I felt like I had hit the jackpot last Friday when I finally spotted several Uhler’s Sundragon dragonflies (Helocordulia uhleri) while exploring a stream in Prince William County, Virginia. Uhler’s Sundragons are a scarce and seldom seen dragonfly species with a brief and early flight period. There is a very active Virginia dragonfly group in Facebook that posts sightings and photos and it appears that my sightings of this species were the first in our state for 2020.
Last year I was able to do some reconnaissance of an area where this species had been spotted in previous years using information shared with me by fellow dragonfly fanatic and blogger Walter Sanford. Eventually I found and photographed some Uhler’s Sanddragons and he and I were able to spot them again several times.
This species generally is found in a specific type of habitat—”Clean, sandy or gravely forest streams with a mix of riffles and pools,” according to the excellent Dragonflies of Northern Virginia website. So Friday I scoured the locations where had spotted them last year and it was in one such location that I spotted the Ashy Clubtail and Common Green Darner that I featured recently in my posting First dragonflies of the season. I looked for Uhler’s Sundragons there but came up empty-handed.
It was at a second spot that I finally spotted one as it flew through the air and landed on a piece of vegetation. There is not much flying this early in the season and I could tell from the way that it perched that it was probably my target species. I think I was shaking a little bit and certainly my heart rate had accelerated, but I managed to get a shot of that one (the middle shot below), before it flew away. A few minutes later, I had another spotting and captured the last shot below—it might have been the same dragonfly or a different one.
Part of my long walk back took me along another stretch of the same stream and I was absolutely thrilled when I spotted yet another Uhler’s Sundragon and captured my favorite shot of the day, the first one below. It turns out that all of the Uhler’s Sundragons that I photographed were females. I am not sure if the males were all out patrolling or were simply in other locations.
Many of the locations where I might normally search for dragonflies are closed and some of the others are potentially crowded, so I am not willing to go there. As you can see from my recent postings, I am staying really close to home most of the time, with trips like this one to remote locations being a rare exception.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I’m glad to hear that you’re staying safe, Mike. Bonus that you’re also finding some great subjects for your photos. Hang in there!
I used to run marathons (completed 12 of the full-length 26.2 mile races), so I know about hanging in there, even when things get a little painful. 🙂 Stay safe too, Dan.
Wow – that’s impressive. I guess you do know how to go the distance (I couldn’t resist).
Wonderful photos Mike!
Lovely!
Blue Rock Horses Frederick County, Virginia bluerockhorses.com
Wonderful captures, Mike! Nice when a past year’s reconnaissance missions pays off!
Thanks, Ellen. I often go back to the places where I have previously seen certain birds or insects, hoping that they will be in that specific habitat. Sometimes it works, as it did in this case, and sometimes it doesn’t. 🙂
Very Nice Mike! Great find and congrats on your wonderful images. Dragonflies should be appearing here soon. Can not wait since they closed all the parks here so I can photograph them in our yard here. Stay safe!!
Thanks, Reed. Good luck with your dragonfly hunting. Many parks are closed here but a few are open. In the case of these dragonflies, the large park is closed to vehicles now, but open to pedestrians and cyclists. It was almost a two hour hike in to the location where I found these dragonflies.
What beautiful markings – great captures, Mike!
Congratulations on you first sighting of the species for the year–I can picture you hopping around with glee after catching them with your camera too!
Saving some energy for my long hike out, I may not have been hopping around with glee, but I was pretty happy. I enjoy photographing all kinds of dragonflies, but there is something extra special in being able to see and photograph an uncommon species. FYI, I recently purchased a book on dragonflies and damselflies of New Zealand. There are currently only a total of 14 species in New Zealand, compared to more than 60 dragonfly species in Northern Virginia, but many of the ones there in New Zealand are really cool, like the Mountain Giant dragonfly. Maybe someday…
Yup, that’s a beauty, for sure. It reminds me of out Lake Darners in MN, but in monochrome.
NOW you are having fun!!
You know me too well. Dragonflies really are fun and it is exciting to have some around again.
[…] flying for only a month or so. I had spotted several females on the third of April—see my posting Female Uhler’s Sundragons for details and photos—so I knew that the clock was […]