Yesterday I spotted my first Banded Pennant dragonfly (Celithemis fasciata) of the season at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetlands Refuge at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. I love the beautiful blue color of its body and its boldly patterned wings. The males of this species seem to like to show off a bit by perching on the very tip of vegetation, which is both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because the dragonflies are easier to spot than those that perch low in the vegetation. It is a curse, however, because the slightest breeze causes the dragonflies to oscillate madly, making it tougher to get sharp shots of them.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Really beautiful Mike. They look like they are floating!
I think the distant background was the water, though it could just as well be the sky. The little dragonfly was perched on just the tip of the vegetation so that it was barely anchored to the ground. I like the image of the dragonfly floating. Thanks, Chris.
That’s a beauty and the background shows it off perfectly. I usually end up with quite busy backgrounds in my dragonfly shots. I need more practice.
A beauty!
Thanks. I don’t see this species very often, so it was nice to be able to get some shots of this spectacular dragonfly.
A Real treat. Reminds me of the Pennant butterfly we have, but not sure which one – brownish an orange-ish spots.
That sounds a bit like our Halloween Pennant, but it may be a different one there.
That’s it!