Oding in the Willow Springs Lake Area

August 18th, 2017.  I went oding at the Willow Springs Lake Area.  Locations visited were Willow Springs Lake itself as well as a marsh near Willow Springs Lake.  The marsh is on the south side of Highway 260 and is just west of the turnoff to Willow Springs Lake.  I knew about the location from Pierre Deviche's awesome website.  Species I was targeting included Emerald and Northern Spreadwings, as well as both Four-spotted and Twelve Spotted Skimmers.  I lifered on Emerald Spreadwing, and I got my first-in-Arizona Twelve-spotted Skimmer.  It was awesome to ode up north, and temperatures were beautiful as well as scenery in pine, aspen, and fir forests surrounding the marsh and lake.

The marsh near Willow Springs Lake

Striped Meadowhawk

Emerald Spreadwing

Plain's Forktail

Plateau Spreadwing

Blue-eyed Darner

Spotted Spreadwing

Borthern Bluet (either Northern or Boreal)-given location, it is likely Boreal

Willow Springs Lake


Spotted Spreadwing

Emerald Spreadwing

Twelve-spotted Skimmer (female).  My 70th ode for Arizona.  This one wasn't an official lifer, as I saw many in Wisconsin.  Two striking male Twelve-spotteds were difficult for me to photograph.

Double-striped Bluets

Tonto Dancer

Lists for the day:

Marsh near Willow Springs Lake.

Species observed:  Plateau Spreadwing, Emerald Spreadwing (lifer!), Spotted Spreadwing, Borthern Bluet (probably Boreal), Mexican Forktail, Plain's Forktail, Blue-eyed Darner, Striped Meadowhawk.


Willow Springs Lake.

Species observed:  Arroyo Bluet, Blue-eyed Darner, Double-striped Bluet, Emerald Spreadwing, Mexican Forktail, Spotted Spreadwing, Striped Meadowhawk, Twelve-spotted Skimmer (my Arizona first), Tonto Dancer, and Sooty Dancer.