Let's start out with a damselfly - the colorful and elegant Tule Bluet. In my experience, this damselfly prefers clean ponds with rocky bottoms and shorelines. I took this photo along the shoreline of the Littleville Reservoir.

This is a male Maine Snaketail dragonfly (Ophiogomphus mainensis). In his book, "Dragonflies Through Binoculars", Sidney Dunkle called the Snaketails "The trout among dragonflies, as beautiful as the trout who share their clear stream habitats." The Maine Snaketail is one of three Snaketail species that I have found along the Westfield River and it's tributaries. I suspect a fourth species of snaketail may be present there as well, but I have not found it as of yet. This was taken July 21, 2007 on the West Branch in Chester.

This looks to be a flashy damselfly, and so it is, but only if you're looking VERY closely. It is tiny, usually less than an inch long, and it skulks low in the vegetation. It can be easily overlooked. It is uncommon in Massachusetts, but can be found at vegetated stream margins and spring upwellings adjacent to the Westfield River.

In the heart of great dragonfly country! While this little waterfalls is not grand in size, it is nevertheless very beautiful, especially at times of higher water flows. I call this spot, on a most likely un-named tributary of the West Branch, Whistler's Falls, after George Washington Whistler, the architect behind the Boston & Albany rail line and it's stone arch bridges built around 1840, and still in use today. Whistler's Falls is near the double stone arch bridge in Chester.

Another Spatterdock Darner, a female at the same location, catching some early morning sun.

This is another elegant looking damselfly that can be found along the shoreline of the Littleville Reservoir. The female Dusky Dancer has a dark body with dark brown eyes and coppery stripes along the thorax.

The male Dusky Dancer is equally elegant looking. It has a nearly black body, with blue stripes along the abdomen, and purple eyes.

Back to the Clubtail family of dragonflies, the tiny Least Clubtail can be quite numerous in the right locations with rocks and riffles. Unlike many of the other riverine clubtails, the Least Clubtail has a long flight season, from late May through late August. To appreciate this flashy little dragonfly, you need to be up close and personal, or perhaps looking at it through a pair of close focusing binoculars. This was taken on the West Branch in Chester. I suspect this dragonfly is common in appropriate areas on the Central and East Branches as well.

This large flashy, early season specialty, the Twin-spotted Spiketail, favors rocky forrest streams and small fast rivers. It can be found along the the upper reaches of all three branches of the Westfield. This was taken near the West Branch in Chester.

The smaller and closely related Delta-spotted Spiketail, is found on smaller feeder streams and seeps.This photo was taken near the Middle Branch above the Littleville Reservoir.

Back to the Clubtails - Snaketails in particular. I don't know if there is a more beautiful dragonfly than the Riffle Snaketail. I went to the archives for an image I haven't used before. TheRiffle Snaketail requires clean, swiftly flowing, rocky or sandy rivers. It is considered Threatened in Massachusetts. I have found this dragonfly along several stretches of the West Branch, and I think it is likely found at appropriate locations on the Middle and East branches as well.

The Mustached Clubtail is found on clear, swift and rocky rivers and streams, and can be found on all branches of the Westfield River. Look for it durirng June and July.

At least two different species of jewelwing can be found along the Westfield River. It is probably most common along forested sections of the river, and although it may typically prefer smaller rivers, it can be found along the Main Stem as well as the individual branches.. The Jewelwings are indeed jewel like with their iridescent greens. The have a lazy butterfly-like flight.

The Superb Jewelwing's habitat is slower sections of the river, with vegetated banks. I suspect at least one other Jewelwing may be found along the Westfield as well - the River Jewelwing, but I have yet to find it.

I'll end this photo essay as I started it — with one of the bluets. The stream bluet is a common shoreline inhabatant of the Westfield River System. The male has the eye catching blue on black coloring that give the Bluet family its name. It has less striping along the abdomen than other bluets have, for instance the Tule Bluet above.

The female Stream Bluet has quite a different look from the male. It has quite a bit of green in the thorax and front of the abdomen, along with some tan striping, and blue striping along the rear of the abdomen. It is generally more sectretive than the male, and rather than being perched in a prominent location, you're more apt to find the female skulking in the streamside vegetation.