By the end of June it seemed that summer had finally arrived and the weather had returned to normal: the temperature had reached a consistent near 30°C, the state of emergency caused by the unprecedented spring flood had ended on June 12th, water levels were returning to normal, and the sun had finally come out! I was hoping that this meant that the dragonflies were also emerging on schedule again, and decided to head to Mud Lake on the last Saturday of June. Mud Lake is a fantastic place to see dragonflies in mid-summer, as all the dragonfly families except for Cordulegastridae – the spiketails – can be found there. Among the damselfly families both the spreadwings and pond damsels are well-represented; the broad-winged damselflies, mainly Ebony Jewelwings, are seen there from time to time. I had high hopes for my visit.
Instead of parking on Cassels Street I left my car on a street just south of the eastern corner to check out the storm water pond there first. The sun was coming out, and the temperature was rising as I walked toward the pond and the creek on the eastern side of the conservation area. A few dragonflies were sunning themselves on perches along the water’s edge, mostly Dot-tailed Whitefaces, but my attention was immediately snared by a clubtail resting on the ground. I had scared it up when I walked by, and at first it flew into the shrubs above the pond. When it returned to the ground I was able to locate it and identify it as a Horned Clubtail. I’ve seen them around Mud Lake from time to time, although they don’t seem to be as common as the Lancet Clubtails I usually find along the eastern edge of the conservation area.
As I walked along the water’s edge I found at least one other Horned Clubtail; I normally only see one at a time. One of the Dot-tailed Whitefaces was sitting nicely on a leaf, so I took a picture of that, too. This is one of the first dragonflies I learned to identify – they are very common members of the skimmer family, and have a fairly long flight season. Look for them close to vegetated ponds and lakes, or any place where there are slow-moving waters.
Walking back to my car I was surprised to see another clubtail on a leaf close to the bike path. This one was smaller and duller, and after examining the tiny claspers and the extent of yellow on the 8th and 9th segments I confirmed this as a Lancet Clubtail, the most likely clubtail species found perching in the Mud Lake environs.
Thrilled with these two clubtail species so close the small, stagnant storm water pond in the southeast corner, I drove to my usual parking spot along Rowatt Street and entered from the west side of the conservation area. In the field there I found a fresh Four-spotted Skimmer perching in the grass. This is usually another early skimmer that often starts disappearing in July, so seeing such a bright individual this late in June is an indicator that some dragonfly species are emerging late this year due to the cold, wet spring.
I headed over to the bridge, where I found this Blue Flag iris growing – this was the first time I’ve noticed it here. The bright yellow contrasting with the deep purple-blue colour makes it one of my favourite June flowers.
From there I returned the way back the way I came, and while I was walking through the open area where all the pine trees had come down I spotted a dragonfly flying low down the trail. I watched it hang up on a branch right next to the path and was thrilled to identify it as my first Stream Cruiser of the season. Although not the most colourful of dragonflies, they can be tough to find, which makes any sighting special. They prefer forested streams, rivers, and lakes that are slow-moving and sandy-bottomed, not stagnant or vegetated. Occasionally they may be found away from the water along edges of forested trails or fields.
I headed up to the ridge and the river’s edge, spotting a Giant Swallowtail and a White Admiral along the way. I didn’t see any other dragonfly species, but when I returned to the open field on my way back to Rowatt Street, I did find a few European Skippers and a Long Dash Skipper.
I had a great time at Mud Lake, and although the number of ode species wasn’t terribly high, it was great to see the two clubtails and the Stream Cruiser. It feels as though summer has finally arrived, and that ode season has truly begun!
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