St Croix Snaketail

Last year I had the opportunity to add quite a few new species of Odonata to my life list. With a late spring trip to Texas and a fall trip to Florida I found many species that I could not see back in Minnesota. Even when I was not traveling though I was able to find some cool new species close to home. These included a blue-eyed darner, which has only been seen in Minnesota over the past few years, the elfin skimmer, which is the smallest dragonfly in North America, just to name a few. Probably the most exciting sighting for me was when I was able to photograph this St Croix Snaketail just across the St Croix River in Wisconsin. The St Croix Snaketail is found along the St Croix and Chippewa Rivers. According to Odonata Central this species has only been found in Minnesota, where they are listed as a species of special concern, and Wisconsin, where they are listed as endangered. Even in areas where the breed and emerge this species is seldom seen. Most of the time they forage above the tree canopy where it is difficult to see them let alone get a picture. I was fortunate to find this one perched on a woodpile enjoying a snack at the rest stop on highway 70 along the St croix River in Wisconsin. I was so excited I nearly forgot to get evidence. Fortunately I came to my senses and snapped a few pics before she flew off and disappeared.