California Odes
 
Monterey County is my home county. Beyond a few collecting trips, student outings, and research at Hastings Natural History Reservation in Carmel Valley, it was conspicuously under-surveyed for odonates until very recent years.
The map below pinpoints a baker's dozen of interesting sites, all but one on public lands, that have proved to be excellent locales for observing dragonflies & damselflies, in season. Perhaps the 'hot spot' of diversity is the Arroyo Seco River (photo above at the route G16 bridge), but there are many spots throughout the county, and many more to be discovered.
map #
Site name
Site status
Links to more info or details
1
 Pajaro River @ Pajaro town informal public access discovery of Exclamation Damsel 13 May 2007
2
 Elkhorn Slough Estuarine Reserve State Reserve, fee most days discovery of Paddle-tailed Darner 22 Oct 2006
3
 Salinas River @ Davis Road crossing informal public access access river edge on either side of Davis Rd
4
 Laguna Grande park City park, free access many flight shots from here, east end of park
5
 Frog Pond Nature Area Regional park, free access access from Del Rey Canyon Rd, easy loop trail
6
 Carmel River mouth State Park, beach open to public, other areas permit only illustrated site visit 7 July 2006
7
 Carmel River @ Garland Ranch Regional park, free access easy access along Carmel Valley Rd
8
 Soberanes Creek @ Garrapata SP State Park site visit 3 Sep 2006 [Pacific Spiketail]
9
 Big Sur River @ A. Molera SP State Park, fee for entry birding site guide will lead to many ode spots
10
 Arroyo Seco River & Lakes Nat'l Forest Serv campgr, fee [main area], informal access downstream site visit to lakes 6 Aug 2006; downstream visit @ G16 bridge 26 Aug 2006 [Giant Darner]
11
 San Lorenzo River private ranch, no public access illustrated site visit 30 June 2007
12
 N fork San Antonio River @ Wagon Caves Los Padres Nat'l Forest, free site visit 6 May 2007 discovery of W. River Cruiser + 2d record of Pacific Clubtail
13
 Lake San Antonio @ Pleyto Cem Rd informal roadside access discovery of California Spreadwing 21 Oct 2006

During my 'big year' for odes in 2007, I visited all these sites and more. Some of the links are trip reports from other years. The "discoveries" listed refer to discovery of specific first county records, often with an illustrated story.

Many more details about Monterey County odes are in the annotated, illustrated on-line Checklist. Click on photo below
 
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all photos & text © 2007 Don Roberson
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