A Delightful Dragonfly Day!

I spent a few hours today helping with an Odonate Count at the extreme east end of Lambton County. I was matched with Mike Kent who has much more experience in identifying dragonflies. A new species for my personal dragonfly list was a Midland Clubtail. (Dragonfly  wings are tough and flexible. Once identification is complete, they can be safely released.)

I was soon able to find and identify this species on my own. As their name suggests, Clubtails have an enlarged tip on the end of their abdomens, giving them a club-like appearance.

The Midland Clubtail has strong flight capabilities allowing it to capture and eat other dragonflies such as the Twelve-spotted Skimmer (above).  https://guides.nynhp.org/midland-clubtail/

Ponds and wet areas are good places to find Dragonflies and Damselflies. They're also great spots to find American Toad tadpoles!

Mike was eager to find some dragonflies on the far shore of the Sydenham River. Off came the shoes and in he went! I stayed on shore and played "lifeguard"!

Dragonfly Catcher Extraordinaire!!