Normally when I see a Common Green Darner dragonfly (Anax junius) it is patrolling in the air and it is mostly a greenish blur. This past Friday, however, I was fortunate enough to spot one on the ground, nestled low in the vegetation at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. At this closer distance I was able to marvel at all of the wonderful colors of this beautiful dragonfly.
Be sure to click on the images to see the details of this dragonfly at higher resolution. Did you notice the blue color near the tip of its “nose?”
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
The colors are beautiful, Mike and I am always drawn to the intricacy of their wings.
The wings are definitely cool, with all of the veins and such, seemingly fragile and yet strong and powerful, especially in a species like the Common Green Darner that is a migratory species.
Very, nice, Mike. I like the crossing of the lines of the leaves with the insect’s body, especially in the first image.
Thanks, Ellen. Artistically, I like the first image more, though there are a couple of details that the second shot shows better. It’s always a challenge trying to shoot an image that checks all of the blocks. 🙂
Benjamin loves this dragonfly! He studied both of the enlarged photos zoning in on the blue area. He said : “It almost looks like another eye, awesome!” Thank-you, Mr. Mike!!
Wow!! What an amazing photo, Mike! I love how I can zoom in and look at the intricate details of your photos. The colors and patterns on this dragonfly are gorgeous! 😃