Dragonflies by the Sydenham!

A visit to a boat launch along the Sydenham River on August 13th provided some great views of dragonflies. We were a little enthusiastic with our arrival time, but once the sun was shining on the shoreline vegetation, a female American Rubyspot posed for a photo.

Although there were constant fly-bys, the occasional dragonfly could be found resting in the sunshine. This Black-shouldered Spinyleg was a new species for me. Long spines on the legs assist in capturing prey.

I was impressed with the colours and shape of the Flag-tailed Spinyleg! At least 3 could be seen cruising along the shoreline. The species is critically imperiled in Canada.

One of our target species was a Royal River Cruiser. It's bright green eyes were stunning in the sunlight! The species is listed as critically imperiled in Canada.

Blake stopped by on his morning meanderings and assisted with the identification of this Blue-ringed Dancer, as well as some other species.

Another exciting find was a Spiny Softshell Turtle that swam towards shore, looking for a basking area. The shell was approximately 6 inches in diameter. This is the closest I have been to a wild Softshell!

We stayed back from shore and the turtle eventually found a nice spot to rest in the sun. I enjoyed seeing the markings on the shell, which often aren't visible when looking at turtles in the distance. This species is also listed as critically imperiled.