September 23, 2026 — Dane County
UW ARBORETUM ODONATA MONITORING GARDNER AREA/ Survey by Bob & Maggie Honig. UW Arboretum East Entrance & Gardner Marsh. Includes channelized Wingra Creek either direction from the Arboretum Drive bridge over the creek and the Gardner Marsh trails/boardwalks. WINGRA CREEK: 145-235pm, 66-67F, wind E 9-10mph (gusts 13-15), mostly cloudy. In addition to identified species, we saw 1 darner sp, 1 dragonfly sp, and 10 damselfly sp. (My waiting until afternoon to allow temperatures to warm up put me on Wingra Creek with the sun backlighting many individuals and making them unidentifiable.) GARDNER MARSH BOARDWALKS/TRAILS: 240-333pm, 67F, mostly cloudy, wind E 10-9mph (gusts 15-14) but calm among trees. In addition to identified species, we saw 5 darner sp (at least some not Anax junius).
UW ARBORETUM ODONATA MONITORING GARDNER AREA/ Survey by Bob & Maggie Honig. UW Arboretum East Entrance & Gardner Marsh. Includes channelized Wingra Creek either direction from the Arboretum Drive bridge over the creek and the Gardner Marsh trails/boardwalks. WINGRA CREEK: 145-235pm, 66-67F, wind E 9-10mph (gusts 13-15), mostly cloudy. In addition to identified species, we saw 1 darner sp, 1 dragonfly sp, and 10 damselfly sp. (My waiting until afternoon to allow temperatures to warm up put me on Wingra Creek with the sun backlighting many individuals and making them unidentifiable.) GARDNER MARSH BOARDWALKS/TRAILS: 240-333pm, 67F, mostly cloudy, wind E 10-9mph (gusts 15-14) but calm among trees. In addition to identified species, we saw 5 darner sp (at least some not Anax junius).
Eastern Forktail (Ischnura verticalis)
Photographed
WINGRA CREEK: 5 males, 3 females incl ovipositing.
Photographed
WINGRA CREEK: 5 males, 3 females incl ovipositing.
Fragile Forktail (Ischnura posita)
Photographed
WINGRA CREEK: 1 male. GARDNER MARSH: 1 darkly pruinose female (trace of the exclamation point mark on thorax visible).
Photographed
WINGRA CREEK: 1 male. GARDNER MARSH: 1 darkly pruinose female (trace of the exclamation point mark on thorax visible).
Orange Bluet (Enallagma signatum)
Photographed
WINGRA CREEK: several incl males and females and 1 tandem pair.
Photographed
WINGRA CREEK: several incl males and females and 1 tandem pair.
Skimming Bluet (Enallagma geminatum)
Photographed
WINGRA CREEK: 6 males.
Photographed
WINGRA CREEK: 6 males.
Common Green Darner (Anax junius)
Observed
GARDNER MARSH: 1 flying.
Observed
GARDNER MARSH: 1 flying.
Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum)
Photographed
Key ID characteristics: on males, reddish face, pale legs, lack of distinct black lateral spots on abdomen; on females, spout-like subgenital plate. NOTE: On Sept 2, 2026 I reported a White-faced Meadowhawk at Gardner Marsh based on the assumption that it was what I had previously seen there on multiple occasions, even though I did not get a good look at it (just zipped by flying). I now wonder if that was a safe assumption given that Autumn Meadowhawks were the only Sympetrum I saw on Sept 23. WINGRA CREEK: Maybe 6. Also saw a flying tandem pair plus 3 other flying Sympetrum that most likely were this species. GARDNER MARSH: At least 10 total, mostly males and several females.
Photographed
Key ID characteristics: on males, reddish face, pale legs, lack of distinct black lateral spots on abdomen; on females, spout-like subgenital plate. NOTE: On Sept 2, 2026 I reported a White-faced Meadowhawk at Gardner Marsh based on the assumption that it was what I had previously seen there on multiple occasions, even though I did not get a good look at it (just zipped by flying). I now wonder if that was a safe assumption given that Autumn Meadowhawks were the only Sympetrum I saw on Sept 23. WINGRA CREEK: Maybe 6. Also saw a flying tandem pair plus 3 other flying Sympetrum that most likely were this species. GARDNER MARSH: At least 10 total, mostly males and several females.