I am always excited to see brightly-colored Blue-faced Meadowhawk dragonflies (Sympetrum ambiguum) at this time of the year when the overall number of dragonflies is dropping. This couple that I spotted last Thursday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge was doing its best to ensure that I see this species for years to come. The acrobatic pose in the photo, sometimes referred to as the “wheel position,” is used by dragonflies and damselflies when mating, with the male clasping the female by the back of her head.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Perpetuation of the species–wonderful!
Blue Rock Horses Frederick County, Virginia bluerockhorses.com
At the right place and at the right moment 🙂 Nice shot that shows clearly the difference in color between the male and the female dragonfly.
Thanks. I was fortunately to catch sight of the couple at an earlier perch and tracked them to this perch, which gave me a much better angle of view.
Wonderful shot Mike ! The detail is fantastic. The wings are like leaded glass.
Thanks
Great image Mike! Very colorful with the red Blue-faced Meadowhawk dragonflies!
Well-named; I’d say they’re definitely on a roll.
🙂
Wonderful capture, Mike, with the action and color! The leaf’s condition is a good hint to the time of year, with a hole in the middle of the shadow.
Thanks, Ellen. I wondered if anyone would comment about the hole in the leaf. It helped to give the shot a kind of 3D look.
I’ve yet to capture a mating shot of dragon or damselflies so kudos for this nice colorful image, Mike.
Thanks, Steve. They are definitely not shy about it–I try not to feel too much like a voyeur. 🙂