Wandering by

  

If you've been at the coast recently, you might have encountered these dragonflies zipping around, sometimes in large numbers.  Wandering Gliders (Pantala flavescens) sometimes appear in our area during late summer, especially with passing weather fronts. 

They're impressive fliers, but it's harder to spot them perched on vegetation.  This morning we found lots of them roosting in a grassland, and after many attempts we were able to get close enough to one of them for a few photos.

Note the beautiful golden abdomen and the very broad wings. 

 

 

 

 

 

You can also see Spot-winger Gliders (Pantala hymenaea) in our area.  In fact, in my experience Spot-winged Gliders are usually more common than Wandering Gliders in Bodega Bay.  But something's different this year and Wandering Gliders appear to be more common at this time.  (To compare the two species, click here.)

Gliding in

  

Small swarms of these dragonflies have been visible for several days now, but I've mostly seen them zipping around, chasing small insect prey.  Today I finally caught up with one perched, so here you go — a nice view of a Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea).  The spots can be subtle, but look for the dark brown patches along the inside edge of each hind wing.  [You can click on the image for a larger version.]

Although fewer in number, there have also been some Wandering Gliders (Pantala flavescens) in the mix.  I didn't seen one perched, but here's a Wandering Glider in flight (below).  Note the more golden coloration (rather than looking reddish brown in flight), and the lack of a dark spot along the inside edge of the hind wing:

 

 

Both species are known as long-distance dispersers, and summer is a great time of year to watch for them, especially after warm conditions.