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Ash Creek Campground, in extreme
northwestern Lassen County, is among the most idyllic spots in the
California mountains. It is reached via a dirt road that runs southeast
of Adin, Modoc Co., and should not be confused with Ash Creek Wildlife
Area, which is west of Adin.
Ash Creek is a lovely, crystal-clear, swift stream
that runs through coniferous forest at about 5000' elevation. I visited
first on 9 June 2007, and again with Rita on 6 July. Rita found this
active nest of White-headed Woodpecker on the latter visit (right).
Other wildlife included the rarely seen Racer (lower left) and during
my June trip, Pronghorn (right) crossed the road nearby.
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For odites, Ash Creek Campground should be known
as Gomphid City. When I drove across the little
bridge over Ash Creek to the empty campground in June, clouds of
gomphids scattered up from the bridge as I crossed. On the July visit,
a Grappletail landed on the roof of the car as soon
as we stopped (below). Possibly "Grappletail City" would be more apt:
my estimate in June was well over 100 during a couple hours; in July,
there were more than 50.
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Grappletail, of course, is the odonate that
permits one to use this pun: "You've heard of Keats's poem Ode to
a Grecian Urn? Well, here's a Grecian urn on an ode!" The very
clear image of an urn adorns the top of the male's thorax (right).
The 1819 poem includes the lines: "'Beauty is
truth, truth beauty, – that is all/Ye know on earth, and all ye need to
know'."
At Ash Creek, beauty and truth seem clear enough.
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In the photos above, the top one is a female (away
from the water) while it was the male that was at water's edge.
But there is more to Ash Creek than Grappletails. Also present in
June-July
were good numbers of Great Basin Snaketail (below).
Others have had Pacific Clubtail as well (although we missed them), and
there were bluets, forktails, Twelve-spotted Skimmers, American
Rubyspots, and a few River Jewelwings. But the overwhelming impression
is of Grappletails, so the final shot is an interesting side view of
that very species . . .
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