I don’t expect to see dragonflies flying in the rain, so I was a little shocked to see this one in the air this past weekend at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I captured this shot when it landed and hung vertically in the vegetation in an apparent attempt to drip dry.
I not certain of the identification of this dragonfly, but think it might be a Needham’s Skimmer (Libellula needhami), judging from the markings. Normally Needham’s Skimmers perch horizontally rather than vertically, but the unusual perching behavior might have merely been a consequence of the rainy conditions.
If you click on the image, you can see it in slightly higher resolution, including the tiny drops of water at the lower end of the abdomen (the “tail”).
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Beautiful picture sir!!
Capturing a moment at the right time is a skill 😍
Thanks. I often say that patience and persistence are my most important attributes when it comes to taking wildlife photos.
Great photo, Mike. I’m amazed by the details
Thanks, Dan. I had to crank up the ISO because there was so little light, and even then the shutter speed was pretty slow–maybe 1/30 sec or less–so I was happy it came out pretty much in focus.
Bejeweled! I found one this summer hanging from a pot off our deck, spinning in the breeze. At first I thought maybe a spider had got it, but it eventually flew off. I don’t recall if it was wet or maybe still cool from the night before.
It takes a little while for dragonflies to warm up in the morning and optimally they like the sun. It’s tough to spot them when they are at rest–you must have eagle eyes. 🙂
What a stunning image, Mike. The dragonfly looks as if it is festooned in little crystal jewels.
Thanks, Laura. I love your use of the word “festooned”–it’s not a word that you get to use in your daily conversations very often. 🙂
What? You mean you don’t festoon your daily speech with festoon?
It’s always fun to get a response from someone who enjoys playing with words as much as I do. Thanks, Steve.
Alas, I confess, I am more wont to have a tune than a festoon.
Well said. You’re clearly tuned in to the words.
Water + world! Amazing changes in everything.
Thanks, Molly. Water can be a beautiful subject by itself or, as is the case here, as an enhancement to the beauty and interest of a subject.
This is pretty cool!
Thanks. I see a lot of dragonflies, but rarely have seen one covered in raindrops like this one.
So glad you got it on film. Thanks for sharing it.
Sparkling indeed.
I like the rhythm and internal rhyme of “drip dry dragonfly.”