[OhioDragonfly] Mid-July Update!

Hi Everyone,

The heat is killer, but that doesn't seem to be stopping most of you. Thanks again for all of your help, past and present. If you are out in the field in the next couple of days, make sure to take plenty of water and recognize the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (See: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/warning.html). All of you are important, so don't push yourselves too far for the dragonflies. If you do go out in the field in this heat, make it a game where you take an extra drink of water for every dragonfly you see doing the obelisk pose (meaning it is so hot, that it is trying to minimize the surface area and decrease heat).

We have surpassed 50,000 records on iNaturalist!

A note from Jim Lemon:
The general summary is that "We will be over 14,000 observations for 2019 by the end of the week, from over 500 different observers, representing 125 species so far".
"We have two [species] now with 2019 observations in all Ohio Counties – Blue Dasher and Common Whitetail. [Species close to being observed in all counties include]: Eastern Pondhawk (85), Fragile Forktail (84), Eastern Forktail (83), Widow Skimmer (82).
These numbers are changing every day – we are averaging over 330 submissions per day, July is on track to be our first 10,000 observation month."

Jim's expanded note and map is formatted as a blog on the webpage here: https://u.osu.edu/ohioodonatasurvey/2019/07/18/2019-revised-map-updates/

Also, a note from Bill Hull: “watch out for odes that might be moving north with the blast of wind and heat from the south. I saw a “Red” Saddlebags fly over my urban yard a little bit ago that I suspect was a real Red Saddlebags. In particular, people should watch for Red and Striped Saddlebags and Band-winged Dragonlets.”

Other updates:
A Symposium on "WETLANDS MITIGATING HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS SYMPOSIUM
IN NORTHERN OHIO" will take place on Saturday August 3 in Huron, Ohio. Registration is $30 for regular attendees or $15 for students. Registration can be found on the Ohio Wetlands Association page here: https://www.ohwetlands.org/

Little Blue Dragonlets (Blue Dasher look-alikes) have been rediscovered in Ohio! If you see any Blue Dashers with a lot more blue on their thorax and a black instead of white face, make sure to photo document it! You might have a Little Blue Dragonlet! The known sites are currently restricted access, so it would be awesome to find them in more locations. This will be most likely in Southern Ohio. We have a historical record from Vinton County in 1933, but it has been photo documented in Pike County this year by Nina Harfmann.

It is also now season for Swift Setwings! We are up to 9 counties so far. Where will we document them this year?? Check quarry lakes, but they might show up in any habitat (small ponds, big rivers).

Lilypad Forktails are also out! Check sites with White Waterlily, but don't overlook damselflies on watershield either! We spotted some at Mothapalooza last weekend, with only watershield and spatterdock plants visible.

Other upcoming events:
July 19-20 Coyote Run Bioblitz (Pickerington, Ohio) Join us to document as many species of all living organisms as we can in 24 hours! Make sure to register! https://www.ohwetlands.org/bioblitz-2019.html
July 20 Clean-Up at Delaware Lake (Delaware, Ohio) Use a canoe and kayak to help clean up the lake. Maybe even document some dragonflies while you are on the water? Register on their webpage. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/clean-up-at-delaware-lake-tickets-61152769580
July 21 Chadwick Arboretum Open House (Columbus, Ohio) Enjoy the annual arboretum open house for a chance to see dragonflies and damselflies.
July 27, 2019 2-3 PM Surveying for Dragonflies at Mill Stream Run Reservation (Berea, Ohio) Join Naturalist Marty Calabrese for another opportunity to observe dragonflies and damselflies. Observations will be uploaded to Ohio Odonata Survey via iNaturalist. ID skills not required. Nets provided.
August 3, 2019 2 PM Dragonfly Exploration (Lima, Ohio) McLean Teddy Bear Park [2004 N Dixie Hwy, Lima, OH 45801] Join a naturalist for a short presentation on these incredible insects followed by fun activities! Learn why dragon and damselflies are important for wetlands, how to safely handle dragons, and much more. Try your hand at using dip nets to find nymphs or practice with your camera to document species for a statewide survey. Some nets will be provided, be prepared for the weather and to get your feet wet/muddy.
(more events the rest of the summer listed on the webpage)

Am I missing other water related events? Do you want one near you? Let me know and I will try to work something out!

Stay hydrated,
MaLisa Spring
State Coordinator of the Ohio Dragonfly Survey

Posted on July 18, 2019 04:48 PM by malisaspring malisaspring

Comments

And, we're now over 14,000 Research Grade observations for 2019! 7/19/2019

Posted by jimlem over 4 years ago

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