Variegated Meadohwawk

 The variegated meadowhawk is one of the few migratory dragonflies that we have here in Minnesota. Usually we see a few in the spring and a few in the fall as they are migrating through but last weekend I found hundreds on a beach at Upper Red Lake.

Like most meadowhawks the male and female are different colors. The males are predominantly red, like many of the other species of meadowhakws, however the female variegated meadowhawk is mostly silver and white which is an unusual color scheme for a meadowhawk. 

Each year these dragonflies participate in a one way migration. Mature dragonflies fly south, some as far as the Honduras. There they will mate and lay their eggs before they die. It is their offspring that will begin the trip back to the north some arriving in Minnesota as early as April and May. These pictures where taken in New Mexico last November.

Variegated Meadowhawk

Many of the smaller sized skimmers are members of the Sympetrum or meadowhawks. Meadowhawks typically range in size from 1.2 to 1.5 inches. Several of the different types of meadowhawks are indistinguishable from each other except under a microscope or magnifying glass.

One type of meadowhawk that does not look very much like any other type and thus is pretty easy to identify is the variegated meadowhawk. We can tell that the variegated meadowhawk in the photos above is a female because the males are red and silver in color. Variegated meadowhawks can be seen as early as May and as late as mid September, possibly earlier and later in warmer climates. In the spring they are usually travelling north and in fall they typically travel east or southeast as the temps begin to drop in the north. I photographed this meadowhawk near the Old Cedar Ave Bridge in late September.

Dragons Old Cedar September

Late in the summer, after many of the clubtail and skimmers are gone, we begin to see meadowhawks. There are numerous different types of meadowhawks and many are difficult to identify unless you have them under a microscope, such as cherry-faced and ruby meadowhawks, but one that stands out from the others is the variegated meadowhawk.
Like green darners the variegated meadowhawks migrate in the spring and the fall. In the spring the emergent adults head north where they will find a mate lay eggs and then die. That is why they are often one of the first dragonflies spotted in the springtime, along with green darners. In late summer the offspring will emerge from their watering homes and begin the trek southward to a warmer climate.
The black saddlebag dragonfly is a member of the skimmer dragons that is named for the large wing patches on the hindwing that somewhat resemble saddlebags. Black saddlebags are not that common around here so when I find one I often follow it for a long time to get a photo. I saw one last Thursday at Wood Lake Nature Center flying around with a large group of migrating green darner but unfortunately I lost it because of all of the other dragons flying about. This one I photographed last September near the Old Cedar Ave Bridge. It would appear to be a female, females and young males have a yellow colored face where mature males have a dark face. Since this was pretty late in the season it is probably more likely a female.

Father Hennepin Wildlife

Back in August I heard from someone at work about a group of albino deer that were living up at Father Hennepin State Park near Lake Mille Lacs. So on August 31st Michelle and I decided to drive up and take a look and see if we could find any of the deer. Unfortunately it was still in the tourist season so we did not find any of the deer.
But we did find a checkered white butterfly. The checkered white is a pretty common butterfly that can be found in open habitat through out the United States. They usually stay close to the ground, when in flight.
We also found a meadowhawk down on the sand. I believe that this was a female variegated meadowhawk. It is difficult to tell from the pic but the underside of the abdomen appears to be a white or light grey color, which you would find on a variegated. The yellow colored veins on the wings are also a characteristic of the variegated, as well as several other types of meadowhawks.
This little chipmunk was keeping an eye on me as I walked along the trail around the lake. He did not have a lot to worry about since we did not have much luck finding any albino deer, I am sure that all the traffic kept them away, we did not stay long. I plan to return at some point to try again to find one and get a pic but with the deer hunting season starting this weekend these deer will probably be running for their lives, since albino deer are not protected in Minnesota.

They Had Dragonflies at Purgatory Creek Too

Since most of Purgatory Creek Park consists of wetlands there were quite a few dragonflies around back in July. So while I was exploring the mud flats, as well as the rest of the park, I took a few dragon pics.
Like this male widow skimmer. This one looked like it had quite a bit of pruinose on the tale which is an indication that this was a mature dragon.
I was also a bit surprised to find a variegated meadowhawk. We do not see as many of this type then we do many of the other types of meadowhawks. When we do see them it is usually in the spring when they migrate north in large group or in the fall when they migrate east. Since this was late July it was a bit uncommon to see one.
Here is a better view of the variegated meadowhawk. The red color indicates that this is a male. The females are usually more of a yellow, mustard type color with a similar pattern on the abdomen.