Last week in a posting entitled Sable Clubtail in June, I expressed my concern about the survivability of this uncommon dragonfly due to the degradation of its habitat at the one location in my area where they can be found. One of my fellow dragonfly followers has seen them several times recently, including at least one female, and I was thrilled to have several encounters with Sable Clubtail dragonflies (Stenogomphurus rogersi) last Sunday along a small forest stream in Fairfax County, Virginia.
I am presenting the images in reverse chronological order, because I wanted the close-up shot to be the one that shows up in the Word Press reader (and because it is my favorite of the three images). Let me discuss them, though, in the order in which I took took the shots.
The third shot shows a male Sable Clubtail perched low on some vegetation overhanging the stream. In my experience, this is the most common place to spot this dragonfly species and, in fact, this was quite close to the places where I have seen a Sable Clubtail in previous years.
This year I decided to expand my search area and on a different part of the stream I spotted the dragonfly in the second image. It was perched on a dead branch that extended horizontally about six inches (15 cm) above the surface of the stream. My initial shots were from quite a distance away, but slowly and stealthily I moved forward and captured this image as I looked down at the dragonfly and the shining stream bed.
Some readers know that I really enjoy close encounters with dragonflies and will not be surprised to learn that I decided to move in and try to get a head-on shot of this handsome male Sable Clubtail. As you can see in the first photo, my subject was quite accommodating and I was able to get a wonderful shot of his stunning green eyes that look like they were carved out of solid chunks of malachite. He even seemed to be smiling for me.
I feel like I can breathe a little more easily now that I have some evidence that this species is still around. The populations of many of the dragonflies that I have photographed this spring tend be low density in our area, often limited to a small number of dragonflies in a few specific habitats with a short flight season. Each season I begin with hopeful expectations of seeing new species at new locations, but those hopes are tempered by the reality that a species could also disappear from a location for ecological or other reasons.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
The extreme close-up is absolutely mind boggling.
Thanks, Michael. I was bent-over, straddling the sides of the stream as I tried to get at eye level with this dragonfly. My 180mm macro lens does not have any kind of image stabilization built into the lens, nor does my DSLR have any in body image stabilization, so I had to really pay attention to my shooting position and breathing position. Yoga training would have helped. It is kind of crazy to even attempt this kind of shot, but wonderful when it actually works. 🙂
It is superb and certainly worth the effort.
Stunning! Oh wow.
I love your reaction, Suzette. Thanks.
Always a pleasure, Mike😊
You can get much closer than I, avoiding some of the problems of distance and magnification — good work. Mike.
Thanks, kenne. I sometimes go through contortions to get shots like this and often end up with wet feet. As long as I can keep from dunking my gear, I’m likely to take the risk.
Woo-hoo! That close-up is absolutely triumphant, Mike. I enjoyed reading about your pursuits of the sable clubtails, as well as your ponderings about their existence. Loved reading how you captured it. I agree, those eyes do look like they are carved out of malachite. And yes, he is definitely smiling at you. A gem of a photo.
Thanks, Jet, for your wonderfully supportive comments. I never quite know exactly what I am going to say when I sit down to write a posting. Generally I know what photos I will use and I often just bounce a few ideas around in my head and then choose one. Then I’m on my way, putting words down on paper in what is frequently a stream-of- consciousness style. It usually works, in part because that style is a mostly accurate representation of who I am. As we chatted after an evening Zoom church service, one of the pastors commented that my default position seems to be one of positivity. I think that he is right and that positivity permeates my postings. I definitely smiled, Jet, as I read the final words of your comment. 🙂
What a winner of a close up, Mike! Sounds like there were acrobatics involved to get that shot.
Thanks, Chris. The stream was a relatively small one with steep banks. The branch on which the dragonfly was perched was below the level of the top of the bank, so I had to bend over and lean down to get the head-on shot, making sure I did not make any sudden movements that might scare off the dragonfly. It was sort of like tai chi, the martial art that some have described as yoga in slow motion. 🙂
We’ll you balanced well. I love zooming in and seeing the facets in its Malachite eyes.
Very accommodating fella, I’d say! Great shots!
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Thanks, Mitzy. It’s nice when a subject is cooperative. 🙂
Great images Mike! Love the closeup image!
That close up and the intensity of the eyes make for one of the most enjoyable dragonfly images i have seen, Mike.