My dragonfly season is slowing winding down. During the month of November, I have seen only two species of dragonflies—Wandering Gliders (Pantala flavescens) and Autumn Meadowhawks (Sympetrum vicinum), but I have had multiple encounters with each species. Autumn Meadowhawks are usually the last dragonflies standing each year and there is a chance that I will see one in December.
Wandering Gliders, on the other hand, may disappear from the scene at any moment, so I am especially delighted whenever I spot one flying about, patrolling back and forth over a field. If I am lucky, I will see it perch on some vegetation when it comes down to earth for a rest and I will have a chance to get a shot. I took the first shot this past Tuesday, 9 November, at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge at a moment when I had my macro lens on my camera. I really like the way that I was able to capture the intricate patterns on the dragonfly’s body.
The two final photos are of a Wandering Glider that I spotted on the 1st of November. It is probably hard for you to tell, but I took these shots with my long telephoto zoom lens, which still managed to capture an amazing amount of detail, especially in the wings in the last image. I encourage you to click on the images to get a better look at those details.
It is raining today and the ground is littered with fallen leaves. As the trees are laid bare, I will have a better chance to spot some of the birds that I have been hearing recently, but have not seen.
For now, though, I am enjoying the waning moments of the season with my magical little dragonfly friends. Their time is not over until it is over.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Stil active dragonflies over there ? Here they are gone til next year.
Yes, Rudi, there are still a few hardy dragonflies around where I like near Washington DC. We have had some cold temperatures this month, so the remaining dragonflies may disappear soon, but I will continue to search for them until I am sure they are all gone.
Great series of dragonfly images Mike! Enjoyed seeing them!
The weather must be warm for them to hang around.
We have had several frosts already, but I don’t think that we have yet gotten down to below freezing yet. Some days it is still warm enough that I also see other insects flying, like gnats, ladybugs, and some butterflies.
As I mentioned in a comment last week, I saw a dragonfly that I think you suggested was an Autumn Meadowhawk. I was delighted when it perched on me, but I wasn’t quick enough to snag a picture.
They are beauties
The Tamron captured the last two photos? Impressive.
In case you are curious, David, I shot the last photo at f/8, 1/640 sec, and ISO 400 with the lens at 428 mm (a field of view equivalent of 684mm on my crop sensor Canon 50D DSLR). The middle shot was taken with settings that were pretty close, except the shutter speed was 1/1000 sec and the lens was at 400mm. In both cases, I was using a monopod for extra stability. FYI, my Tamron 150-600mm lens is the original one and not the improved G2 model.
I wondered if it was the G2. This is a good example of how useful a monopod is in capturing detail.
I have found that a monopod helps in many situations, though I have also used it hand held on numerous occasions. Normally I will try to photograph dragonflies with my Tamron 180mm macro lens, which captures details even better. I have found that it is possible to photograph birds with the shorter lens and insects with the longer lens if I am lucky and pay attention to my techniques.
That’s a good lesson for any photographer. Technique can be as important as the camera.
I love those glittery wings!
Me too!
Gorgeous dragonflies!
Thanks. I treasure each dragonfly sighting now, knowing that it could well be the last one of the season.
Those transparent wings are hard to capture. You did a great job. Love it.
Wonderful detailed captures, Mike, and a great wind down to the season. I’ve seen a few lately, but they are very skittish and no photos. I do have lots from the summer I haven’t really gone through yet.