On Thursday I was excited to spot these two Stream Cruiser dragonflies (Didymops transversa), one female and one male, in a sunny area adjacent to a creek that I was exploring in Prince William County, Virginia. Authorities have closed the park that I was visiting to vehicular traffic, so I had to hike in to reach my target area, which took over an hour and a half each way.
It was the end of a long and tiring day and I had already begun the trek back to my car. By 4:00 in the afternoon, much of the trail along the creek was in the shade. Periodically, though, I would pass patches of sunlit vegetation and I stopped to explore them, knowing that many dragonflies like to bask in the sunlight. I was searching one such spot when my eyes detected a dragonfly in flight. I was able to track the dragonfly in the air and to see it land. The male Stream Cruiser (shown in the second photo below) perched at an odd angle on some low-hanging vegetation, but I managed to get a shot of it before it took off again.
I decided to stay in that spot and wait and after a while another dragonfly flew by, landing this time much higher in the vegetation. Initially I thought that it might be the same dragonfly that I had already photographed, but when I got closer, I could see that the second one (shown in the first photo below) was a female. The female Stream Cruiser chose to perch about chest-high, so I was able to get a much better angle for this shot than for the first one and compose the image more carefully.
This experience is a good reminder for me to stay alert at all times when I have my camera in my hands until I am actually back to my car. I had not even been thinking of Stream Cruisers, a species that I have seen only a couple of times previously, when I decided to make this trip. However, I was ready when this opportunity unexpectedly presented itself to me.
I cringe a little sometimes when well-meaning folks see my photos and say, “You are so lucky.” Yes, I have more than my share of good fortune, but it often takes hours and hours of effort for a decisive moment to arrive and even then I have to be quick enough and skillful enough to get a shot. Rather than going to the trouble to explain all of that, though, I will usually nod my head and agree that I was lucky to get my shots.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
They are beautiful shots, Mike! My aunt loved dragonflies and had albums of photos she had taken over the years. Thanks for the tip of always being on the lookout when camera is in hand. You’re a good photographer.
Blue Rock Horses Frederick County, Virginia bluerockhorses.com
Thanks, Mitzy. Dragonflies are probably my favorite subjects to photograph. They are beautiful and delicate and acrobatic and we are blessed to have a lot of different ones in our area. Later in the season a lot of the common ones will appear, but at this time of the year it is a real challenge to find them. Springtime dragonflies tend to be few in number and they favor very specific types of habitats.
Well, you have done a fine job!
I have said it often, Mike. You work hard to get these photos, and I appreciate your effort.
I don’t even know how you spied these guys. They seem to blend in so well, even in the photos.
As is often the case, Dan, I was only able to spot them because they happened to be flying. When they remain perched, they are really difficult to find. 🙂
Nice Mike! Enjoy seeing your images!
I’ve just been having a laugh because I, in a bit of a hurry, consistently read “stream cruiser” as “steam cruiser” all the way through the post. I only realised when my brief glimpse of the title again before the window closed made me go “hey” – stReam cruiser 🙂
My first glance at the post had me thinking exactly the same thing, and I had a brief flash of whimsy picturing our Mike dressed in steam punk style with thick goggle sunglasses!
Hahaha LOL! I can see that too! Mike dressed as you describe… and in our steam punk capital – Oamaru!!! Link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/30/new-zealand-town-oamaru-steampunk-capital-of-the-world
I loved checking out the posting you suggested, Liz. Oamaru seems to be a really cool place. As for dressing up in a steampunk outfit, I might have to borrow some clothes from our friend Damien or maybe we should all plan a rendezvous there after this current crisis has subsuided.
So glad you enjoyed the article Mike… what a joy it would be for all of us to meet up in Oamaru!
I had to do a quick search in Google to get a sense of what I would look like in Steampunk style. Hmm, I wonder if I could pull that off. Ever since my cataract surgery a couple of years ago, I can sport stylish sunglasses, so that part might be a bit easier than a costume. 🙂
When you come, Mike, count me in, and we’ll have a memorable meeting with Liz & Nigel!!
Can you remind me again, Gary, where you are living in New Zealand? I have a guidebook for New Zealand and often use it to find the places where Liz and Nigel visit.
When you mentioned “steam cruiser,” my mind immediately thought of steam boats along the Mississippi, but you and Gary had other things in mind. 🙂
Your alertness paid off again here, spotting the one in flight and following it. They are se well camouflaged for this setting, I can see how they’d be awfully hard to see when they’re perched.
A lot of folks are used to seeing dragonflies perched on sticks in the open, but the species that appear in the spring tend to perch on the grown or low in vegetation, which makes them comparatively more difficult to spot and to photograph. For me, movement is the best way to find one, though occasionally I can spot one when I detect a familiar shape that disrupts a pattern.
Lucky! Ha! What you do takes skill and patience and persistence. I suppose there is an element of luck, but without the rest, you would never get these amazing shots. These flower images are lovely. My favorites among your images are usually the birds, and my least favorites the dragonflies, but every image is interesting and beautiful and worth a careful look. I often wonder how many images you take per jaunt, and how difficult it must be to choose just one to three to share. When I was doing my little Nature Diary blog, I usually ended up including everything. No discriminatory ability.