Summer Dragonflies, Damselflies, and Other Insects

I have recently learned that as birding gets slower or less birdy in the summer, many birders turn their attention toward other beautiful winged creatures such as butterflies, dragonflies, and damselflies. I will dedicate this blog to reporting the dragonflies and damselflies I have observed and hope to follow up later with blog dedicated to butterflies. Last summer, I could not help but notice and photograph a few dragonflies though as a brand new birder I was still finding new birds and though I did not know that many other birders were also interested in these amazing animals.

Early this summer, on June 20, I went to the Parklands Mohr Tract in McLean County with Matthew Winks looking for the Blue Grosbeak he had spotted there earlier. I thought my chances of seeing the bird with Matthew were pretty good given his apparent extraordinary knack for locating "blue" birds. While I did not see the Grosbeak until after Matthew left, his attention to dragonflies and damselflies as well as butterflies sparked my interest. About a week later, I photographed a couple of dragonflies, while I was out trying to get a second look at a Yellow-breasted Chat I had previously seen at Evergreen Lake in McLean County, IL. At the time, I did not know many dragonfly names, but later learned that I had photographed a female Twelve-spotted Skimmer and a Common Whitetail.





I was also intrigued by these insects, which appeared to be mating. Still not sure what these are called though I have seen them around quite a bit.



This summer, I have been taking several of my clients at Salem4Youth on nature walks at Salem Ranch in Livingston County, which has its own sewage treatment area. The lagoons draw in birds and insects. On July 8th, I saw several Damselflies and Dragonflies at Salem Ranch while I was with my clients. I do not have a book on damselflies and have had difficulty finding a good website to use to identify them, so if anyone knows the identification of the damselflies I post or any other insect I have not correctly identified, please share the correct identification. The first picture is a Pond Damsel of some sort followed by one picture of female Blue Dasher and two shots of a male Blue Dasher.









We also saw other insects that evening including this wasp.



This male Eastern Pondhawk Dragonfly landed on some algae floating in one of the lagoons.



Though the light was fading, I photographed a series of Pond Damsel and Spreadwing Damselflies.

















This red dragonfly may have been a Ruby Meadowhawk, but this is one I might need help with identifying.



On the way back to the cottage, one of my clients picked up this enormous beetle. I hope the poker chip will help with scale.



On July 9, I went to Dawson Lake to look for birds, butterflies, and dragonflies. The first dragonfly I saw this male Widow Skimmer.









I also saw Twelve-spotted Skimmers and did not realize I had already photographed a female Twelve-spot. So I was a little frustrated when they would not land to give me a photo opportunity. However, this female Widow Skimmer did not disappoint me.





Then I saw more male and female Widow Skimmers and a female Eastern Amberwing.









On the side of the lake opposite to the dam, I saw these Halloween Pennants. It looked like one of them might wake up with neck pain the next day.









On July 10, I went to Tipton Park in Bloomington, IL, another location where Matthew Winks had located some dragonflies. There I found this female Blue Dasher and some more Halloween Pennants.













Later that day I took a face shot of this male Widow Skimmer at Salem.



Then on July 12, I captured these image of this male Eastern Amberwing and these mating Pond Damsels making a strange heart at the Gridley Sewage Lagoons, also in McLean County.





Back at Tipton on July 14, I saw both male and female Eastern Pondhawks.











On July 15, at the Schroeder Nature Sanctuary, I took several shots of this male Ebony Jewelwing, which was one of many present there.







Later that day at Dawson Lake, I photographed this female Eastern Pondhawk and a Grasshopper.







Also present were Common Whitetails.





At Salem later that evening, I saw more Pond Damsels, this Ebony Jewelwing, and finally what I thought to be my pictures of a female Twelve-spotted Skimmer.











In order to get good shots of a male Twelve-spotted Skimmer, I had to go all the way up the the South Pond in Chicago, looking for a Least Bittern, which I missed. I did not, however, miss the male Twelve-spotted Skimmers, which were flying all around where the Least Bittern should have been.









This one, I actually found in McLean County at the Scroeder Nature Sanctuary on July 30.



And this Pond Damsel was at the same location on August 5th.



On August 11th, Les Allen and I went birding at Centennial Park in Heyworth, IL. We saw this strangely blue Ebony Jewelwing and a variety of Pond Damsels along the trail.















Finally, we saw what appeared to be some sort of hornet feasting on an Eastern Amberwing dragonfly caught in a spider's web.





I've also seen Black Saddlebags and possibly a Calico Pennant flying around, but have not been able to see them land.