October 7, 2026 — Dane County
UW ARBORETUM ODONATA MONITORING – GARDNER AREA. 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 10:58am-noon, 62-69F, sunny, wind NW 6-7mph (gusts 12-15). GARDNER MARSH 12:05-12:52pm, 68-70F, sunny, wind NW 8-10mph (gusts 16-18) but actually calm on boardwalk. (Temperature and wind per iPhone Apple weather app for Madison.)
UW ARBORETUM ODONATA MONITORING – GARDNER AREA. 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 10:58am-noon, 62-69F, sunny, wind NW 6-7mph (gusts 12-15). GARDNER MARSH 12:05-12:52pm, 68-70F, sunny, wind NW 8-10mph (gusts 16-18) but actually calm on boardwalk. (Temperature and wind per iPhone Apple weather app for Madison.)
Skimming Bluet (Enallagma geminatum)
Photographed
WINGRA CREEK: 1 tandem pair ovipositing plus 7 other tandem pairs. On this date, for the first time in 2026, I included walking from Arboretum Drive through the brush to a single point along the shore of the ponded area between the dam and the Arboretum Drive bridge over the creek – 2 of the tandem pairs were at this location. GARDNER MARSH BOARDWALKS: 7 males, 3 females (each of 2 of the females was being chased by a male). A few other meadowhawks along the boardwalks were likely this species.
Photographed
WINGRA CREEK: 1 tandem pair ovipositing plus 7 other tandem pairs. On this date, for the first time in 2026, I included walking from Arboretum Drive through the brush to a single point along the shore of the ponded area between the dam and the Arboretum Drive bridge over the creek – 2 of the tandem pairs were at this location. GARDNER MARSH BOARDWALKS: 7 males, 3 females (each of 2 of the females was being chased by a male). A few other meadowhawks along the boardwalks were likely this species.
Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum)
Photographed
WINGRA CREEK: 3 males.
Photographed
WINGRA CREEK: 3 males.