Halloween Pennant

Halloween Pennant
Frontenac Provincial Park
August 05, 2006
This picture was an experiment in digiscoping dragonflies.
This dragonfly was at the top of a fairly tall dead tree in the middle of a swamp.
Turned out not too bad considering the distance involved.

Common Whitetail

Common Whitetail, Male

Frontenac Provincial Park
August 05, 2006
Arkon Lake Trail

Slaty Skimmer

Frontenac Provincial Park
Arkon Lake Trail
(August 05, 2006)

The Slaty Skimmer has a long season, ranging from June to September in Ontario.

Blue Dasher

This photo was taken on August 5, 2006 on the Arkon Lake Trail at Frontenac Provincial Park. The male and female are quite different. I always recognize the male (above) but the female (below) just doesn't seem to fit the name. The Blue Dasher can be seen right into September in Ontario.

Halloween Pennant

This picture of a Halloween Pennant was taken on August 5, 2006 on the Arkon Lake trail at Frontenac Provicincial Park. This is a mature male as you can see from the red dorsal markings on the abdomen. Juveniles and females would have yellow colored markings. The Halloweens begin to disappear about the middle of August and are usually all gone by the end of the month.

Odonates in Kenya

These were the only Odonates I saw in Kenya. Our elevation was 6000 feet and there was very little water around so I didn't expect to see many Odes on this trip. I didn't have a net so was unable to photograph them in hand. I saw these on a number of occassions in a couple of different locations, always flying in the sunlight. They are vertical perchers and you can see from the pics they have a read stigmata on each wingtip. I don't have any field guide for Odes in Africa so I'll have to see what I can find on the internet.

Frosted Whiteface

Algonquin Provincial Park, Bat Lake
25 June, 2006

Crimson-Ringed Whiteface

Leucorrhinia glacialis
Algonquin Park, Bat Lake
25 June, 2006

Dunkle says that it is impossible to tell the male Crimson-Ringed Whiteface from the male red form Red-Waisted Whiteface. I have opted for my identification on the basis of some circumstantial evidence. Dunkle says that males from Ontario eastward are mostly White Form. Crimson-Ringed and Red-Waisted both frequent boggy, marshy, habitat and from May to August or September.

Frontenac Park Odonates: May 27, 2006

Stream Cruiser

Racket-tailed Emerald

Racket-tailed Emerald

Horned Clubtail
(I originally identified this as a Lilypad Clubtail but changed my id based on size of the specimen and shape of the abdomen)

Harlequin Darner

This was an important find as the Harlequin Darner is not listed in the Odonate Database as having been seen in Frontenac County.

Harlequin Darner

Four-spotted Skimmer

Dot-tailed Whiteface

Common Whitetail (female)

Common Whitetail (male)

Chalk-fronted Corporal

Chalk-fronted Corporal

Ashy or Dusky Clubtail

Ashy or Dusky Clubtail

Eastern Forktail

Amberwing Spreadwing

Amberwinged Spreadwing

Frontentac Park: Odonates

Common Baskettail
(Epitheca cynosura)

Frosted Whiteface
(Leucorrhinia frigida)

Frosted Whiteface
(Leucorrhinia frigida)

American Emerald
(Cordulia shurtleffii)

American Emerald
(Cordulia shurtleffii)


Ebony Boghaunter

Ebony Boghaunter
(Williamsonia fletcheri)

I debated whether to take the dragonfly net with me and decided against it since it seemed too early in the season for dragonflies and there were none last week when I was out in the same area. In the end I left the net behind. I was surprised when I reached the ring bog on the Arkon Lake hiking trail and came across a Frosted Whiteface perched on a low shrub. The temperature was only about plus 5 C and it had been a cool night. Shortly after this my son (home for the summer from his Wildlife Biology course and awaiting his summer job as a park naturalist in Algonquin) found an Ebony Boghaunter. Dunkle says that these are rare and local inhabitants of northeastern bogs, so we were both happy to be able to add this one to our life list. Dunkle says that the Boghaunter appears mid-May so this is a little early. The American Emerald on the other hand is one of the earliest Spring dragonflies and one we have seen before. The Common Baskettail is another early Spring dragonfly. Even without the net the dragonflies could be caught by hand or photographed in place without too much trouble. As the weather warms and they become more active the net will become essential.

Merry Christmas!

Just four months until Spring!

Yellow Legged Meadowhawk

I posted this as a Cherry Faced Meadowhawk a few days ago. There is a suggestion that it might be a Yellow Legged so I've posted pictures that show the legs. What do you think Nannothemis?

Oding in November

Cherry-faced Meadowhawk were abundant in the swamp at the beginning of the Boardwalk at Presquile Provincial Park today. These are always the last dragonflies I see each year.

Lemoine Point Dragonfly List

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has seen other Odonates at Lemoine.

Black Saddlebags
Calico Pennant
Common Green Darner
Dot Tailed Whiteface
Eastern Amberwing
Four Spotted Skimmer
Halloween Pennant
Lake Darner
Lance Tipped Darner
Saffron-Winged Meadowhawk
Twelve Spotted Skimmer
White Faced Meadowhawk

Dragonfly Life List

Dragonfly Count: 42

American Emerald
Beaverpond Baskettail
Black Saddlebags
Black-Shouldered Spinyleg
Black Tipped Darner
Blue Dasher
Calico Pennant
Canada Darner
Chalk-Fronted Corporal
Cherry-faced Meadowhawk
Common Baskettail
Common Green Darner
Common Whitetail
Crimson-Ringed Whiteface
Dot-Tailed Whiteface
Dragonhunter
Dusky Clubtail
Eastern Amberwing
Eastern Pondhawk
Ebony Boghaunter
Fawn Darner
Four Spotted Skimmer
Frosted Whiteface
Halloween Pennant
Harlequin Darner
Hudsonian Whiteface
Illinois River Cruiser
Lake Darner
Lance Tipped Darner
Lancet Clubtail
Lilypad Clubtail
Prince Baskettail
Rackettailed Emerald
Saffron-Winged Meadowhawk
Slaty Skimmer
Stream Cruiser
Twelve-Spotted Skimmer
Twin Spotted Spiketail
Variable Darner
White-Faced Meadowhawk
Widow Skimmer
Yellow Legged Meadowhawk

Saffron Winged Meadowhawk

Lemoine Point, Kingston, Ontario

Eastern Pondhawk

LITTLE CATARAQUI CREEK

Eastern Pondhawk, female. I also saw Whitefaced Meadowhawk, Black Saddlebags, Common Green Darner, and a Mosaic Darner of some kind.

Calico Pennant

CALICO PENNANT

Lemoine Point, Kingston, Ontario

This is my first sighting of a Calico at The Point. It was very cooperative in allowing me to photograph it as it was cool and late in the day.

Common Green Darner

Lemoine Point, Kingston, Ontario

There are lots of Darners this time of year. They fly in large swarms but are too high up to net and examine. Towards the end of the day they come down and perch for the night. This Common Green is perched in a tree. If you walk slowly along the edge of the field, up close to trees and shrubs, you will spook them out. With some practice they can then be netted. Once you get used to where they are perched you will begin to see them before they spook. They can then be photographed. This particular Darner was netted, held in the grass for a minute or two to cool down and then perched so I could get the picture.