Pete Spino

1) When did you start actively looking/pursuing Odes? 

About 3 1/2 years ago.

2) What's your main County(s)for searching?

San Diego County of course.  Also Imperial, and Riverside counties.

3) What's your favorite site in your County?

Santa Margarita River area near Fallbrook.

4) Which Ode got you started?

Flame Skimmer; Los Penasquitos Canyon; San Diego.

5) How many species have you seen in California?

Forty-two.

6) What are your goal(s) in looking for Odes?

To be able to afford a nice digital camera one day and take photographs as beautiful as some of you others do.

7) If you'd like to include a short bio on your odeing experience or a funny story.

True story.  In the summer of 2005, while home with a sick family member in Pennsylvania, I decided to pay a visit to my Ornithologist friends at a Bird Banding
Field Station I used to volunteer at.   As I arrived at the nature preserve, they were saying their goodbyes to a man who had just completed a research grant there and had a plane to catch in Pittsburgh, at least a two hour drive away.  After being introduced to him and was told that he was an expert on Odonata for the region, I quickly asked him what I could expect to see and where on my visit that day.  Knowing he had a plane to catch, I was somewhat surprised and bemused when he invited to take me around the preserve for a quick check of his hotspots in the various forest clearings, meadows, fields, ponds, streams, creeks, and backwaters of the preserve.  He personally showed me 20 species of Dragonflies and Damselflies in less than an hour and still was able to catch his plane to Chicago!  I just met the guy and wasn't even
sure of his name and he led me to all these incredible Mid-Atlantic species, some of which I have never been able to see again, including Comet Darner,
Dragonhunter, Clamp-Tipped Emerald, and Beaverpond Baskettail.  Never will I forget that day or the man's name, It was Paul Sweet.