Odes include both dragonflies and damselflies. Two years ago I started noticing dragonflies. Last year I started counting them with the help of an insect net made for me and close-up focusing binoculars. This year I got a better net, a hand lens, clear containers and a better book for the damselflies. I did well with damselflies, I more than tripled my species this year.
Dragonflies
2006
Twelve Spotted Skimmer
2007
Chalk-fronted Corporal
Four-spotted Skimmer
Frosted Whiteface
Common Whitetail
Crimson-ringed Whiteface
Common Green Darner
Calico Penndant
Dot-tailed Whiteface
Belted Whiteface
Racket-tailed Emerald
Slaty Skimmer
Widow Skimmer
Canada Darner
White-faced Meadowhawk
Yellow-legged Meadowhawk
Variable Darner
2008
Springtime Darner
Uhler's Sundragon
Common Baskettail
American Emerald
Dusty Clubtail
Spiny Baskettail
Beaverpond Baskettail
Lancet Clubtail
Midland Clubtail
Black-shouldered Spinyleg
Ashy Clubtail
Brush-tipped Emerald
Mottled Darner
Lake Darner
Damselflies
2006
Ebony Jewelwing
2007
River Jewelwing
Violet Dancer
Vesper Bluet
Swamp Spreadwing
Spotted Spreadwing
2008
Taiga Bluet
Sedge Sprite
Aurora Damsel
Eastern Forktail
Marsh Bluet
Hagen's Bluet
Tule Bluet
Powdered Dancer
Swamp Spreadwing
Northern or Verner Bluet
Fragile Forktail
Sweetflag Spreadwing
Orange Bluet
Slender Spreadwing
51 species in total, Lake Darner is my 51th.
My favorite moments:
- Catching a Mottled Darner with a shortened net from a kayak. I shortened the net to a two foot handle for easier handling but that made darners very tough to catch but I did net one.
- Identifying a Haigen's Bluet without a hand lens. With my severe nearsighted I could actually see the terminal appendages when I took my glasses off.
- Catching my first Lancet Clubtail off a wall.
New for 2009
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Damselflies
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Boreal Bluet
Elegant Spreadwing
Dragonflies
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Hudsonian Whiteface
Harpoon Clubtail
Ocellated Emerald
Twin Spotted Spiketail
Black-tipped Darner
Dragonhunter
Fawn Darner
Ski-Tipped Emerald
Band-winged Meadowhawk
Williamson's Emerald
Shadow Darner
Saffron-winged Meadowhawk
Cheery-faced Meadowhawk
Deletions: Swamp Spreadwing, Crimson-ringed Whiteface
That is fourteen new species for this year with two deletions making a total of 63 species.
What is odd about this year is the low number of new species I found in June and July - three. This was despite the effort put in. Reason was the weather was poor, it was a wet summer. My best month was oddly enough September with five new species and three of those was seen on one day in one of my most visited local trails (Laurier Woods, North Bay, Ontario).