I was shocked and thrilled to spot a Prince Baskettail dragonfly (Epitheca princeps) perched in a tree on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This was only the second time that I have seen one that was not flying—they never seem to take a break. As the Dragonflies of Northern Virginia website succinctly states, “Flies almost constantly, rarely perches.”
Earlier in the day I had seen Prince Baskettails several times, flying overhead as I walked along a trail parallel to the waters of Occoquan Bay. Those of you who have followed my blog for a while know that I can never resist the chance to attempt to capture a shot of a dragonfly in flight. This time was a bit different, though, because I was using my long telephoto zoom lens and the dragonfly was not flying over the water, but was high in the air. The second image was one of my more successful attempts.
Normally the only place where I see Prince Baskettails at this time of the year is at a small pond at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, where the Prince Baskettails fly repeated patrols low over the water. I have had some success in capturing shots of them in flight, like the final photo that I took last Thursday as a Prince Baskettail was flying by parallel to my position on the shore.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Great fly by shots !!
These are all great captures, Mike. The second one is a beautiful photo.
Wonderful capture. And yes, I am aware, quite certain in fact, that you never miss the opportunity to capture a dragonfly in situ. Cheers.
Oh Mike, another astounding series. I clicked on each one and had the divine pleasure of seeing the Prince Baskettail’s details. Those compound eyes and the wing patterns, truly glorious creature. I sit here at the keyboard chuckling, thinking about what you went through to capture these photos, and I’m very appreciative. Cheers my friend.
Very nice, Mike, with wonderful crisp details!
Wow! Fantastic shots!
Definitely your lucky day, Mike. It’s a beauty!
Superb photographs, Mike!
I am officially jealous.
Thanks, Wally. Unlike many of my readers, you have experience with a lot of the dragonflies that I photograph and can truly appreciate the degree of difficulty associated with getting certain shots. The images of the Prince Baskettail may not be as pretty as some of my other photos or as technically perfect, but they certainly were a challenge to capture.
Very Nice Mike! Enjoyed seeing your dragonfly images!
Thanks, Reed. As you know well by now, dragonflies are among my favorite subjects and I never tire of photographing them.