I was not sure what kind of dragonfly this was when I photographed it last Thursday while exploring a stream in Prince William County with fellow dragonfly enthusiast Walter Sanford, but Walter was able to immediately identify it for me as a Black-shouldered Spinyleg dragonfly (Dromogomphus spinosus). Unfortunately the dragonfly flew away before Walter was able to get a shot of it himself.
As I look at the photo now, I am pretty confident that I would have eventually come up with the correct identification. If you look carefully at the upper portion of the long back legs, you can’t help but notice the distinctive leg spines that are responsible the common name for this species and that help him to snag and hold onto prey. As for his “shoulders,” the wide shoulder stripe looks a little more brown than black in this photo, but may darken with age.
Many of you know that when I am out in the field, I do not worry too much about making definitive identifications of my subjects. I am amused whenever I see birders pulling out identification guides or checking their favorites apps when they are out in the field. I am content to worry about identification after I have returned home and I tend to follow what I like to call the “law of the Old West”—shoot first and ask questions later.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Very Nice Mike! Never saw one of these!
Thanks, Reed. I never know for certain when I spot something unusual if I have seen it before. Sometimes I simply forget that I have seen it before or will initially misidentify what I have seen and only discover later that it is something new.
A georgeous photo, even the leaves looks fantastic!! Wow
Thanks, Suzette. The setting where I found the dragonfly was quite unexpected and really beautiful–I love all of the greenness of the vegetation.
It looks serene. Great photo. Thank you Mike🍃
A very interesting dragonfly! As I read your always enlightening and entertaining commentary, a tune and some words from a song by country musician John Michael Montgomery popped into my mind. They seem to fit your style!
“Life’s a dance you learn as you go
Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow
Don’t worry about what you don’t know
Life’s a dance you learn as you go.”
Thank-you, Mr. Mike!
Thanks so much, Ellen. I just listened to that song again–it’s been a while since I last heard it. I think that you definitely “get” me, because I would agree that the lyrics describe my approach to life really well (though I hesitate to call it a “style”). 🙂