From the Dragonfly Listserve, Josh writes:

"Howdy folks, The last few days here at Bentsen have been, without a doubt, the most  astounding dragonflying I have experienced in the LRGV. The Dauphins' Planiplax, first US record for the genus, is the undisputed highlight, but not even close to the only noteworthy sighting. Some of the others: Metallic Pennant (Idiataphe cubensis) - FIRST TX RECORD!! found by Martin Reid this afternoon, seen and photographed by all. The diagnostic Idiataphe wing veination is visible in some of our photos. Antillean Saddlebags (Tramea insularis) - FIRST LRGV RECORD! I spotted this one on Tuesday, this is the intriguing Tramea I mentioned then, and is also the critter I mistakenly reported to this list as possibly the Erythemis peruviana; the former sighting was of it perched, the latter in flight. I was fairly certain it was not T. calverti then, but early this afternoon Martin re-found it perched and confirmed it as T. insularis. Black Pondhawk (Erythemis attala) - first park record; found by the Dauphins yesterday morning Three-striped Dasher (Micrathyria didyma) - first park record, I think; found and photographed by Martin Reid this afternoon. Martin also photographed two other Micrathryia spp. today which may or may not turn out to be one of the three species previously documented from the LRGV... Tawny Pennant (Brachymesia herbida) - seen Tuesday and again today Black Saddlebags (T. lacerata) - seen each day this week, I think; very early for the area, I usually do not see this species down here between December and August... As well as such relatively mundane sightings as mating and ovipositing Spot-tailed Dasher (M. aequalis), mating and ovipositing Caribbean Yellowface (Neoerythromma cultellatum), male and female Pin-tailed
Pondhawk (Erythemis plebeja), several Halloween Pennants (Celithemis eponina - much rarer down here than further up the coast), patrolling
Checkered Setwing (Dythemis fugax), patrolling Prince Baskettail
(Epitheca princeps)... Hoh-hum, the same old usual everyday stuff....
Excuse me, I think my brain is melting and leaking out of my ears...."

After it stopped I went to Tiocano Lake: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 14, Fulvous Whistling-Duck 2, Mottled Duck 2, Neotropic Cormorant 2, Great Blue Heron 2, Great Egret 2, Snowy Egret 2, Little Blue Heron 1, Cattle Egret 30, Green Heron 1, White Ibis 9, Roseate Spoonbill 7, Turkey Vulture 1, White-tailed Kite 1, Black-necked Stilt 20, American Avocet 4, Gull-billed Tern 1, Rock Pigeon 3, White-winged Dove 2, Mourning Dove 3, Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2, Great Kiskadee 1, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 3, Northern Mockingbird 6, Common Yellowthroat X, Lark Sparrow 2, Red-winged Blackbird 8, Great-tailed Grackle 20, Brown-headed Cowbird 2

At Harlingen's Target, a baby nightjar fell out of the sky right onto the pavement by my car. I snapped a photo before it flew off. I drove around the parking lot a bit and did find a pair of Tropical Kingbirds harrassing a Common Nighthawk! In broad daylight!

At home, the e-mail notified me that a red-billed tropicbird was seen at South Padre Island! We dashed out there and missed it of course. But we did see Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Mottled Duck, Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, Reddish Egret, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Clapper Rail, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Black-bellied Plover, Wilson's Plover, Killdeer, Willet, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Laughing Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Least Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Barn Swallow, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, House Sparrow and Chihuahuan Raven and White-Tailed Hawk enroute.

Our regularly-scheduled Dragonfly Walk went well, but nothing could possibly top the recently discovered first US records. What was nice was having novices just starting out. We got so many great views of great dragonflies I've come to take for granted, like the Halloween Pennant, the Caribbean Yellowface (found in only 5 counties of the United States) and already the Argos.

June 22 Bentsen was great, especially finding an EASTERN KINGBIRD that should not have been here today! Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Mallard (Mexican), Mottled Duck, Plain Chachalaca, Least Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron 2, Great Egret 10, Little Blue Heron 2, Green Heron 1, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 2, White Ibis 9, Turkey Vulture 2, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Killdeer, Black-necked Stilt 50, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Inca Dove, Common Ground-Dove, White-tipped Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Groove-billed Ani, Lesser Nighthawk, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Couch's Kingbird, Green Jay, Cave Swallow, Black-crested Titmouse, Clay-colored Robin 2, Northern Mockingbird, Long-billed Thrasher, Olive Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Blue Grosbeak 2, Dickcissel, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Great-tailed Grackle, Bronzed Cowbird, Brown-headed Cowbird 1, Hooded Oriole 1, Altamira Oriole, Lesser Goldfinch 2, House Sparrow.

June 24 The dogs and I went to Harlingen's Dixieland Park instead, where we saw two RED-CROWNED PARROTS fly over, chattering all the way. EIGHT JACKRABBITS were way cool, as well. No one was at this beautiful park!  Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 6, Mottled Duck 2, Pied-billed Grebe 3, Neotropic Cormorant 6, Great Blue Heron 1, Great Egret 3, Snowy Egret 10, Green Heron 1, Black-crowned Night-Heron 3, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 2, Harris's Hawk 4, American Coot 2, Laughing Gull 10, Forster's Tern 1, Rock Pigeon 4, White-winged Dove 20, Mourning Dove 5, Inca Dove 1, Common Ground-Dove 1, Red-crowned Parrot 2, Common Nighthawk 2, Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1,Golden-fronted Woodpecker 1, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1, Brown-crested Flycatcher 1, Great Kiskadee 1, Couch's Kingbird 3, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 6, Loggerhead Shrike 2, Northern Mockingbird 10, Curve-billed Thrasher 2, European Starling 20, Lark Sparrow 2, Northern Cardinal 1, Pyrrhuloxia 1, Red-winged Blackbird 2, Great-tailed Grackle 22, Bronzed Cowbird 16, Brown-headed Cowbird 1, Lesser Goldfinch 2, House Sparrow 4.

June 25 Bentsen Butterfly walk today, compare with last week's numbers with today's numbers in red: 13/7 Giant Swallowtails, 1 Southern Dogface, 10/7 Cloudless Sulphurs, 3/5 Large Orange Sulphurs, 71/141 Lyside Sulphurs, 5 Little Yellows, 4/3 Great Southern White, 3/10 Gray Hairstreaks, 2/10 Mallow Scrub-Hairstreaks, 2/2 Lantana Scrub-Hairstreaks, 1/1 Clytie Ministreak, 5 Western Pygmy-Blue, 12/7 Ceraunus Blue, 4/2 Reakirt’s Blue, 3/55 Snouts, 8/5 Gulf Fritillaries, 1/1 Mexican Fritillary, 1/24 Bordered Patches, 2/6 Phaon Crescents, 4/1 White Peacock, 1/4 Tropical Leafwings, 1 Tawny Emperor, 1 Hackberry Emperor, 16/14 Queens, 14/2 Brown Longtails, 2/4 White Checkered-Skippers, 3 Laviana White-Skipper, 2/1 Clouded Skipper, 5 Southern Skipperling, 2/1 Fiery Skipper, 1/1 Whirlabout, 4/1 Southern Broken-Dash (that's him pictured above, with a backwards number 3 on his hindwing), 2 Sachem, 2 Eufala Skipper, 5 Celia’s Roadside-Skipper

Black-Bellied Whistling Duck—Bird Walk 6/8   

Mexican Duck—Bird Walk 6/15

Mottled Duck—Bird Walk 6/22

**Plain Chachalaca—John 6/2

Northern Bobwhite—Josh 6/3

Least Grebe—John 6/2

Pied-Billed Grebe—John 6/2

Neotropic Cormorant—Bird Walk 6/15

Anhinga—Bird Walk 6/8

10 Great Blue Heron—Bird Walk 6/22

Great Egret—John 6/2

Little Blue Heron—John @ Hawktower 6/2

Tricolored Heron—Josh 6/6

Cattle Egret—Bird Walk 6/15

Green Heron—Bird walk 6/2

Yellow-Crowned Night Heron—Bird Walk 6/22/08

White Ibis—Bird Walk 6/22/08

White-Faced Ibis—John

Wood Stork—John

20 Black Vulture—Dragonfly Walk 6/5

Turkey Vulture—John 6/2

**Gray Hawk—Bird Walk 6/8

Harris’s Hawk—Paul Cryder 6/21

Swainson’s Hawk—Bird Walk 6/8

Red-Tailed Hawk—Dragonfly Group 6/18

Crested Caracara—Josh 6/30

Common Moorhen—John 6/2

American Coot—John 6/2

Killdeer—John 6/2

30 Black-Necked Stilt—Bird Walk 6/8

Lessser Yellowlegs—Josh 6/24

Laughing Gull—Josh 6/6

Gull-Billed Tern—Josh 6/6

White-Winged Dove—John 6/2

Mourning Dove—John 6/2

Inca Dove—John 6/2

Common Ground-Dove—John 6/2

**White-Tipped Dove—John 6/2

Yellow-Billed Cuckoo—John 6/2

40 Greater Roadrunner—Jose/John 6/10

 **Groove-Billed Ani—Josh/Jose/John 6/4

Eastern Screech-Owl—Darrell Vollert 6/8

**Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl—Darrell Vollert 6/8

Elf Owl——Darrell Vollert 6/8

Lesser Nighthawk—John 6/2

Common Nighthawk—Night Hike 6/6

**Common Pauraque—Night Hike 6/6

Chimney Swift-- Bird Walk 6/8

**Buff-Bellied Hummingbird—John 6/2

50 Black-Chinned Hummingbird—John 6/10

**Ringed Kingfisher—John 6/2

**Green Kingfisher—John 6/4

**Golden-Fronted Woodpecker—John 6/2

Ladder-Backed Woodpecker—Bird Walk 6/8

**Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet—John 6/2

BLACK PHOEBE—Josh/Tom Pendleton 6/16

Brown-Crested Flycatcher—John 6/2

**Great Kiskadee—John 6/2

**Couch’s Kingbird—John/ 6/2

60 Western Kingbird—Josh 6/25

EASTERN KINGBIRD—Bird Walk 6/22

ScissorTailed Flycatcher—Josh 6/6

White-Eyed Vireo—Bird Walk 6/8

YELLOW-GREEN VIREO—Keith Taylor@Hawktower 6/6

**Green Jay—John 6/2

Purple Martin—John 6/2

Cave Swallow—John 6/2

Black-Crested Titmouse—Bird Walk 6/8

Verdin—Josh 6/6

70 **Clay-Colored Robin—John 6/2

Northern Mockingbird—John 6/2

LongBilled Thrasher—Bird Walk 6/15

Olive Sparrow—Bird Walk 6/8

Lark Sparrow—John 6/12

Northern Cardinal—John 6/2

Blue Grosbeak—John 6/17

Dickcissel—John 6/11

Red-Winged Blackbird—John 6/2

Great-Tailed Grackle—John 6/2

80 Bronzed Cowbird—John 6/2

Brown-Headed Cowbird—Bird Walk 6/8

Hooded Oriole—John 6/2

**Altamira Oriole—John 6/2

Lesser Goldfinch—Josh 6/6

House Sparrow—John 6/2

Reptiles/Amphibians

Blue Spiny Lizard-- —John/ 6/4

Horned Lizard—Josh 6/30

Texas Spiny Lizard—Josh et al 6/18 HQ Garden

Texas Spotted Whiptail—John 6/2

SOUTH TEXAS BLIND SNAKE—Jennifer 6/9

CHECKERED GARTER SNAKE—Jose et al 6/19 HQ garden

Great Plains Ratsnake—Josh 6/27

MEXICAN HOOK-NOSED SNAKE—TONY/REY/JOSH 6/30

TEXAS INDIGO SNAKE—Jose et al 6/19 HQ garden

Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle—John 6/2

Red-Eared Slider—John 6/2

Butterflies  

Black Swallowtail—John 6/11

Giant Swallowtail—John 6/2

Great Southern White—Butterfly Walk 6/18

Cloudless Sulphur—John 6/2

5 Large Orange Sulphur—John 6/2

Lyside Sulphur—John 6/2

Little Yellow—John 6/2

Gray Hairstreak—John 6/11

Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak—John 6/2

10 Lantana Scrub-Hairstreak—Butterfly Walk 6/18

Clytie Ministreak—John 6/11

Western Pygmy-Blue—John 6/4

Ceraunus Blue—John 6/4

Reakirt’s Blue—John 6/2

15 American Snout—John 6/2

Gulf Fritillary—John 6/2

Julia Heliconian—Josh 6/11

Mexican Fritillary—John 6/18

Bordered Patch—Josh 6/11

20 Phaon Crescent—John 6/11

Pearl Crescent—John 6/11

White Peacock—John 6/18

Tropical Leafwing—Josh 6/17

 Tawny Emperor—John 6/2

25 Carolina Satyr—John 6/11

Queen—John 6/2

Brown Longtail—John 6/2

White Checkered-Skipper—John 6/2

Laviana White-Skipper—John 6/2

30 Common Sootywing—John 6/4

Clouded Skipper—Butterfly Walk 6/18

Texas Powdered Skippers—Josh 6/10

Southern Skipperling—John 6/2

Fiery Skipper—Butterfly Walk 6/18

35 Whirlabout—Butterfly Walk 6/18

Southern Broken-Dash—Butterfly Walk 6/18

Celia’s Roadside-Skipper—Butterfly Walk 6/18

Eufala Skipper—John 6/4

Mammals

Armadillo—Night Hike 6/6

Bat sp—Night Hike 6/6

Black-Tailed Jackrabbit—John 6/8

Bobcat—Mary Beth Stowe 6/26

Collared Peccary—John 6/2

Coyote—Mary Beth Stowe 6/26

Eastern Cottontail—John 6/2

Eastern Fox Squirrel—Bird Walk 6/8

Mexican Ground Squirrel—John 6/2

Northern Raccoon—Night Hike 6/6

Virginia Oppossum—John 6/9

Dragonflies

American & Ruby Smokyspot—Martin Reid 6/6

Coral-Fronted Threadtail—Dragonfly Walk 6/12

Amelia’s Threadtail—Martin Reid 6/6

Blue-Fronted, Blue-Ringed, Dusky Dancer—John 6/2

Kiowa & Powdered Dancer— Martin Reid 6/6

10 Double-Striped Bluet—Josh 6/3

Familiar Bluet—John 6/2

Neotropical Bluet—Martin Reid 6/6

Rambur’s Forktail——John 6/2

Caribbean Yellowface—John 6/2

PLANIPLAX SANGUINIVENTRIS—FIRST US RECORD —DAUPHINS 6/2

Common Green Darner—Martin Reid 6/6

Narrow-Striped Forceptail—Josh 6/3

Flag-Tailed Spinyleg—Dragonfly Walk 6/12

Eastern Ringtail—Dragonfly Walk 6/12

20 Sulphur-tipped Clubtail—Dragonfly Walk 6/18/08

Ringed Forceptail—Dragonfly Walk 6/18

Five-Striped Leaftail—Martin Reid 6/6

Sulphur-Tipped Clubtail—Martin Reid 6/6

Bronzed River Cruiser—Josh 6/6

Prince Baskettail—Josh 6/5

RedTailed & Four-Spotted Pennant—John 6/2

Tawny Pennant—Josh 6/3

Marl Pennant—Martin Reid 6/6

30 HALLOWEEN PENNANT—DAUPHINS 6/2

METALLIC PENNANT—FIRST TEXAS RECORD— ,Martin Reid 6/5

Checkered Setwing—Josh 6/3

Black Setwing—John 6/2

CLARET PONDHAWK—THIRD US RECORD—Martin Reid 6/15

BLACK PONDHAWK-FIRST PARK RECORD—Daupins 6/4

Pin-Tailed Pondhawks—Josh 6/3

Eastern & Great Pondhawk—John 6/2

Bandwinged Dragonlet—John 6/2

40 Needham’s Skimmer—Josh 6/3

Spot-Tailed Dasher—Josh 6/3

Thornbush & Blue Dasher—John 6/2

THREE-STRIPED DASHER—Martin Reid 6/5

Carmine & Roseate Skimmer—John 6/2

TAURIPHILA ARGO—FIRST US RECORD—Ed Lam/Fabrice de Lacour 6/11

Spot-Winged Glider—Martin Reid 6/6

Wandering Glider—John 6/2

50 Slough Amberwing—Martin Reid 6/6

Eastern Amberwing—John 6/2

Filigree Skimmer—Butterfly Walk 6/18

Black Saddlebags—Josh 6/2

Red Saddlebags—Josh 6/3

ANTILLEAN SADDLEBAGS—FIRST VALLEY RECORD-- Josh 6/3

Other Insects/Invertebrates

Ant Lion—John 6/2

Black Widow—Night Hike (Pavilion) 6/20

Black Witch—Carol 6/6

Bulia similaris (moth)—John 6/4

Cicada—Artemio 6/19

Crawdad—Dragonfly Walk 6/5

Desert Termites—John 6/2

Harlequin Beetle—John 6/2

Harvester Ants—John 6/2

Litoprosopus futilis (moth)—Josh 6/13

Pseudoscorpion—Josh 6/19

Rhinoceros beetles, presumably Strategus aloeus ;Creature Feature 6/12

Southern Crevice Spider—Jose 6/11 Kukulcania hibernalis

Tarantula—Night Hike 6/6

Tortoise Beetles and Larvae

 Fish

Largemouth Bass—Dragonfly Walk 6/19

Mosquito Fish—John 6/2

Needlefish—Josh 6/19

Tilapia—John 6/2