PHOTOS OF SOME ODONATES FOUND IN THE OTTAWA CHECKLIST CIRCLE:
28 DRAGONFLIES AND 7 DAMSELFLIES
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Most birder's find themselves "distracted" on occasion by Dragonflies. Until recently it was very frustrating, since no field guide existed for these magnificent but harmless creatures. Now we have Dragonflies through Binoculars by Sidney W. Dunkle and Stokes Beginner's Guide to Dragonflies by Blair Nikula and Jackie Sones to aid us. It is still difficult, if not impossible, to visually separate some species. But hunting these handsome fliers can be great fun, especially in the heat of the day when most birds are quiet.
Ottawa-based information on the Odonata is now better represented than that of most areas. New in 2008 is the Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Algonquin Provincial Park and the Surrounding Area written by Colin Jones and Matt Holder and illustrated by Andrea Kingsley and Peter Burke. While Algonquin is somewhat to the west, the guide does cover Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec to just east of Ottawa. It also illustraes all the species found on the 1998 Ottawa checklist mentioned below. This book is produced by The Friends of Algonquin Park, and is available online from The Friends of Algonquin Bookstore.
For the Ottawa 50-km circle, allowing viewers to narrow the field to local dragonflies, their habitats and likelihood of occurance, Robert Bracken and Christina Lewis have produced a definitive Checklist of the Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Ottawa-Hull District. This marvellous tool was first published in the July-Sept. 1998 issue (Vol. 32, No. 3) of Trail and Landscape, the OFNC's quarterly. An update (A Checklist of the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Ottawa-Gatineau) was published in the July-Sept. 2008 (Vol. 42, No. 3) issue. The list of Ottawa Odonata stands at 120 species.
Another source of local information, this one conveniently on-line, is John Sankey's marvellous, though slightly out-of-date, website, Guide to the Adult Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Ottawa District. His site is packed with useful information and has a local checklist complete with habitat preferences. See also Tim Allison's Page of Odonates for more photos. Here is a link to an excellent web resource for adjacent New York. For broader North American coverage, including photos, indentication tips and distribution maps, see OdonataCentral. (Photos below by Larry Neily, some taken outside the Ottawa area, but of species found here.) For some damselfly photos click here.
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DRAGONFLIES
Shadow Darner
(Aeshna umbrosa)
At home in Ottawa West
July 23, 2004
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Green-striped Darner m
(Aeshna verticalis)
Dead Creek NWA, VT
Sep. 3, 2006
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Common Green Darner wheel
(Anax junius)
Huntley Meadows Park, VA
April 2, 2007
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Springtime Darner
(Basiaeschna janata)
Indian Creek Road N, Larose Forest
June 12, 2008
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Common Baskettail
(Epitheca cynosura)
Just South of Remic Rapids
June 18, 2008
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Widow Skimmer f
(Libellula luctuosa)
At home in Ottawa West
June 21, 2008
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Widow Skimmer f
(Libellula luctuosa)
Bay Road, West Haven, VT
June 18, 2006
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Common Whitetail m
(Libellula lydia)
Jack Pine Trail
June 3, 2007
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Common Whitetail f
(Libellula lydia)
Jack Pine Trail
June 3, 2007
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Common Whitetail yng m
(Libellula lydia)
Jack Pine Trail
June 3, 2007
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Twelve-spotted Skimmer yng m
(Libellula pulchella)
O'Neil Road
August 1, 2003
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Twelve-spotted Skimmer m
(Libellula pulchella)
Church Hill Picnic Area, Ramsey Lake Road, QC
June 24, 2007
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Four-spotted Skimmer
(Libellula quadrimaculata)
Indian Creek Road N, Larose Forest
June 12, 2008
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Four-spotted Skimmer
(Libellula quadrimaculata)
Jack Pine Trail
June 3, 2007
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Chalk-fronted Corporal m
(Libellula julia)
Church Hill Picnic Area, Ramsey Lake Road, QC
June 24, 2007
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Chalk-fronted Corporal f
(Libellula julia)
Church Hill Picnic Area, Ramsey Lake Road, QC
June 24, 2007
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Eastern Pondhawk f
(Erythemis simplicicollis)
Murphy's Point, ON
June 25, 2004
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Dot-tailed Whiteface m
(Leucorrhinia intacta)
Jack Pine Trail
June 3, 2007
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Dot-tailed Whiteface f
(Leucorrhinia intacta)
Indian Creek Road N, Larose Forest
June 12, 2008
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Dot-tailed Whiteface wheel
(Leucorrhinia intacta)
Jack Pine Trail
June 3, 2007
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Click on any picture to display a larger image.
DAMSELFLIES
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