Odonates of Arizona - August 2006

2006 Arizona Ode List

Click on the thumbnails for larger photos.

Prior to leading the IOU birding trip in Southeast Arizona, Jim and I had a couple of days to look for some lifer odonates in some areas of Arizona where we were not taking the group.  We landed in Phoenix late morning of August 1 with the first night's destination being Globe.

Doug Danforth had given me some locations to try for some of the more unusual southwestern species.  After getting our requisite permit, the first stop was the San Carlos Apache Reservation where we found the precursor to what would become a very wet week in Arizona.  Our goal was to look for argias at Warm Springs and Blue River.  When we got to the first stream crossing, it was obvious that Blue River would be out of the question.  The stream was running fast and deep and the crossing had some fairly large boulders smack in the middle. 

Although we couldn't do much in the mud and muck, we did manage to find one of our targets for this area - Swift Setwing - and Jim got his first Desert Forktail and Amethyst Dancer.  The only other argias were a few Dusky Dancers.  Others would have to wait until another time.  We then wandered to the San Carlos Reservoir which was quite flooded.  The only thing of note there were the normal Widow Skimmers and quite a few Mexican Amberwings among the trash.  In the air we saw numerous Spot-winged Gliders with a few Wandering Gliders around for good measure.

The next morning we headed east towards Safford.  The morning location was Cluff Ranch where we both found one of our most wanted Arizona dragonflies.  The prize at Smith Tank was this Comanche Skimmer.  There were forktails and firetails everywhere.  We thought we might have had a Bleached Skimmer from time to time but it would disappear just as quickly as it appeared.

We then checked a couple of other areas on Cluff Ranch.  The stream coming out of the mountains was pretty but not very productive.  Pond 3 was another story, however.  When we first got out of the car, the flight of White-throated Swifts was spectacular.  Not only were they flying low, the sound was pretty incredible.  A small stream fed this pond and there were a few interesting critters here.  All of a sudden Jim looks at a branch and kind of gasps - the most magnificent anax around - Giant Darner.  We saw several more of these at this area.

Another spectacular lifer for Jim was this Neon Skimmer which literally glowed in the sunlight. We both saw a Desert Whitetail, another on my most wanted list, but it would never sit down where it could be photographed.  Marl Pennant was new for my Arizona list.  Other common species included Widow, Flame, and Roseate Skimmers, Mexican and Eastern Amberwings, Arroyo and Familiar Bluets, Eastern and Western Pondhawks, Common Green and Blue-eyed Darners, and the ubiquitous Blue Dashers.

It was hot, we were hot, so rather than explore Dankworth Pond or Roper Lake the Pinaleno Mountains with their higher elevation beckoned.  Not only would it be cooler, this was one Southeast Arizona range neither of us had explored and it was a very pleasant afternoon.  While the torrential rains had washed us out the day before, the running streams cascading down the mountain side were gorgeous.  At one stop we saw a couple of interesting squirrels which we later discovered were an endemic and endangered subspecies - Mt. Graham Red Squirrel.  After 35 miles of climbing, we came to the end of the road and Riggs Lake.  We were no longer hot and the sun was intermittent.  An Arroyo Darner patrolled the edge of the lake and disappeared abruptly with the sun.   We found a small population of Northern Bluets, checking the claspers carefully to be sure.  I didn't realize until much later that this was a new county record, but at least the guys know when to go looking next summer.  Plains Forktail was a nice addition to the list.  On the way back down we stopped when seeing two wobbly-legged deer twins in the middle of the highway.  They hadn't been there on the way up and we wondered if mom had dropped them right there in the middle of the road.  Jim chased them out of the on-coming traffic lane while a concerned mom stomped on the hillside above.

Other Pinaleno Critters

Plains Forktail	Yellow-eyed Junco	Garter Snake	Big Waspy Thing

After a night in Safford, we headed back toward Phoenix the next morning to prepare for the birding group arriving the next day.  There was still time to do a little bug watching along the way, however.  First stop was Boyce-Thompson Arboretum in Pinal County.  Queen Creek was running well and we found some neat dragonflies both along the creek and at Ayer Lake.  Along the stream we saw this Red Rock Skimmer, a bug I had looked for here with no success before.  A Straw-colored Sylph patrolled back and forth over the riffles.  Up at Ayer Lake perhaps the biggest surprise was this Gray Sanddragon, although a Red-tailed Pennant was neat as well. Dusky Dancers, Arroyo Bluet, Western Pondhawk, Mexican Amberwing, Roseate and Widow Skimmers, and Common Green Darners pretty well rounded out our list.  We stopped by the office and got to meet Chris Kline who frequently reports on ode sightings at the arboretum and he seemed pleased with our list.

We still had a little time for me to show Jim one of my favorite places in the Phoenix area - Phon Sutton Recreation Area.  This is the confluence of the Verde and Salt Rivers and can have some neat birds and bugs.  This Bald Eagle greeted us.  Jim got a new lifer with a teed-up White-belted Ringtail.  Along the river we had American Rubyspots and Powdered Dancers but little else.  It was time to put bug-watching to bed and start bird tour leading.

Other Arizona Odonates

Double-striped Bluet	Blue-ringed Dancer	Powdered Dancer	Blue Dasher
Blue-ringed Dancer pair	Plateau Dragonlet	Desert Firetail	Marl Pennant
Red-tailed Pennant	Western Pondhawk male	Western Pondhawk female	Western Pondhawk female
Pondhawk comptetion or ?	American Rubyspot female	Flame Skimmer	Widow Skimmer

Even while birding with the group over the next ten days, we managed to find Jim a few more lifers in the canyons of the southeast.  Mexican Forktail, Persephone's Darner, Filigree Skimmer and Riffle Darner were all new.  The entire group got to see the magnificent Giant Darner while looking for Five-striped Sparrows in California Gulch.  Southeast Arizona Birding Report

After nearly three weeks in Arizona it was time to go home.  My last couple of days consisted of exploring the West Valley a bit as well as the new Rio Salado area just south of downtown.  Although I found nothing particularly unusual, other than Little Blue Heron for my Arizona list, it was a pleasant two days.  These White-faced Ibis and Cattle Egrets were enjoying flooded fields near Arlington.