Arizona Heating Up

Well, the dragonfly activity in Arizona is certainly heating up—as are the temperatures. In fact, the dragonflies are much more active here than they were in Costa Rica a week ago. We went to the Gilbert Water Ranch two days ago and were surprised at all the dragonflies and damselflies that were out to greet us. Here's our odonate list:

Blue-ringed Dancer
Familiar Bluet

Mexican Amberwing
Flame Skimmer
Blue Dasher
Roseate Skimmer

We don't remember seeing the Mexican Amberwing at the water ranch before, so that was a pleasant surprise. Here's a look at one of males we saw:



This small dragonfly looks a bit like a wasp, which may provide it some protection. Notice the dark brownish-red areas on top of the eyes. These are the dorsal fovea, the areas that provide the dragonfly with its best vision.

Just after seeing this dragonfly, we commented on how nice it would be to see the much larger and more brilliantly colored Flame Skimmer. Right on cue, a mature male came in and landed directly in front of us. Here it is:



Shortly after that, we saw this Familiar Bluet, just like the one we saw in Costa Rica:



All in all, a nice day at the water ranch, with lots of dragonflies and damselflies—and this was in addition to the 35 species of birds we saw!

First Dragonfly of the Year, 2016

We saw our first dragonfly of the year a few days ago flying around the lake in our backyard.  It was a male Red Saddlebags – the species that we observed laying eggs in the lake last year.  So far this year we've only seen the one individual at our lake, and we've only had fleeting glimpses of it.  Our first sighting last year was even earlier, by a few days.

A few days later we went to the Gilbert Water Ranch, where we saw several Red Saddlebags.  One, a female, perched for its picture:



This individual perched on a bush several feet back from the shore at Roseate Bay.  Notice how it folds its front two legs up and tucks them behind its head.  It generally flies in this configuration, as well.

Here's another look from a slightly different angle:



Both photos show a bulge extending below segments 8 and 9 of the abdomen.  This is the female's egg laying mechanism.

When saddlebags (both red and black) lay eggs they have a unique way of doing it.  It's a bit like the lunar landing, where the command module remained in orbit as the lunar lander descended to the surface, the astronauts got out to explore, and then the lunar lander returned to orbit where it re-attached to the command module.  In the case of saddlebags, the male hovers above the water as the female descends, taps the water to lay eggs, then rises to re-join the male.  It's a fascinating procedure to watch.

Here's a link to a slow-motion video showing the egg-laying process in the Red Saddlebags:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSvPZzgNCbU

In this next video, you can see the process in real time.  Don't blink!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQp4M_0zJKU

Finally, here's a video where a pair of Red Saddlebags is laying eggs, and another male zooms in and crashes into the pair in an attempt to break them up so he can have the female for himself.  The pair eventually re-attached, however, and continued to lay eggs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS6sWAbzRCo

Roseate Skimmer

One of the most common dragonflies at the Gilbert Water Ranch these days is the Roseate Skimmer.  The color of the male shows aptness of the name:

A male Roseate Skimmer resting on its favorite perch.

The female is more cryptically colored, as one would expect.  Here's an example:

A female Roseate Skimmer at the Gilbert Water Ranch.

Notice the large "flange" near the tip of the abdomen.  This is where the eggs come out!

Here's a group of three Roseates, two females and one male, just hanging out near Roseate Bay.  The male is the one at the bottom, lacking a flange.

It's interesting to be able to see so many of these dragonflies of different sex and at different stages of maturation all in one compact location.

Roseate Bay at the Gilbert Water Ranch

Another place we like at the Gilbert Water Ranch is what we call Roseate Bay, so named because Roseate Skimmers are so abundant there.  It's located at the northern end of Pond #5 in an area that stays wet all the time, while most of the pond dries up.  Its location is indicated on the map below:

There's also a nice shaded viewing blind at Roseate Bay.  It's a great place to see 3 or 4 Roseate Skimmers perched at a time, while in the background all sorts of ducks and shorebirds are feeding.

Here are a couple shots of a Roseate Skimmer at Roseate Bay.  They're very active right now, and often just perch for a few seconds before taking off again, but every now and then one rests for long enough to get some good shots.

Roseate Skimmer, at Roseate Bay, Gilbert Water Ranch.

The same individual.  Notice how the front two legs are tucked up nicely behind its head.  This is where they hold the front legs during flight as well.  Once the rear four legs capture an insect, the front two legs come into play as they manipulate the prey item for processing.

Also observed at Roseate Bay were a couple Variegated Meadowhawks.  Here's one on a stem, watching for something to take off and chase.

Variegated Meadowhawk, Roseate Bay, Gilbert Water Ranch.

The same individual from a different angle.  Notice the two yellow spots on the thorax.  When it was younger, there would have been two white stripes on the thorax, with yellow spots at the bottom.  With age, the white fades away, leaving just the yellow spots.  Notice also the intricate pattern on the abdomen, the reason for its name.

Flame Skimmer at the Water Ranch

Betsy and I visited the Gilbert Water Ranch today.  Lots of activity, including some nice looks at Flame Skimmers, which are just getting started for the year.

Below is a female Flame Skimmer.  You can tell it's a female by the widened flanges near the tip of the abdomen, which is where the eggs come out.  The female uses the flanges to flip droplets of water as it lays its eggs.  Also, notice the lack of hamules.

Female Flame Skimmer at the Gilbert Water Ranch.

An important field mark for this species are the dark red markings near the base of the wings.  This is the best way to distinguish this skimmer from the similar Neon Skimmer, which lacks those dark marks.

Glider Glade at the Gilbert Water Ranch, Part II

As mentioned in the previous post, Glider Glade is also a good place to look for Spot-winged Gliders.  These dragonflies look a lot like Wandering Gliders – after all, they have the same general body shape and large wings – but the Spot-winged Gliders differ in having a duller, grayish brown body, and small dark spots on the hindwings close to the abdomen.  The spots can be hard to see, but show up nicely when one of these gliders flies overhead.

Here's a Spot-winged Glider, happily perched in Glider Glade.

Spot-winged Glider.

Do you see the small dark spot on the hindwing?  There's another even smaller dark spot in front of the main spot, but the main spot is the one you look for in the field.  Here's a little closer look at this individual.

A view from above shows the spots a bit better.  The next photo shows the main two dark spots.  They are so close to the abdomen, however, that they can be hard to see.  The one in the hindwing closest to us is an example of how the spot can almost disappear against the abdomen.

Here's a different individual, giving a better look at the dark spots.

Spot-winged Gliders are uncommon in the Pacific Northwest, but Betsy and I did see one and photograph it at Magnuson Park in July 2012.  Here are the relevant links:

http://thedragonflywhisperer.blogspot.com/2013/08/dragonfly-field-trip-august-25-or-25.html

http://thedragonflywhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/07/spot-winged-gliders.html

Glider Glade at the Gilbert Water Ranch, Part I

Wandering Gliders are interesting dragonflies for a number of reasons, not least of which is that they've been observed to migrate across the Indian Ocean from India to Africa.  Quite a journey for a small insect.  Their long, wide wings provide lots of lift on long flights.

In most cases, Wandering Gliders are seen for just a few seconds as they fly by.  Even so, they're pretty easy to identify.  They have relatively short bodies for the size of their wings, are mostly yellow, and have a mustard-colored face that is set off by eyes that are deep red on top.  When we see one fly by we usually say, "There goes Colonel Mustard."  Often, that's all we get to see of it.

There's one place, however, where gliders (both Wandering Gliders and Spot-winged Gliders) are commonly seen to perch for their portrait – this is what we refer to as "Glider Glade" at the Gilbert Water Ranch.  The location of the glade is shown below.  It's just off of the fishing lake by the library, known as the Water Ranch Lake.

The location of Glider Glade at the Gilbert Water Ranch.  A good place to see gliders.

When we see gliders flying low over the glade we always watch to see if they might be looking for a place to land.  When one lands, I walk toward the last place where it was seen.  Usually, I end up flushing it as I approach its location and it takes wing again.  With any luck it lands again in some far off corner of the glade.  Once again I approach the location, but often I end up flushing it again.  After repeating this procedure 3 or 4 times I finally get to see the dragonfly from a distance.  This allows me to approach closely without flushing it.  And then, once it gets used to me being nearby, I can approach as closely as I like for photos.

Here are a couple photos from a few days ago at Glider Glade.  I should mention that the dragonflies are never netted or "posed" – I don't own a net.  They're free-range dragonflies, like all the dragonflies in my pictures, and are free to take flight any time they like.

A Wandering Glider perched at the Gilbert Water Ranch.  Notice the very wide hind wings – good for gliding, presumably.

This photo shows the field marks mentioned above – a yellow body, red eyes on top, mustard-colored face, and broad wings.  All dragonflies are characterized by hind wings that are wider than the forewings, and this trait is particularly pronounced in this species.  Notice how the hind wings extend for about half the length of the abdomen.

Here's another shot of the same individual.

A Wandering Glider at Glider Glade.

Here's a closer look at this dragonfly.

Details of the Wandering Glider.

Another individual gave me the opportunity to take some pictures, though there's a shadow on its back.  Still, it's a nice look at an elusive dragonfly.  This one shows a feature sometimes seen in Wandering Gliders – a bit of amber color on the wing tips.

Another Wandering Glider.  The dark "stripe" down its back is the shadow of the stem it's using as a perch.

If you make it to the water Ranch, be sure to be on the lookout for gliders near Glider Glade.  It's a good place to observe this intriguing species.

Death in the Afternoon: A Forktail Fatality

The Gilbert Water Ranch (GWR) continues to be a source of lively odonate activity, in addition to the usual bird sightings.  In fact, the species list has grown in the last couple days, with the addition of the Flame Skimmer, Western Pondhawk, and Mexican Amberwing.  The amberwing has been seen a couple times here at our home since March 10, but this was our first sighting of it at the Water Ranch.

Here's the latest odonate species list for the GWR:

Damselflies
Familiar Bluet
Rambur's Forktail

Dragonflies
Common Green Darner
Flame Skimmer
Roseate Skimmer
Mexican Amberwing
Western Pondhawk
Variegated Meadowhawk
Red Saddlebags
Wandering Glider
Spot-winged Glider

One sad note on our last visit – the first thing we observed on arriving was a male Rambur's Forktail being devoured by a jumping spider.  Here's a picture:

It was painful to watch, but an integral part of nature, nonetheless.

Dragonflying at the Gilbert Water Ranch

A few days ago, Betsy and I went to the nearby Gilbert Water Ranch (in Gilbert, AZ) for some birding and dragonflying.  Even though it's still early in the season for dragonflies, we observed lots of activity, and a fair number of species to boot.

We also had nice views of a number of birds.  Here are a couple shots of the Ring-necked Duck, which one would think should be called the Ring-billed Duck.  This is the male, and he certainly is a handsome bird, with a ringed bill outlined in white at the base, and a striking golden eye.

In the shot on the right you can see the reddish ring at the base of the neck that gives him his name.  You don't always get to see this feature, but when the lighting is just right it can make an appearance.

We also saw a Great Blue Heron fishing right next to us on one of the ponds.  He was nice enough to pose for a photo.

The Water Ranch is an important birding site, but they also recognize the presence of dragonflies, as attested to by their "Welcome" sign:

The dragonfly activity was constant – everywhere we looked we saw them on the wing or perched.  Quite a few species, too.  Here's our odonate list for the day:

Damselflies
Familiar Bluet
Rambur's Forktail

Dragonflies
Common Green Darner
Variegated Meadowhawk
Roseate Skimmer
Red Saddlebags
Wandering Glider
Spot-winged Glider

The Red Saddlebags were particularly abundant, and some were even flying in tandem over the water, though we didn't see them actually lay eggs.  Here are a couple shots of the Red Saddlebags:

A Red Saddlebags from below.  The hamules (downward projections) at the base of the abdomen make it evident this is a male.

The same individual from the side.  The saddlebags are intensely red, and quite visible in flight.

Here's a shot of one of the Variegated Meadowhawks we saw.  On some of the ponds we saw pairs in tandem tapping the water to lay eggs.

A Variegated Meadowhawk on the shore of one of the ponds at the Gilbert Water Ranch.

Things Are Hopping Now!

Well, the dragonfly season is starting to get in full swing now.  Until just a few days ago we've seen mostly older Variegated Meadowhawks that probably overwintered here, or possibly farther south.  We've seen them laying eggs at the ponds at Gilbert Water Ranch.  A few other species were seen now and then, like the Common Green Darner, Filigree Skimmer, Blue-eyed Darner, and Red Saddlebags.  Things are changing now.

A few days ago we went to the Gilbert Water Ranch, and saw almost constant activity.  Only a couple Variegated Meadowhawks were seen, and they were dark and worn in appearance.  The majority of individuals we saw were of other species, and they appeared to be newly emerged – in fact, many were brilliantly colored.  Here's the species list we compiled during about an hour at the water ranch:

Damselflies
Familiar Bluet
Rambur's Forktail
Blue-ringed Dancer

Dragonflies
Common Green Darner
Flame Skimmer
Roseate Skimmer
Mexican Amberwing
Variegated Meadowhawk
Blue Dasher
Red Saddlebags
Spot-winged Glider

We got a couple shots of some of the flashier individuals.  Here's a sampling:

Common Green Darners were fairly common.  The male below appeared to be quite fresh, and spent a lot of time interacting with other males in the area.  No females were observed.

A male Common Green Darner.  Notice the contrasting green thorax and blue abdomen.

We also saw Mexican Amberwings for the first time this year.  The male below was dazzling in the bright sun.

A male Mexican Amberwing patrolling his territory.

We also had a few good looks at a Blue Dasher, only the second we've seen this year.

A male Blue Dasher was very active.

In a small stream at the water ranch a Blue-ringed Dancer perched on a rock in the middle of the stream.  This is a typical perching location for these damselflies.

A male Blue-ringed Dancer perched in a rock in a flowing stream.

As we observed the Blue-ringed Dancer, a couple male Flame Skimmers rushed by in a wild flash of intense red color.  It was an impressive sight in the sparkling sunlight along the stream.  One of them perched and gave me some nice looks and a couple photos.

A male Flame Skimmer on the lookout for its rival, who came along shortly after this picture was taken.

Notice that the front two legs of the skimmer are tucked neatly behind its head.  It flies this way too, giving it a more aerodynamic shape.  The legs are used to process prey.