Table Mountain, Lassen Park, Shasta County, 09/30/06

Here are some pix taken on a late seaon trip to Table Mountain (6630 feet) at the northwest corner of Lassen Park. There is a permanent pond at the top of the mountain. It's not very wide or deep this time of year but it has odes. Saw three meadowhawks (Striped, White-faced, and Western), Variable Darner, Spotted and Northern Spreadwings, Pacific Forktail, and Tule Bluet.

Northern Spreadwing male. An older individual by the look of it.

Tule Bluet, young male (or at least a dull adult).

Tule Bluet female.

Striped Meadowhawk male.

Western Meadowhawk male.

Variable Darner male. There were quite a few darners, though I saw only males. All three I was able to identify (two photos and a close look at a fly-by) were Variable. Some of them were resting in the grass around the pond. This one landed and I stalked it. After a while, it got accustomed to me being there and I was able to get in very close.

All of the darner photos are of this specimen, except for the last one.

Getting closer in (this picture is not a crop).

Closer yet.

Pixel detail crop of above photo.

Close-up of abdomen, segments 8, 9, and 10, plus half of segment 7.

Wing tips.

Pixel detail crop of above image. I thought the barbs along the wing veins were interesting.

Another Variable Darner that I came upon while it was perched in the grass.