As I was walking through a meadow at my local marsh this past Monday, dragonflies would take off from the high grass and low vegetation as I approached. Most of them appeared to be Common Whitetail dragonflies (Plathemis lydia), a species that seems to like to perch on the ground.
One of the dragonflies, however, really caught my eye, because it was larger than the rest and was a pastel green in color. At first, I thought it might be a female Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis), one of the few green dragonflies that I have encountered. The green dragonfly flew weakly away and came to rest on some low vegetation a short distance away. As I drew closer, I noted that the dragonfly was hanging from the vegetation and was not perching on it, so I knew it was not an Eastern Pondhawk, which perches horizontally.
When I got a clear look at the dragonfly’s body, I could see that it was shaped like a darner, and I concluded the beautifully-colored dragonfly was probably a young Common Green Darner (Anax junius), judging from its shape and pale coloration. I hadn’t really considered the possibility that this might be a Green Darner, because dragonflies of this species are really strong fliers and I had never seen one behave like this.
I’m going out shooting later today, searching for more beautiful butterflies and dragonflies, enjoying the good news that they are still here with us.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Wow, Michael! Spectacular images—love the color, bokeh, sharpness, everything!
Superb photos, Michael!
what a beautiful creature. Wonderful photos.
Really like the second shot, it really shows the colour and the shape of the dragonfly.
A young female, as indicated by the lack-o hamules (Photo 1) and the dark mark that extends from her abdomen onto the thorax (Photo 2).
The detail you captured in the wings is really amazing…Such a great job.
Thanks, Charlie. I was pretty fortunate to get close to the dragonfly. The structure of their wings is endlessly fascinating for me.
Beautiful photos as ever. It seems the dragonflies are happy to pose for you.
Thanks. They do seem amazingly cooperative at times. I’ve learned to move slowly and carefully and sometimes that lets me get close to them (though often they’ll fly away before I can get a shot).
Beautiful!
Thanks. I was thrilled by the combination of colors in the images. This is definitely a pretty dragonfly.
Excellent, especially the wing details.