!

28 August 2002
Shasta Co.
Ray Bruun
This evening, I took an hour or so to check out Nora and Grace Lakes near Shingletown (about 4 miles from home). It was kind of late and there wasn't much flying. The lakes are in the forest and there was little sunlight to be had.
Common Green Darner - 1 (maybe one more)
Shadow Darner - 2 caught (and possibly several more flying around)
Western Forktail - 3

26 August 2002
Shasta Co.
Ray Bruun
This evening I took a quick look at McCumber Lake here in Shasta County.
Common Green Darner - about 15
Aeshna sp. - about 5
Sympetrum type (probably)- 1
Pacific Forktail - abundant
Western Forktail - 3 (2 were pruinose females I took to be Western's)
Common Spreadwing - about 6
Boreal Bluet* [last sighting of '02] - 4 (2 males and 2 females)

25 August 2002
Contra Costa Co.
Chris Heaivilin
Just got back from the Contra Loma Park (In Antioch) and Big Break Regional Trail (Oakley).
Contra Loma is a small res. lake. There were more Variegated Meadowhawks and Blue Dashers than you could shake a camera at. Almost no damsels though (odd). Saw only a couple Flame Skimmers. A good number of Black Saddlebags, Blue, and Green Darners. Lots of big ugly black spiders had strung webs between two reeds to catch bugs blown from/to the lake. I only mention them because THOSE THINGS ARE UG-LY.
Oakley had better ode diversity. Found a good number of Flame Skimmers, Bluets, Dancers, Forktails, Variegated Meadowhawks, Blue and Green Darners, and Black Saddlebags. I found only female Western Pondhawks. Couldn't find males anywhere. Got some good shots of a Green Darner and Flame Skimmer.
San Diego Co.
Bob Miller, Dee & Bob Parks
At about 1330 at Santee Lakes - it was great.
We spent our time at the beginning of the first lake only. Got some great pics of my first Red-tailed Pennant! Black Saddlebags, Common Green Darner and Familiar Bluet were the others on the shoreline. Dee took us over to the trees and vegetation in the corner where she had seen more damsels and, with the help of a net, we found that we were seeing Pacific Forktail, another first for me! A few adult and teneral Blue Dasher where seen here also.
Common Green Darner ... ~10
Red-tailed Pennant (Brachymesia furcata)-1
Black Saddlebags-3
Blue Dasher-10-15
Familiar Bluet-~10
Pacific Forktail-~30
We then went over to Mast Park along the San Diego River and were a little disappointed to find so few odes in what looked like prime habitat. There were a few minnows and the water and vegetation looked healthy but few odes!? Did get a decent photo of another damsel which, by studying the pic, I think is Blue-ringed Dancer, another first for me.
Common Green Darner-2
Blue Dasher-5
Mexican Amberwing-1
Blue-ringed Dancer (Argia sedula)-6

24 August 2002
Kern Co.
Terri Gallion
Bluet sp. Common Green and Flame Skimmer. The nights have started to get pretty cool this week.

21 August 2002
Shasta Co.
Ray Bruun and Bruce Deuel
We visited this area off SH 44 at noon, the same site where we had such good luck on 26 July. Again, we saw dozens, if not hundreds, of Common Green Darners stacked up as high as we could see over the creek, but not going anywhere. Our list:
Blue-eyed Darner type 1-2
Common Green Darner dozens
White-belted Ringtail 1
Pale-faced Clubskimmer 6-7
Western Pondhawk 15, 1 female laying eggs
Widow Skimmer 2
Twelve-spotted Skimmer 1 (we think; may have been Eight-spotted)
Flame Skimmer 4-6
Variegated Meadowhawk 1
Black Saddlebags 8-10
Sooty Dancer 8-10
bluet sp. 3
forktail sp. 1
Sonoma Co.
David Hofmann
Today after birding Bodega Bay, I stopped by the ponds behind the Sebastopol Community Center and had the following:
Eight-spotted Skimmer -1
Variegated Meadowhawk -5
Cardinal Meadowhawk* [last sighting of '02] -1
Blue-eyed Darner type -20+ (one pair in wheel, the male landed on a willow limb, and held the female for over 15 minutes, before flying off with the female still being grasped)
Common Green Darner -5
Northern Bluet -12
Sonoma Co.
Kathy Biggs
Here at Bigsnest Pond (my backyard in Sebastopol) we continue to have our sentinel Cardinal Meadowhawk here whenever it isn't foggy (way too much fog lately!). A female comes in about every other day and then they tandem oviposit. The Flame Skimmer hasn't been seen here since the 2nd, but both Blue-eyed and Shadow Darners are visiting/searching for females or ovipositing now almost daily. Also an occasional visit by a Green Darner female to oviposit is made. Had one be so kind as to repeatedly land and oviposit just about a foot away from a group of church kids who visited one day. Damselfly #s are way down with just an occasional Forktail being seen.

20 August 2002
Placer Co.
Cliff Hawley
I'm new to the whole world of Odonates but I've started IDing the dragonflies in our pasture behind the house. There is a small pond and irrigated fields. A few weeks ago there were
Flame Skimmers 2
Western Pondhawks 2
Twelve-spotted Skimmers 2
Widow Skimmer 1 (I think)
Western Meadowhawks
Variegated Meadowhawks a few
Common Green Darners a couple of pairs
Black Saddlebags a few flying over my yard
Damselflies many but I wasn't able to ID them.
Around noon today I checked the area again and found
Common Green Darners many (many mating)
Twelve-spotted Skimmers 6
Western Meadowhawks some
Variegated Meadowhawks a pair mating.
On Saturday at the City of Davis Wetlands I saw my first Blue-eyed Darner type.

19 August 2002
Siskiyou Co.
Bruce Deuel
I had to go to an evening meeting in Dunsmuir, which is on the Sacramento River at the Shasta/Siskiyou co. line. I had a chance to look at the river in a couple of spots before the meeting and saw literally 100s of Common Green Darners, from water level to as high as I could see, all along the river. No other odes were seen. They were all just cruising, each in its own little box, no lateral movement.
Inyo Co.
Karen DeMello and Jan Hintermeister
At Schulman Grove, home of the ancient Bristlecone Pines in the White Mountains, there were hundreds of blue Aeshna's flying every which way in the parking lot. This is at 10,000 feet and very dry -- I'm not sure where the nearest water is. We hiked the 4-mile Methuselah Trail and saw no signs of moisture anywhere. The quantity of these Aeshna's was amazing!
We went for a walk through the sage and blooming Rabbitbrush north of Crowley Lake (approx. 7000' elevation) and saw several types of dragonflies. One in particular caught our eye: It had 3 dark spots on each wing, but the colors didn't look like the 12-Spotted Skimmer as there was no white pruinosity, the abdominal segments contained blue, and their was yellow on the face and yellow spots on the back of the head.
Another mystery dragonfly awaited us at Baker Creek Meadow, west of Big Pine: magenta eyes, seafoam green thorax stripes, stunning shimmering wings. Could it be a Variegated Meadowhawk? [sounds like it - kb]

18 August 2002
Mariposa Co.
Kathy & Dave Biggs
On Sunday we accessed a small pond on our way to the eastern entrance/exit of Yosemite on Tioga Pass. "Dana" pond was abuzz with literally dozens of darners which we couldn't net to ID but which appeared the same as Saturday's. We also found several newly emerged Black Meadowhawks Sympetrum danae (some were JUST emerged), a Spreadwing, Green Darners and a Bluet.
Mono Co.
From Yosemite we drove out past Mono Lake to the county park (Mono Co.). We were able to find the Dechambeaux Ponds, which are out by Black Point. Keith Hansen had reported seeing male Red Saddlebags there in June. We saw no Red Saddlebags, but found the ponds to be teeming with dragonflies:
Black Fronted Forktails* [last sighting of '02] were common and we collected a male and 2 females to scan for the website.
Western Forktail - pruinose females were also seen (but no males)
Bluets photographed which I hope we'll be able to ID.
Dancers - only very teneral ones which we didn't dare handle, so we ignored them!
Aeshna at least 2 species - ones with a bright blue face and others with a very green face. They appeared to be Blue-eyed and Paddle-tailed (the only Aeshna recorded in the county other than the Variable).
Green Darners were seen.
Western Pondhawks were abundant and in all color phases.
Bleached Skimmer (Libellula composita)* [last sighting of '02] - one male seen just as we were leaving and crossing the 'sagebrush' area to return to the car, this is only our 2nd time to ever see one. Even in flight it's small dark spots at the nodus were visible.
8-spotted Skimmer- 1 very old appearing male was seen.
Flame Skimmers - ~18 males were in constant motion.
Blue Dasher - 1 male was seen.
Variegated Meadowhawks - 6+
*Saffron-winged Meadowhawks Sympetrum costiferum [first sighting of '02] were abundant, everywhere, in all positions! MANY in wheel ~ 36. A pair in copula caught for ID confirmation and website scanning. Many photos taken. I believe this is the first report for the species this year.
Black Meadowhawks* [last sighting of '02] - 6 were seen, 3 male and 3 female, separately.
Black Saddlebags were numerous, but NO Red Saddlebags were seen.
While still in Mono Co., we stopped along Highway 395 after Bridgeport at a spot we IDed as Walker Creek last year which we found to actually be a feeder of Walker Creek: Fales Hot Springs Creek. This is 16 miles from Bridgeport and ~2-3 miles from where Hiway 108 branches off. We again found River Bluet (Enallagma anna)* [last sighting of '02] common there. We photographed many and brought one male home for ID confirmation and scanning for the website (first sighting for the year - This brings our total # known to fly this year to 84). One male Vivid Dancer was also seen.
Mono and Alpine Counties
Along Hiway 108, just at the junctions of Mono and Alpine Counties, Anax junius was plentiful at the 7,000-8,000 ft levels (at or very near the summits) on the EASTERN side only. Once we crossed the first summit, they weren't seen again for an hour or more until we came upon small lakes. We tried our darnest to catch one on the grill to upgrade Dennis Paulson's sighting only record for Alpine Co. but despite our punning, they eluded us. We even tried for photos of ovipositing females.
Alpine County
Instead, at the Mosquito Lakes (not as bad a place as the name implied) we caught first a Paddle-tailed Darner* [last sighting of '02] (actually we saved it as it was drowning on the water surface - it revived nicely and I HOPE is in our photos!) and one I had to bring home to ID - glad I did as it turned out to be the county voucher for Variable Darner (A. interrupta). The only other Odonata there was a Northern/Boreal Bluet.

17 August 2002
Mariposa Co.
Kathy & Dave Biggs
We led the Y.A. workshop class thru the Soda Springs and up to nearby Dog Lake. We were allowed to do catch and release for this program as I was substituting for the ranger who usually does these trips. The spreadwings at Soda Springs were found to be Common and Emerald (Lestes disjunctus & dryas*) [last sighting of Emerald Spreadwing in '02]. They were in fairly good #s. The fields had manyGreen Darners flying over them and a few very red colored WesternMeadowhawks. Tuolumne River was void of Odonata where we lunched. At Dog Lake we found many Aeshna patrolling the shoreline and many exuviae. The Aeshna examined in hand were Paddle-tailed Aeshna palmata (2 males) and Shadow Darners (a male and a female), many photos were taken. Also seen were more Common Spreadwings and a male 4-spotted Skimmer [last sighting of '02].Darners were seen in wheel and ovipositing.
Shasta Co.
Ray Bruun
McCumber Lake:
The smoke is bad here today; must be a change in weather bringing it down from Oregon. Being the first summer of my odonata hobby, it's interesting to watch the ebb and flow of odonata abundance. Take Lake McCumber in Shasta County as an example. At the end of June, there were lots of damsels and a few sympetrum dragonflies and king skimmers. A week or two later, there were swarms of sympetrum types, tons of damsel flies, quite a few king skimmers, and a darner or two. By the end of July, the meadowhawks had really thinned out, damsel numbers were down, and darner numbers were up. Today, not having been to McCumber for a couple of weeks, I was surprised to see a good number of White-faced, Western, and Striped, and one Variegated Meadowhawk female again and damsels too (Common Spreadwing, Boreal Bluet, and Pacific Forktail). Darners (Common Green and Blue-eyed) were common as were Twelve-spotted Skimmers (earlier there had been many Common Whitetails as well). I'm looking forward to what the rest of the season brings.
Lassen Co.
Tim Manolis
*River Bluet Enallagma anna* [first sighting of '02] - collected along Long Valley Creek
Flame Skimmers - in good numbers along Long Valley Creek (still no specimen for Lassen County. I tried!)
darners and meadowhawks - some

16 August 2002
Tuolumne Co.
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Dave and I were spending a wonderful weekend in the Sierra Nevada where I gave a dragonfly workshop Saturday in Yosemite, so on Friday as we drove in, we stopped to check potential field sites:
Along Tioga Pass, we stopped for a few minutes at Siesta Lake. On it we saw many Darners, none of which appeared to be Blue-eyed and all of which appeared to be either Shadow &/or Paddle-tailed, also seen were some Common Green Darners, Spreadwings of the Common variety, a 4-spotted Skimmer and Bluets of the Northern/Boreal type.
Tuolumne Co. - then we crossed the county line near dusk and we accessed Soda Springs near the Tuolumne Meadows Campground and just outside Parson's Lodge. We were delighted to find many spreadwings of both the Common type and some with metallic emerald green thorax tops. Anax junius cruised the meadow even as it grew dark.
Siskiyou Co.
Dave Payne
Low flows (about 660 cfs out of dam) have dried much of the floating vegetation on many river miles. The same vegetation that many damsels and dragons were ovipositing in/on a few weeks ago. Not many odes on the wing. Smoke from the Oregon holocaust has blanketed the area for most of the last month. On clear days the odes seem to be on the wing.
I encountered another mixed swarm of darners while floating on the river. Mostly green darner, some blue-eyed, and a lot unidentified. Hundreds made up the swarm, which stretched for several miles of river just west of Happy Camp. Also saw a few widow skimmers, couple of flame skimmers, one rubyspot, one eight-spot skimmer, one western pondhawk, Emma's Dancers, and unidentified Forktails/bluets?
Smoke has reduced visibility to half mile or less on many days during the last month, don't see many odes flying in the smoky conditions.

15 August 2002
Lassen Co.
Tim Manolis
Susan River in Susanville
* California Spreadwing Archilestes californica*

14 August 2002
Shasta Co.
Ray Bruun
We went to Big Lake near North Fork Battle Creek Reservoir. The lake is just a meadow now with a wet spot down the middle. Nevertheless there were a number of darners and damsels with a few meadowhawks thrown in.
Damsels - some
*Shadow Darner Aeshna umbrosa - a male caught and photographed for ID [these are now on my website -kb] [first sighting of '02]
Black Meadowhawk Sympetrum danae - a female caught and photographed for ID
White-faced Meadowhawk - two or three males seen
Siskiyou Co.
Dave Payne
I encountered a mixed swarm of darners just west of Tree of Heaven Campground. I was floating on the river. That day I recall a Sinuous snaketail*, western river cruiser*, rubyspot, widow skimmer, flame skimmer, Emma's Dancers, and unidentified Forktails/bluets? [*=last sighting of '02]The darner swarm contained green and blue-eyed darners plus many unidentified darners.
Lassen Co.
Tim Manolis
along Long Valley Creek:
Gray Sanddragon*, Progomphus borealis collected as a first specimen for Lassen County (I saw one in the area last summer) [last sighting of '02]
*Desert Whitetail Libellula subornata* - 3-4
Olive Clubtails Stylurus olivaceous* (the beautiful pale (with lemon yellow highlights) race, S. o. nevadensis*) - a male along the Susan River in Susanville, one collected [*=last sighting of '02]

12 August 2002
Riverside Co.
Terri Gallion
I stopped to camp at Corn Springs (about 38 miles west of Blythe and 10 miles east of Desert Center). This palm oasis is a BLM camping area surrounded by very hot, dry desert wilderness. I looked for odes on the morning of 12 August. There was no water above ground when I was there.
Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) Probable - few.
Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea) - numerous.
White-belted Ringtail (Erpetogomphus compositus) * [*=last sighting of '02] - one male seen.
There are many petroglyphs on the rocks at Corn Spring. Interestingly, one looked very much like a dragonfly.

11 August 2002
Shasta Co.
Ray & Stephen Bruun
While at Baum Lake yesterday (Baum Lake is in southeastern Shasta County), my son and I saw the following:
Eight-spotted Skimmer - abundant
Common Green Darner - common
Blue-eyed Darner - 6
Variegated Meadowhawk - 6
Black Saddlebags - 2+
Tule Bluet - abundant
damsel sp. - others were seen but not identified.
Contra Costa Co.
Chris Heaivilin
On a trip to Pine Pond on Mt. Diablo:
I didn't see any CA or Great Spreadwings. There were many, many, Common and Black Spreadwings* (last time seen in '02). They outnumbered the Bluets and Dancers this time. I got some shots of a cooperative V. Meadowhawk. It even posed in the Obelisk position for me. I took a darnerspecimen back home to id. Collected and photos taken....... *Walker's Darner Aeshna walkeri* . [ID K. Biggs, first sighting of '02]

8 August 2002
Contra Costa Co.
Chris Heaivilin
in his backyard in the in the city of Oakley
Spot-winged Glider Pantala hymenaea - a male collected, 2 other females landed nearby.

4 August 2002
San Diego Co.
Dee & Bob Parks
At Santee Lakes
*Blue-ringed Dancer (Argia sedula)*
Red-tailed Pennant
Inyo Co.
Tom and Jo Heindel
at Cartago -
Desert Whitetail - male & female seen, female photographed

1 August 2002
Orange Co.
Andy Lazere and Laguna Niguel
San Joaquin Wildlife Area (Irvine)-
Wandering Glider- present in relatively abundant numbers
Spot-winged Glider - "
Black Saddlebags - "
Common Green Darner - "
Upper Newport Bay
Blue Dasher
Lake & Napa Co.
Kathy & Dave Biggs
After 2 gloomy/non-ode weeks here in Sonoma Co., Dave and I vowed to get to the sunshine and see odes this weekend. So on Sunday, although the sun finally shone here, we went ahead with our plans to go to Lake Co. and see if we could find the Red-rock Skimmer I *thought* I might have seen and catch a Green Darner for a voucher there at the pond and stream on Butts Canyon Rd. Imagine our disappointment after driving an hour and over 2 coastal ranges to find it overcast in Lake Co! Not much to report(see below).
Then we went on to Napa Co. (just 1 mile away!) to Pope Creek to an area Andy Rehn had told us about, ...still overcast, and although warm enuf (high 70s), very few odes.
Lake Co
Butts Canyon Rd. Pond:
Vivid Dancer - a few
Tule Bluet - a few
Pacific Forktail - a few
Western Forktail - many females off in the sedges
Aeshna sp. - one male patrolling the dam edge, very dark blue marks but we were unable to net him
Flame Skimmer - a few males on patrol
Black Saddlebags - I scared one from the bushes into erratic flight (too cold to fly well?) and a Black Phoebe caught it on its 2nd attempt
Napa Co-
Pope Creek:
Vivid Dancer - a few
Tule Bluet - a few
Pacific Forktail - a few
Western Forktail - a few
Flame Skimmer - one male on patrol

1 August 2002
San Benito Co.
R.J. Adams
From 11:45 - 13:00 I went to look for dragonflies at San Justo Reservoir . I mainly worked the east side of the reservoir along the cattails. The dragonflies were fairly numerous and the following species were recorded:
Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata) - 7 (6M,1F)
Common Whitetail (Libellula lydia) - 1 (1M)
Varigated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) - 5 (3M,2F including 1 female collected)
Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) - 1 (1M)
Darner sp. 9 (Anax sp. 3, Aeshna sp. 6)
Blue-eyed Darner (Aeshna multicolor) - 1 (1M specimen collected)
In addition, both dancers and bluets were fairly common, and a single currently unidentified bluet was collected. [Specimen sent to KB in '03 and determined to be a Tule Bluet Enallagma carunulatum - a county record]
As a side note, at least 20 larger dragonflies (I was never able to get a clear look at them, but possibly hilltopping darners?) were swarming a good 30-40 feet above the top of Fremont Peak from 09:45 - 10:45)

JULY

31 July 2002
Lake Co.
Kathy Biggs & David Hofmann
At Detert Reservoir, and at Guenoc Pond (just outside the northern Napa County line), both on Butt's Canyon Road out of Middletown:
Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata - caught specimen for county voucher at Guenoc Pond. Also seen at Detert Reservoir. It was not realized by David Hofmann and Doug Ellis in prior years that the Guenoc Pond was within Lake and not Napa County, therefore the species had been seen prior to this within Lake Co., but not recorded
Widow Skimmer - many seen
Flame Skimmer - numerous
Blue Dasher - quite a few
Eight-spotted Skimmer - quite a few
Variegated Meadowhawk - just a few
Black Saddlebags - numerous
Aeshna sp. - 1 seen at small pond (Guenoc)
Common Green Darner - a couple seen at the pond (Guenoc)
Vivid Dancer - a few
Familiar Bluet Enallagma civile - -numerous, caught specimens for county voucher by Detert Reservoir
Northern Bluet - some
Western Forktail - some
Colusa Co.
Kathy Biggs & David Hofmann
Bear Creek where it crosses Hwy 20:
Pale-faced Club Skimmer - one male specimen caught, no others seen
Western Pondhawk - a few seen
Widow Skimmer - many seen [more than I've ever seen there before! - Kathy]
Flame Skimmer - numerous
Blue Dasher - a few seen
Variegated Meadowhawk -just a few
Black Saddlebags - numerous
Western River Cruiser - several at Bear Creek
Common Green Darner - many seen inc. ovipositing pairs
Giant Darner - ~5 males and 1 female seen [not as common as expected - kb]
White-belted Ringtail - abundant; more males and females were on top of the barbed wire fence running along the road (~21) than near the water ~11)
Gray Sanddragon - many; none on barbed wire
American Rubyspot - only a few
California Dancer - one male specimen taken for ID purposes
Sooty Dancer - a few
Northern/Boreal Bluet - abundant
Western Forktail - some
Desert Firetail Telebasis salva - caught one specimen for county voucher, only two males seen. This species has been reported from this location in prior years by several different sighters at different times, but somehow was never added to the county list!

29 July 2002
Marin Co.
Keith Hansen
At 5-Brookes Pond, north of Pt. Reyes - a nice Pacific Spiketail

28 July 2002
Kern Co.
Terri Gallion & Steven Irvine
We went out to see what was flying on the South Fork River in Onyx. Last year in this location, we found a good diversity of species and several new records for Kern County.
Because of our continuing drought, the river is low and is more choked with cattails than ever before. However, there were a number of species flying. Steven caught a a male and female Paddle-tailed Darner (two seperate captures) for a new Kern County record.
Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata) - abundant, about 17 individuals.
Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) - 10-12. Holding territories in floating vegetation.
Common Green Darner (Aeshna junius) - 2.
Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) - 5, pair seen in tandem. One male caught.
Western River Cruiser (Macromia magnifica) - 2 cruising the river.
Western Meadowhawk (Sympetrum pallipes) - 4, all seen were males. One male caught.
Blue-eyed Darner (Aeshna mulitcolor) - probably this species, 1 seen in flight.
*Paddle-tailed Darner (Aeshna palmata)* - New Kern County record. Male and female caught and kept as voucher specimens.
Pale-faced Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga mendax) - 1 seen flying over a large area near the river.
White-belted Ringtail (Erpetogomphus compositus) - one female caught.
Spot-winged Gliderv (Pantala hymenaea) - one seen flying over.
American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) - 5, 3 females and 2 males.
CA Dancer (Argia agrioides) - probably this species, a few.
Western Forktail (Ischnura perpava) - few.
We also encountered a very large rattlesnake coming for a drink. We left it peacefully asleep on a downed limb over the water.

26 July 2002
Shasta Co.
Bruce Deuel & Ray Bruun
Where SH 44 crosses Cow Creek just east of Redding:
Aeshna sp. (not Blue-eyed) - 1
White-belted Ring-tail Erypetogomphus compositus - 4, many photos, 1 specimen county record voucher
Western River Cruiser Macromia magnifica - 1 male, sight county record
Pale-faced Clubskimmer Brechmorhoga mendax - 6, photos, 1 specimen for county voucher [upgrade of previous photo record]
Western Pondhawk - 4-5 males, 1 female
Widow Skimmer - 8-10
Twelve-spotted Skimmer - 1 male, 1 female
Flame Skimmer - at least 3
Variegated Meadowhawk - 2-3 males, 1 female
Black Saddlebags - 4-5, and a pair in tandem.
American Rubyspot - 2 females
Emma's Dancer - a pair in copula, and a male netted and released
Sooty Dancer - 4, including a tandem pair.
bluets - at least 10, one caught with Northern-type appendages.
Siskiyou Co.
Bob Claypole
At his home on Hwy 96 2 miles east of Quigly's Store, Bob sees at least one male Emma's Dancer.

24 July 2002
Marin Co.
David Hofmann
Yesterday, I went on a botanizing field trip with a few friends to Point Reyes Nat'l Seashore. We hiked out the trail to Abbott's Lagoon. On the way out and back I had several Blue-eyed Darners, Vivid Dancers, and bluets. Fifty yards before getting back to the parking lot I spotted an interesting dragon, it wasn't blue. Luckily it lit on a bush, hanging like a darner does. I could see that it had clear unmarked wings, deep copper colored eyes, and yellow-orange abdomen. I hadn't seen one like it before, but had a good idea what it could be. Before I could get my camera out for a photo, it flew off. When I got back to my car I checked in my Dunkle's for verification of my identity. Sure enough it was a Wandering Glider Pantala flavescens , my first. When I got back home to Santa Rosa I called Kathy Biggs to tell her that I had a lifer, and she informed me that it was a new record for Marin county! There's always surprises out there.
Sonoma Co.
Kathy Biggs & Barry Jones
At Bigsnest Pond, Sebastopol:
Pacific Forktail - a few males and females
Western Forktail - a few males and females
Western Pondhawk- a males 'fly-by'
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 3 males
At Lake Ralphine, Santa Rosa:
Tule Bluet - many
Bluet sp. - many
Green Darner - a few males; one pair
Aeshna sp - one, probably a Blue-eyed
Western Pondhawk - a few males
Flame Skimmer - 3-5 males
Widow Skimmer - 5-6 males
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 2-3 males
Common Whitetail - many males
Blue Dasher - 3-6 males; 1 female or imm. male also seen
Glider sp. - 1 mid-lake
Black Saddlebags - ~6 males; females and pairs also seen

22 July 2002
San Joaquin Co.
Kathy Crump
In her Stockton back yard
Black Saddlebags

20/21 July 2002
Humboldt Co.
Bruce Deuel
I was in the Humboldt Bay area this weekend, but didn't see a lot. At the Elk River Wildlife Area, which is at the south edge of Eureka at the mouth of Elk River I saw at least 2 Pantala sp. , which never sat, and which I missed when I tried to net one. Then I notice this morning that neither species has been recorded in Humboldt Co. [will record as Pantala sp. for the county = kb] The only things I did identify were Blue-eyed Darners, common in many locations, several Cardinal Meadowhawks at the Arcata Marsh (3 caught for confirmation), and a pair of Pacific Forktails at AldergrovePond.
Trinity Co.
Bruce Deuel
I stopped at Trinity Center on Trinity Lake in Trinity County and saw Variegated Meadowhawks plus many bluets, of at least 2 species. I didn't catch any (I'd left my net in the car while I walked to the lakeshore to look at shorebirds, and it was too hot to go back and get it when I found there were odes there!), but the appendages on one looked like it might have been Familiar, and there were several of the more black than blue type. ...., I now see that neither of these has been recorded in Trinity Co.
Then I stopped at Lewiston Lake and saw a Sympetrum , all red with no thoracic stripes or spots, light colored legs and red costal veins, but it flew off before I could net it. Sounds like Yellow-legged, but way out of range and too early. Frustrating weekend.

20 July 2002
Sonoma Co.
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Russian River at Alexander Valley Bridge and then at Asti summer crossing:
Am. Rubyspot - many
Emma's Dancer - many
Sooty Dancer - only a few
No./Bo. Bluet- many
Gray Sanddragon - quite a few
Western River Cruiser - several - and oh so powerful!
Pale-faced Clubskimmer - quite a few
Flame Skimmer- two
Wandering Glider- one
Black Saddlebags - one
Imperial Co.
Bob Miller
While birding the SE end of the Salton Sea today I kept getting distracted by dragons. LOTS of them! Being the faithful bird guide I had to pass up many dragons without a closer look so I probably missed a few good ID's and I just know that I missed a few new lifers..... Did get to net and release a few Blue Dashers for the group but could not swoop a Spot-winged for anything. The weather was weird for the end of July.... there was a breeze and the humidity is low so you could actually spend some time out without melting!
The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge HQ at Sinclair and Gentry Roads is a very good spot for dragon hunting and the sky there was full of them today.
In the past week I have seen no Rambur's Forktails at the New River Wetlands so it appears there season is split here in the desert. ?
A friend reported one (1) White-belted Ringtail at the NRW Imperial site on Saturday two weeks ago.
Today I did find a spot in the North end of the valley with about 20 Desert Forktails. Having not seen any since last year I was beginning to wonder if I could tell them from Rambur's. The wider stripe on the upper sides of the thorax and the color connecting the dots on the eyes was quite obvious. Should have pics of Deserts in wheel on the website soon....... if any turned out. Spot-winged too!
Common Green Darner - <10
Western Pondhawk - a few in several locations.
Roseate Skimmer - 5
Blue Dasher - most common dragon in all locations
Spot-winged Glider - numerous in many locations
Mexican Amberwing - only one individual seen
Red Saddlebags - numerous at the NWR HQ

19 July 2002
Siskiyou Co.
Bob Claypole
At Buckhorn L.O. Bob drives up 2 hrs later than usual and sees fewer Sinuous Snaketails along the road. At the L.O. at 11:20 am he sees more than a dozen Moasic Darners and what appear to be a Snaketail.

18 July 2002
Siskiyou Co.
Bob Claypole
At Collins Baldy L.O. Bob sees at least one Mosaic Darner. The Sinuous Snaketails are a little more numerous along the ridge road than previously but still fairly common below 2400'.

19 July 2002
Shasta Co.
Bruce Deuel
This morning I was at Sims Campground on the upper Sacramento River a few miles below Castella. I was keeping one eye out for dragonflies while doing other things, and only saw 1, but it was a good one; my personal first Pacific Spiketail (Cordulegaster dorsalis), a nice male. Ray Bruun told me about a week a go he's seen several of these in the Shingletown area.
Sonoma Co.
Gloria & Harry Conley
Had a Pacific Spiketail in their Sebastopol driveway.
Kathy Biggs
And here at Bigsnest pond in my own (Kathy Biggs) backyard here in Sebastopol, we are continuing to have many Cardinal Meadowhawks who while they won't tolerate another male at the pond, will share a perch with a Flame Skimmer! Also present today were 2 young male Western Pond Hawks who were still green on the front half. While I was busy photographing them a Black- throated Gray Warbler came in! Other dragonflies species that were also on the pond were Pacific & Western Forktails.

18 July 2002
Contra Costa Co.
Tim Manolis
I made a brief check of Pinole Creek in Pinole, Contra Costa Co., just a little west of the Pinole Valley Road exit off of I-80. I thought it looked good for I. gemina, but all I could find there were I. denticollis (one collected), I. perparva, I. cervula, A. vivida, L. saturata and a swarm of P. hymenaea. - first sight record.

17 July 2002
Nevada Co.
Ishan Hill & David Lukas
Ishan captured three spot-winged gliders and also a blue dasher near San Juan Ridge! David photographed the dasher so this will be the first photographed record for the county (previous sighting only record).

16-18 July 2002
San Joaquin Co.
Kathy Crump
In her Stockton back yard
Flame Skimmer
Four Spotted Skimmer
Western Pond Hawk, F
**Beaverpond Baskettail** - [7-16-02- new late season flight data by 2 weeks! -kb]
Grappletail*, [last sighting of '02] F
Black Spreadwing

14 July 2002
Siskiyou Co.
Tim & Annette Manolis
At Gumboot Lake:
Spreadwings (Lestes spp?) -- large numbers of tenerals (no adults seen) were coming up off sedges at the southeast corner of the lake. I suspect that both Emerald and Common, at least, were present, but it is tough identifying tenerals, especially when most seem to be females! One male netted appeared to be Emerald, and one female netted appeared to be Common, but these are tentative identifications.
Vivid Dancer (Argia vivida) -- a number seen.
Boreal (and Northern?) Bluets (Enallagma boreale (and cyathigerum?)) -- very abundant. The only males I netted looked like they had Boreal-type appendages.
Common Green Darner(Anax junius) -- a few males patrolling over the lake.
Blue-eyed Darner (Aeshna multicolor) -- one male patrolling over the lake.
*Variable Darner (Aeshna interrupta) [first sighting of '02] -- this was the common darner. I saw them both patrolling over the water and also perched on brush and trees away from the shore. I did not see anything that definitely looked like Paddle-tailed or Shadow, but there were plenty of darners I never got close looks at that could have been those species. There were lots of darner exuviae on sedges and grasses along the lakeshore.
Ringed Emerald (Somatochlora albicincta) *[last sighting of '02]-- a number (5-6?) patrolling the shoreline at irregular intervals, presumably all males [last sighting of '02].
American Emerald (Cordulia shurtleffii) * [last sighting of '02] -- two found perched on trees away from shore, and probably others seen along the shoreline.
Crimson-ringed Whiteface (Leucorrhinia glacialis) * [last sighting of '02] -- fairly common, a number of males netted and released.
Hudsonian Whiteface (Leucorrhinia hudsonica) * [last sighting of '02] -- some seen, a couple of males netted.
Four-spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata) -- common.
Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella) -- common.
Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) -- 2 males seen.
Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) -- one along the lakeshore.
This site is well worth a visit at this time of year.
Siskiyou Co.
Bob Claypole
At Bolivar L.O. at the south end of Scott Valley near Callahan, at 6850' Bob sees about a dozen Mosaic Darners in the mid to late morning while working away from the windiest area and below the tops of the conifers.
Shasta Co.
Bruce Deuel
I visited the Schoefer Ponds and Battle Creek on the Battle Creek Wildlife Area from 0730 to 0830 (it was plenty warm enough for the odes to be flying!). I was hoping for gomphids, but only saw 1, too far away to i.d. Things I saw here were:
Common Green Darner - common
Western Pondhawk - common
Eight-spotted Skimmer - 2-3
Widow Skimmer - abundant
Common Whitetail - 2 females
Flame Skimmer - 3-4
Blue Dasher - abundant
Variegated Meadowhawk - at least 1
Red-veined Meadowhawk* [last sighting of '02] - 1
Western Meadowhawk -1
Meadowhawk sp. - several other un-i.d.'d meadowhawks
Black Saddlebags - common
clubtail sp. - saw 1, too far away to i.d.
American Rubyspot - about 10
bluets - about 10, the only 1 I caught was a Familiar Bluet.
Western Forktail - at least 1.
San Joaquin Co.
Kathy Crump
In her Stockton back yard
Flame Skimmers, male
Four Spotted Skimmer
Western Pond Hawk, 1 M and 3 F

13 July 2002
Shasta Co.
Ray Bruun
I did a hike up the side of Chaos Crags (above Crags Lake) in Lassen Park. Believe it or not, at 7:45 am there were dragonflies darting around the skree slopes of the mountain. I couldn't tell what they were. But they were medium to large, powerful fliers, overall dark abdomen with light yellow(?) spots on sides(?), terminal spot appeared larger than others. There was a female American Kestrel up there too. [K. Biggs identified these as Emeralds from Ray's photos - in fact, two of them are certainly the rare Ringed Emeralds]
After the mountain, I took a walk around Reflection Lake and Manzanita Lake. Here's what I saw:
Four-spotted Skimmer - common at both lakes
Twelve-spotted Skimmer - two or three males at Reflection Lake, one male at Manzanita
Variegated Meadowhawk - one at Reflection, another at Manzanita
Blue-eyed Darner (or something that looks just like it, could have been one of the other kind) - common; inc. a female Darner whose wings were very shiny and it couldn't flywell yet. I coaxed it off the forest floor and onto a stick and took photos (dorsal and profile). [K. Biggs identified this as a teneral female Blue-eyed Darner from Ray's photos]
Paddle-tailed Darner - possibly, I got good looks at a hovering dragonfly. It's abdomen was patterned dark and bright bluesimilar to Blue-eyed Darner, and it had bright green thoratic stripes. I reminded me of a small Common Green Darner with patterning.
Finally, I saw and photographed (oblique and profile) a female dragonfly that appeared to be newly emerged. [K. Biggs Ided this as a teneral female Striped Meadowhawk

12 July 2002
Sonoma Co.
Rod Miller
In Cloverdale on Geyserville Rd:
Wandering Glider- in a swarm and seen following the weather front that was moving thru
Spot-winged Glider - 2 males
Western Meadowhawk Sympetrum occidentale -only the 2nd time seen in the county
Siskiyou Co.
Bob Claypole
Buckhorn L.O. fewer Mosaic Darners, but windier.

11 July 2002
Siskiyou Co.
Bob Claypole
Collins Baldy L.O. after 10 am at least half a dozen Mosaic Darners. Several Sinuous Snaketails along ridge rd. in sunny locations at 9:15 and still quite a few below 2400' on McKinney Creek Rd as described earlier. See at least one Snaketail at the L.O. in PM: 90 degrees F.

10&11 July 2002
Shasta Co.
Ray Bruun and Bruce Deuel
Pale-faced Clubskimmer Brechmorhoga mendax photographed at Turtle Bay East Fishing Access by Ray Brunn on the 10th. On the 11th we tried to capture it but didn't see it.
HOWEVER we were compensated by first seeing, then photographing, then catching the first Shasta Co. Neon Skimmer Libellula croceipennis . We had stopped to try to photograph a Flame Skimmer when I noticed 3 other red skimmers at the same spot. All 3 of these turned out to be male Neons. Ray has sent me the pictures, and I hope he can get the one of the 2 species on the same twig within mm of each other posted somehow. I kept a voucher specimen, and also captured a voucher of Widow Skimmer Libellula luctuosa .
Totals of odes at East Turtle Bay, Shasta Co. on the 11th:
Common Green Darner - 10
Western Pondhawk - 4-5, including ovipositing female
Neon Skimmer - 3 males, 1 county voucher specimen kept
Widow Skimmer - 6-8, 1 male county voucher specimen kept
Twelve-spotted Skimmer - 3-4
Flame Skimmer - 8-10
Blue Dasher - 2 dozen
Western Meadowhawk - 2 pairs in wheel
Black Saddlebags - 5-6
Dancer sp. , female, probably Vivid - 1
bluets - 10, 1 each of Northern, Familiar, and Tule caught and released.
Pacific Forktail - 1 female.
San Joaquin Co.
Kathy Crump
In her Stockton back yard
Four Spotted Skimmer
Tule Bluets --6 in cluster over creek
Blue Dasher

9 July 2002
Lassen Co.
Tim & Annette Manolis
Susan River at west end of Susanville (Hobo Camp Day Use Area) (9:30-11:00 am)
River Jewelwing* (last sighting of '02)-- fairly common (20+ seen) at a backwater area dammed by beavers; a male collected.
American Rubyspot -- a few seen.
Vivid Dancer -- fairly common.
Emma's Dancer -- fairly common.
bluets -- common, appeared to be Northern/Boreal types.
Western Forktail -- common.
Blue-eyed Darner (Aeshna multicolor) -- 1-2 males patrolling river pools.
Great Basin Snaketail* (last sighting of '02) -- easily 10+ seen, males on territory on rock and gravel bars along the river.
Bison Snaketail (Ophiogomphus bison)* (last sighting of '02) -- a male collected, first record for Lassen County; a few others possibly seen.
Eight-spotted Skimmer -- 5-6 seen.
Common Whitetail -- common, 10-15 seen.
Variegated Meadowhawk -- a few seen.
We then spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon at various spots in the valley north of Honey Lake, including the Dakin Unit of the Honey Lake Wildlife Area and Leavitt Lake along Hwy 395. Eight-spotted Skimmers and Variegated Meadowhawks were common and widespread throughout the area, and bluets were common at stock ponds, along creeks and lakes, etc. Some Common Green Darners (Anax junius) and Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) were seen in tandem and ovipositing at small stock ponds, Leavitt Lake, etc. A male Black-fronted Forktail (Ischnura denticollis) was seen on the sedge margins of a stock pond, and a spreadwing, probably Spotted Spreadwing (Lestes congener) was seen at the Dakin Unit.
Our last stop on 9 July, in the mid-afternoon, was at Clear Creek, Lassen County, where we saw:
Spotted Spreadwing -- a female netted.
Common Spreadwing (Lestes disjunctus) -- fairly common, a couple of males netted and released.
*Lyre-tipped Spreadwing (Lestes unguiculatus)* (only sighting of '02) -- a male collected.
Western Red Damsel (Amphiagrion abbreviatum)* (last sighting of '02) -- fairly common, 30+ seen.
Western Forktail -- common.
bluets -- Northern/Boreal types were common.
Eight-spotted Skimmer -- common, 15-20 seen.
Common Whitetail -- common, 15-20 seen.
Striped Meadowhawk (Sympetrum pallipes) -- a few seen.
Western Meadowhawk (Sympetrum occidentale) -- about 10 seen.
White-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum obtrusum) -- a few seen, a male netted and released.
Siskiyou Co.
Bob Claypole
At Buckhorn L.O. ~10 am see large dragonfly at L.O. & by 10:30 at least half dozen Mosaic Darners and by 11:20 several dozen are present; 80 degrees F.

8/9 July 2002
Sacramento Co.
Tim & Annette Manolis
before we left and on 9 July upon our return, there were good numbers (30+) of Spot-winged Gliders (Pantala hymenaea) in feeding swarms over our yard and neighborhood here in Sacramento, joined by at least one darner (Aeshna sp?) , Black Saddlebags, and a possible Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) , plus a few Flame Skimmers (Libellula saturata) in the yard.

8 July 2002
Los Angeles Co.
Rod Higbie
At Bonelli Park/Puddingstone Reservoir:
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 6
Variegated Meadowhawk - 1
Mexican Amberwing - 12
Black Saddlebags - 6, including a pair mating
Red Saddlebags - 1
Western Pondhawk - 15, including a pair mating, also observed a Black Phoebe catch one
Blue-eyed Darner - pair mating
Common Green Darner -6
Vivid Dancer - 3
I was able to get some nice video of the Mexican Amberwing and Western Pondhawk.
Lassen Co.
Tim and Annette Manolis
Susan River in Susanville (Between Riverside Drive bridge and the Little League ballpark) (5:30-6:30 pm)
River Jewelwing (Calopteryx aequabilis) -- 15-20 seen, a female collected.
American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) -- 5-6 seen.
Vivid Dancer (Argia vivida) -- fairly common.
Emma's Dancer (Argia emma) -- common.
Northern Bluet (Enallagma cyathigerum) -- male netted and released.
Tule Bluet (Enallagma carunculatum) -- male netted and released; bluets in general were fairly common.
Western Forktail (Ischnura perparva) -- 5-6 seen, mostly females.
Great Basin Snaketail (Ophiogomphus morrisoni) -- 3-4 seen, 2 netted, one collected.
Western Pondhawk (Erythemis collocata) -- 1 female seen.
Eight-spotted Skimmer (Libellula forensis) -- 2 males.
Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) -- 1 male.
Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) -- one seen.

7 July 2002
Kern Co.
Terri Gallion
I participated yesterday in the 4th Annual North Fork Kern Butterfly Count. An Official North American Butterfly Association (NABA) event. The group I was with covered the east side and summit of the Greenhorn Mountains (west of Lake Isabella reservoir). Combined daily total for all groups was 65 butterfly species.
We only saw only a few odes all day. However, the one of the first stops yielded a new Kern County record dragon. At a very small spring along Sawmill Road, We had:
*Neon Skimmer (Libellula croceipennis) [*=first sighting of '02] - 1 male captured and specimen retained. The specimen is headless because the twig on which it was perched snapped back as I attempted to net it, severing its head. This is a new record for Kern County.
Vivid Dancer (Argia vivida) - 1 male.
Pacific Spiketail (Cordulegaster dorsalis) - 1
While driving along dry, dirt road, we also saw a few probable Blue-eyed Darners, Common Green Darner and one other Pacific Spiketail.
Sonoma Co.
Alan Wight
along the Russian River near the Geyserville bridge:
Gray Sanddragon - >= 3 males - photo taken
Western Meadowhawk Sympetrum occidentale - 1 male - new photo record for county
Flame Skimmer - 1-2
California/Aztec Dancer - 4, 2 males and 2 females; photos taken
Emma's Dancer - >= 4
Bluet sp. - 1
American Rubyspot - >= 4 males
Later, on Pine Flat Road, I saw the following:
Black Saddlebags - >= 5
Sooty Dancer - 1 female
Colusa Co.
Kathy & Dave Biggs
At Bear Creek/Hiway 20 (from 5-6 pm):
Am. Rubyspot - 1 male and 1female
CA Dancer - 2 males, one examined in hand
Sooty Dancer - a few
Northern/Boreal Bluet - a few. Had in hand but don't have a scope (which is necessary to distinguish the ID between them) even here at home, so released them.
Tule Bluet - 1 male specimen taken and scanned for website
Western Forktail - 1 female seen being eaten by a spider, one male seen
White-belted Ringtail - 2 males and one female ovipositing
MANY clubtail exuvia collected from the rocks and on top of the algae scum.
Giant Darner* [*=last sighting of '02] ~ 3-4 males and one female. Some exuvia found.
Common Green Darner - 1 male seen
Western River Cruiser - none seen flying but many exuviae found
Dasher/Pondhawk - one male seen at a distance
Widow Skimmer - 1 male seen
Flame Skimmer - abundant. 2 females seen ovipositing
Variegated Meadowhawk - 1 (very immature - still golden looking)
Black Saddlebags - 2 males
San Joaquin Co.
Kathy Crump
In her Stockton back yard
Black Saddlebags
Flame Skimmer, male

6 July 2002
Shasta Co.
Ray Bruun
...from 1230 to 1500, I chased dragonflies at Lake McCumber. A "(p)" indicates at least one digital photograph was taken. The Western and White-faced Meadowhawks were especially common and approachable. According to the distribution map, White-faced Meadowhawk is has not been confirmed in Shasta County.
blue-eyed darner (p) - 1 maybe two (I'm not totally sure on this one; it had blue eyes and it was a darner)
common green darner - a few
western pondhawk/blue dasher - 2
eight-spotted skimmer - possibly one
twelve-spotted skimmer (p) - common
four-spotted skimmer - 4
common whitetail (p) - common
red-veined meadowhawk (p) - 1
variegated meadowhawk - 4
* White-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum obtrusum* * - abundant, 1 male photographed - county record
Western Meadowhawk Sympetrum occidentale - abundant, 1 male photographed
black saddlebags - a few
Colusa Co.
Rod Miller
Rod went to Bear Creek/Hiway 20 to collect dragonflies for his Entomology class project at the College of Marin:
Am. Rubyspot - male and female collected
Sooty Dancer - male and female collected
Northern/Boreal Bluet- male and female collected
Tule Bluet - male and female collected
Western Forktail White-belted Ringtail - male and female collected
Gray Sanddragon- male and female collected
Giant Darner - male and female collected
Western River Cruiser - male and female collected
Pale-faced Clubskimmer- only a male collected
Widow Skimmer Libellula luctuosa - male and female collected to upgrade his previous photo only record (the picture in my book)
Flame Skimmer - male and female collected;
Wandering Glider - male and female collected; many seen; Rod noted that the Gliders were only on the water in the morning and that they moved to the adjacent field for the afternoon.
Spot-winged Glider - male and female collected; many seen
Variegated Meadowhawk - male and female collected
Black Saddlebags - male and female collected
Imperial Co.
Dee & Bob Parks
Salton Sea
*Red-tailed Pennant Brachymesia furcata*

5 July 2002
Siskiyou Co.
Kathy & Dave Biggs
Hammond Lake near Mt.Shasta (~30 min. stop in the morning):
Northern/Boreal Bluet - some
Tule/Arroyo Bluet - some
*Common Spreadwing Lestes disjunctus* - several examined in hand
Darner sp. - (probably Blue-eyed) some
Common Green Darner - some
Dot-tailed Whiteface - some
8-spotted Skimmer - abundant
12-spotted Skimmer - many; it was great to see all these spot-winged skimmers together
4-spotted Skimmer - many
Common Whitetail - some
Flame Skimmer - several
Variegated Meadowhawk - all immature
Black Saddlebags - a few
At Orr Lake, near Hwy 97 & Bray in the afternoon:
Northern/Boreal Bluet - some
Tule Bluet - some
Spreadwing sp. - (probably Common Spreadwing) a few
Pacific Forktail - some
Western Forktail - some
Darner sp. - (probably Blue-eyed) some
Common Green Darner - some
Great-basin Snaketail - ~4 seen, none found in net, darn!
Dot-tailed Whiteface - some
8-spotted Skimmer - abundant
4-spotted Skimmer - many, one barely alive found in kayak afterwards and I scanned it for the website
Common Whitetail - some
Western Pondhawk - one female seen
Variegated Meadowhawk - one seen
*Black Meadowhawk Sympetrum danae* - 2 males seen
*Western Meadowhawk Sympetrum occidentale* - 2 males seen, one was being eaten by a robber fly, who we robbed of its specimen so I could scan it for the website
Black Saddlebags - a few
Siskiyou Co.
Bob Claypole
On the road to Buckhorn L.O. (~5200') Bob sees the first Mosaic Darner. The Sinuous Snaketails are still common in the morning in sunny spots and along lower Lumgrey Creek Rd to about 2400" then a few are higher and at least one is seen around the LO> The Darner were not seen below or between, ie, first noticed at Look-out.

4 July 2002
Siskiyou Co.
Andy Rehn, Kathy & Dave Biggs, and Doug
AT Gumboot Lake west of Lake Siskiyou elevation ~6,600 ft and "Little Gumboot" which is just above it:
Emma's Dancer - several seen below the dam, inc. one beautiful lavender male
Vivid Dancer - many seen in parking area
Boreal Bluet - abundant
Western Forktail - a few
Black Petaltail* last sighting of '02) - ~ dozen seen, a male collected by Andy and I've scanned it for the website
CA Darner* (last sighting of '02) - Kathy caught a female at Little Gumboot and it is scanned for the website
Darner sp. - (possibly Blue-eyed and others such as Paddle-tailed as their faces and stripes were quite green) - some at Little Gumboot. Many exuviae collected.
Common Green Darner - some
American Emerald - Andy collected a female and I scanned her for the website
*Mt. Emerald Somatochlora semicirularis* (only sighting of the year) - Andy collected a female
*Ringed Emerald Somatachlora albicincta* (first sighting of '02)- several males collected
Crimson-ringed Whiteface - many, Dave caught a male and I scanned it for the website
Dot-tailed Whiteface - many
Chalk-fronted Corporal* (last sighting of '02)-- - mostly seen at Little Gumboot. Doug collected a male
12-spotted Skimmer - abundant, Doug collected a male
4-spotted Skimmer - abundant, Doug collected a male
Common Whitetail - many
Variegated Meadowhawk - a few seen
Siskiyou Co.
Bob Claypole
On the road to Collins Baldy L.O. saw more Sinuous Snaketails low along Walker Rd which parallels the river than in previous weeks and a fair number along the dirt rd. below 2400' up McKinney Ck and a few along the ridge rd (~4000') and at least one, presumed Sinuous Snaketail from the lookout (>5000').
Imperial Co.
Bob Miller
Toured the Imperial Valley and did the New River Wetlands counts this am. Good Stuff. The heat was not extreme, or should I say the humidity was not extreme, and there was a breeze so it was bearable scoping the flats on the Salton Sea (birds) at noon.
Rambur's Forktail - Very few but the very few were at each place we went.
Familiar Bluet - ~100 at both NRW sites.
Common Green Darner - several at both NRW sites.
Blue Dasher - Most numerous bug at both NRW sites with several thousands
at the Imperial site and seen at all locations.
Roseate Skimmer - several at both NRW sites.
Widow Skimmer Libellula luctuosa - several at both NRW sites and more numerous near Salton Sea -photograph taken is an update of previous sighting only record.
Red Saddlebags - several at both NRW sites, few elsewhere.
Black Saddlebags - 2 at NRW Imperial site.
Wandering Glider - 1 at NRW Imperial site.
Mexican Amberwing - ~20 at NRW Imperial site.
San Joaquin Co.
Kathy Crump
In her Stockton back yard
Beaverpond Baskettail

3 July 2002
Siskiyou Co.
Bob Claypole
Shasta River/Hudson Rd. -
River Jewelwings - only one seen again
Am. Rubyspot - common; but fewer than before
Northern Bluet - abundant
Emma's Dancer - a few
Western Forktail -many females noted
Pacific Clubtail* [*=last sighting of '02] - a few
Common Green Darner - a few
Moasic Darner sp. - several seen
8-spotted Skimmer - some
Widow Skimmer - several

2 July 2002
Shasta Co.
Ray Bruun
I stopped by Cow Creek (a couple of miles south of Hwy 44 in Shasta County on Deschutes Rd) for 15 minutes and saw Variegated Meadowhawk (1), Black Saddlebags (2), and Gray Sanddragon Progomphus borealis --- a county record (3).
Got photos of the meadowhawk and sanddragon.
San Joaquin Co.
Kathy Crump
In her Stockton back yard
Flame Skimmer 2 male and female
Four Spotted Skimmer
Western Pondhawk 2 - male & female
Blue Dasher

1 July 2002
Nevada Co.
David Lukas
Found Sooty Dancer Argia lugens to be common at the South Yuba River. - a County Record. Captured a nice male and took a series of photographs. Also found quite a Few Bison Snaketails which were new for me.
Siskiyou Co.
Bob Claypole
On a walk to sping on tthe norht side of Lake Mtn. L.O. at a shlalow marshy pond at the spring box Bob sees 1 medium size dragonfly which never lands. It flies about waist high, mostly ove rht epond (fresth water trickes in from the spring). It appeasr to be all dark with tail of abd. enlarged and obvious grren eyes. It must be an Emerald sp.

very early July or late June 2002
San Francisco Co.
Darren Fong
"...one of our wetland specialists sent me an email that she's seen * SF Forktail Ischnura gemina* recently in the Presidio..."

JUNE

30 June 2002
Shasta Co.
Bruce Deuel
Lassen Park:
Summit Lake:
hundreds of bluets, adults mating, many tenerals. Looked at appendages of 2 males - 1 was a Boreal and 1 was a Northern.
American Emerald - 4.
Crimson-ringed Whiteface - at least 100. Examined appendages of 1 male to make sure it wasn't a Red-waisted.
Chalk-fronted Corporal, Libellula (Ladona) julia - 2 females - a county record.
Twelve-spotted Skimmer - 2.
Manzanita Lake:
more bluets.
Four-spotted Skimmer - 7.
Mono Co.
Keith Hansen
Dechambeau ponds were abuzz with ode activity:
Western Pondhawk - many
8-spotted Skimmer - many
Flame Skimmer - many
Black Saddlebags - at least 50
Red Saddlebags - ~15 males, no females seen

28 June 2002
Siskiyou Co.
Dave Payne
I floated the Klamath River from Sarah Totten Campground to Rocky Point River Access. Here is a list of the dragons and damsels I observed and can remember.
Sinuous snaketail (very common)
common whitetail (2)
eight spot skimmer (3)
Northern bluet (abundant)
Emma's dancer (few pairs)
River Jewelwing (3)
American Rubyspot (2)
Pacific clubtail (6-10)
Green Darner (2)
Western River Cruiser (many)
Flame Skimmer (5)
Cardinal Meadowhawk (2)
Blue-eyed Darner (2)
Western Pondhawk (3)
I had what I think was a female spreadwing on a rock. It flew off and was promptly preyed upon by a Pacific clubtail! I followed the clubtail around til I caught it. By that time it had devoured the head of the spreadwing. I collected the spreadwing, managed to get it back to the office and have since lost it. The abdomen on the spreadwing was actually longer than the clubtail's abdomen. Real interesting watching it fly around with this meal. Spreadwing was tawny brown with weak markings. The appendages were fuzzy. This drama took place on the cobble bar on river right as you scout Hamburg Falls. It was quite windy most of the day. Also saw one mature bald eagle.
San Joaquin Co.
Kathy Crump
In her Stockton back yard
Flame Skimmer
Western Pondhawk, male

27/28 June 2002
Siskiyou Co.
Bob Claypole
Sinuous Snaketails are still common on dirt roads to Buckhorn and Collins Baldy L.O.s in the mornings below 2400' in sunny locations; a few higher.

27 June 2002
Shasta Co.
Ray Bruun
at Lake McCumber:
*Striped Meadowhawk Sympetrum pallipes* - photographed
San Joaquin Co.
Kathy Crump
In her Stockton back yard
Western Pondhawk, 3 males & 2 females
Black Saddlebags

26 June 2002
Siskiyou Co.
Bob Claypole
Shasta River/Hudson Rd. -
River Jewelwings - only one seen
Am. Rubyspot - common
Northern Bluet - abundant
Emma's Dancer - fairly common
Western Forktail -many females noted
Pacific Clubtail - a few
Common Green Darner - a few
Moasic Darner sp. - several seen
Western Pondhawk - more common than on previous visits
8-spotted Skimmer - some
Widow Skimmer - 1
San Joaquin Co.
Kathy Crump
In her Stockton back yard
Flame Skimmer - 3
Western Pondhawk - 4 females

25 June 2002
San Joaquin Co.
Kathy Crump
In her Stockton back yard
Flame Skimmer - 2
Western Pondhawk, 2 males

24 June 2002
Sutter Co.
Bruce Deuel and Tim Manolis
We looked for odes along the Feather River at Shanghai Bend, on the south side of Yuba City, Sutter County. We found:
Tule Bluet (Enallagma carunculatum) -- 20+ seen, two males collected for first specimen records for Sutter County.
Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) -- some seen.
Pacific Forktail (Ischnura cervula) -- fairly common.
Common Green Darner (Anax junius) ) -- 1-2 seen.
*Olive Clubtail (Stylurus olivaceus) * -- a teneral female collected coming up from the river's edge for a first record for Sutter County. Another possible male seen - a county record
Western Pondhawk (Erythemis collocata) -- 20-30 seen.
Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) -- 15-20 seen.
Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) -- very common (50+), many recently- emerged individuals seen away from the water in brushy areas, a female seen ovipositing in a backwater lagoon, a young male collected for a first Sutter County specimen.
Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella) -- a male seen.
Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) -- a few (4-5) seen.
Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) -- fairly common, 30+ seen.
Black-Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) -- about 20 seen.
Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea) -- about 30 seen.
Siskiyou Co.
Bob Claypole
Going to Lake Mtn. L.O. near Seiad (6900') Bob sees hundreds of Sinuous Snaketails in sunny portions of dirt road, most numerous from area ~2000'' elevation, but seen until ~4600 ' then none above. Note these were not noticed last week but weather turned to rain before noon last week and this week he came up the road later in the morning (~10 am rather than 9 am). Almost none noted going down after 6 pm.

22 June 2002
Imperial Co.
Bob Miller
Seen at the Brawley site today were basically the same as yesterday, but in lower numbers.
Common Green Darner 5
Blue Dasher ~200
Western Pondhawk ~40
Familiar Bluet ~60
Rambur's Forktail >200
Wandering Glider can be found in small numbers over most fields currently being irrigated. To reach the Brawley site from the Imperial site, take Wienert back to Forester and go north. Turn east on Keystone Road, which only goes to the right. Keystone runs into Hwy 86, where you will turn left (go north) toward Brawley. Turn left (west) on Legion Road, which is the first signal light a mile south of Brawley. Follow Legion Road to the end of the pavement and continue along the chain link fence on your left. You will pass through an open gate and will come to an orange painted standpipe. The road down into the wetlands is immediately on your right. You can get to an overlook of the site if you continue to the date grove. More information about the New River Wetlands can be found at www.southwestbirders.com/new river 2001.htm
Sierra Co.
David Lukas
I found a Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis here. Had great close-up looks at the white face and green eyes. It was at Malakoff Diggins State Park around the big marsh, which is a great site for Odes. - a county record
San Joaquin Co.
Kathy Crump
In her Stockton back yard
Western Pondhawk, 2 male and female
Tule Bluet, at creek
Flame Skimmer
Four Spotted Skimmer

21 June 2002
Tulare Co.
Susan Steele
I found a *great basin snaketail Ophiogomphus morrisoni* today. Life dragonfly for me. [image included]
Imperial Co.
Bob Miller
The Imperial site of the New River Wetlands project was active, even with our temps having been very mild for the last few days, of course, mildly warm here is extremely hot anywhere else!
Common Green Darner ~10
Blue Dasher ~300
Western Pondhawk ~100
Black Saddlebags 6
Red Saddlebags 2
Familiar Bluet ~100
Rambur's Forktail >1,000
The Imperial site is located west of Forester Road and on the south bank of the New River. Coming from San Diego, go north on Forester Road from I-8. You will go past Worthington Road and turn west on Wienert Road, which only goes west. At 1.7 miles a large deep drain canal will join you on the left--this is the Rice Drain and it supplies the project. The Rice Drain passes under Wienert and heads northwest and there is a new sign for the NRW here. Turn right on the first bank and follow the drain down into the site. From areas north, take Highway 86 to the city of Westmorland and go south on Forrester Road to Wienert Road.

20 June 2002
Siskiyou Co.
David Payne
Had to drive to Yreka today. Highway 96 was littered with Sinuous Snaketails, mostly live until they challenged the vehicles on the road. Pulled many off the grill of the truck.
Stopped at Cayuse River Access pond: just a quick scan of the pond.
eight-spot skimmer
western Pondhawk (m&f)
Pacific clubtail
Sinuous Snaketail
Flame skimmer
green darner
Northern Bluet
Stopped at Tree of Heaven Campground, checked river access eddy.
flame skimmers (ovipositing on floating veg) Pacific clubtail
eight-spot skimmer
Sinuous Snaketail
Northern bluets
Stopped at Sarah Totten Campground.
Sinuous Snaketail
Northern bluets
I spent most of time there watching a yearling bear across the river.
Siskiyou Co.
Bob Claypole
Goint up to Collins Baldy and Buckhorn L.O. note fewer Sinuous Snaketails along same portions of rd. belwo 2400' adn a few along ridge road now at ~4,000 '+ and one a Collins (~5400') & Buckhorn (5,200').
San Joaquin Co.
Kathy Crump
In her Stockton back yard
Twelve Spotted Skimmer, female
Western Pondhawk, female
Four Spotted Skimmer

19 June 2002
Siskiyou Co.
David Payne
I went to Kelly Lake in northern Siskiyou County to see what we could find. The lake is in the Siskiyou Wilderness just a few miles south of the Oregon border. The elevation is approximately 4500 feet. The forest surrounding the lake is mixed conifer with huge sugar pine, douglas fir, and incense cedar the primary overstory components. Weather was clear and cool becoming windy in late afternoon.
We found 3 new species I had never seen before!
*American Emerald Cordulia shurtleffii [first sighting of '02]; they were abundant, hooked in wheels, hanging on vegetation, emerging on grasses in the lake, they were everywhere!
*Crimson-ringed Whiteface Leucorrhinia glacialis [first sighting of '02]females were emerging on aquatic grasses, also landing on vegetation, all were yellow marked, did not see any males.
Chalk-fronted Corporal Libellula julia, about ten of these. I had to use the Ca key to figure out who they were. They were patrolling and perching on shore. These guys would hold wings down and forward when resting.
Bluets sp were abundant. I think most were Northern Bluet.
Butte Co.
Bruce Deuel, Heather Hacking and Tim Manolis
We toured a number of good locations for dragonflies in Butte County. We started by driving up into Upper Bidwell Park to an area of seep springs near the Bear Hole and Diversion Dam. Here we saw:
Vivid Dancer (Argia vivida) -- fairly common
Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata) -- a few
Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) -- a few
Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea) -- one, with the saddlebags
Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) -- 10-15 seen
Our next stop was along Big Chico Creek near Alligator Hole in the Upper Park. A nice stretch of pools and riffles hosted a great variety of odes, including:
American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) -- 10-15 along the creek
California Dancer (Argia agrioides) -- about 5-10 males seen
Emma's Dancer -- (Argia emma) -- fairly common along the creek
Sooty Dancer -- (Argia lugens) -- common along the creek
Vivid Dancer -- fairly common
bluet (Enallagma sp?) -- a few males seen
*White-belted Ringtail (Erpetogomphus compositus) [first sighting of '02] -- a number of males on territory along the shore and chasing each other around
Pacific Clubtail (Gomphus kurilis) -- a couple of males seen
Bison Snaketail (Ophiogomphus bison) -- 3-4 seen
Gray Sanddragon (Progomphus borealis) -- a number of males along the shore
Western River Cruiser (Macromia magnifica) -- 1-2 males patrolling the creek and a female seen ovipositing along the edge of a pool
Pale-faced Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga mendax) -- a number of males out patrolling over the creek
Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) -- 1-2 males seen
Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella) -- a few seen
Flame Skimmer -- 10-15 seen
Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes) -- a couple of males patrolling along the creek
Black Saddlebags -- a few seen, including an ovipositing pair in tandem
Our last stop in the Upper Park was at Horseshoe Lake, where we saw:
Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) -- fairly common
Black-fronted Forktail (Ischnura denticollis) -- fairly common
Western Forktail (Ischnura perparva) -- fairly common
Western Pondhawk (Erythemis collocata) -- about 8-10 seen, including an ovipositing female being guarded by a male
Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) -- at least one male seen
Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) -- fairly common
Common Whitetail -- a number seen, including an ovipositing female guarded by a male
Twelve-spotted Skimmer -- about 10-15 seen
Black Saddlebags -- common, including a number of tandem pairs
Variegated Meadowhawk -- fairly common
We then drove up Hwy 32 and visited some spots in the mountains of Butte County. A brief stop at the edge of a meadow at Butte Meadows produced a handful of male Hoary Skimmers (Libellula nodisticta) Then we spent some time at Cherry Hill Campground above Butte Meadows, where we saw:
Western Red Damsel (Amphiagrion abbreviatum) -- a few males seen on the seep spring bog
Vivid Dancer -- common in the area
Emma's Dancer -- at least one male seen along the creek
Black Petaltail (Tanypteryx hageni) -- fairly common along the creek and up on the spring bog
Hoary Skimmer* [last sighting of '02] -- about 5-6 over the bog
Common Whitetail -- a male seen
Our final stop was at Butte Creek House, where along the creek and over the adjacent boggy meadow we saw:
Vivid Dancer -- a few seen
Northern Bluet (Enallagma cyathigerum) -- 1-2 males netted and others, probably this also, seen
Pacific Forktail (Ischnura cervula) --