I finally found my first dragonfly of the season yesterday—a female Uhler’s Sundragon—while I was exploring a stream in Prince William County. Uhler’s Sundragons (Helocordulia uhleri) are considered to be rare in our area. This species requires a very specific type of habitat and has an early and very brief flight period.
So where would you find one? According to the wonderful Dragonflies of Northern Virginia website, “Uhler’s need clean, small to medium, rocky forest streams with gravelly and/or sandy substrate, and a decent flow. They can be found in sunny clearings and forest edges near their streams.”
Fortunately I have found this species at a particular stream the last several years, so that is where I headed yesterday. I searched the spots where I had found Uhler’s Sundragons in the past, but came up empty-handed. I walked along extended lengths of the stream and eventually found the one in the photograph below—it was the only dragonfly that I spotted all day.
My hike yesterday lasted 4 hours and 42 minutes and covered 7.18 miles (11.55 km), according to my GPS app. My pace was pretty slow, partly because I was scanning for dragonflies, but also because the terrain was full of ups and downs. I pasted in a chart from the GPS readout to give you an idea of the type of terrain that I covered. According to my iPhone, I walked up the equivalent of 21 floors, which explains why my legs are a little sore this morning.
As many of you know, dragonflies are my favorite subjects during the warm months—there is something almost magical about these beautiful aerial acrobats. I am therefore super excited that the 2022 dragonfly season has officially started for me.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Hiking and dragonflies are two of my favorites. Great pictures!
Thanks. Last year I did my biggest hikes in May and this year may well be the same. The weather at this time of the year is still a little chilling–it was in the 40’s when I set out–but it is gradually warming up a bit. The low 70’s are comfortable for the dragonflies, though some of them seem to prefer the summer weather when it is often 90 and humid.
You’re welcome! I’m a hiker, too. And that weather is perfect. I’d prefer chilly over hot any day. I hope to see many dragonflies; I’ve never seen this type, but I have ideas of where they might be now!
Congrats on finding your first for the season. Also good to come down as far as you climbed.
Thanks, Dan. I was a little skeptical about the accuracy of the GPS app on my phone, but it seems to be pretty accurate. It’s a good think that I balanced out my ups and downs, considering that I left my car parked in a single spot. These particular forest trails have become quite familiar to me over the past few years and I have some favorite spots on the stream.
Yayyyy, I’m happy your dragonfly season has begun, Mike, for your photos bring me much pleasure. Wonderful photo, beautiful creature.
Thanks, Jet. It’s no secret to people who know me that I am jazzed by dragonflies. They appear at a time when I am casting off the doldrums of winter and am reenergized by the spring.
Not only a wonderful find, but also a superb photograph!
Alas, we have no sundragons in our area. 😦
Thanks, Wally. I probably should feel bad about the fact that you do not have sundragons, but I know that you have species there that we do not, so it evens out in the end. 🙂
That’s great Michael, I didn’t see any yet.
Thanks, Rudi. Your time will come before too long, I hope, for dragonflies and damselflies.
Excellent capture and find for your first of the season, Mike! And a marvelous work out to go with it.
Thanks, Ellen. Things are really starting to warm up–it is supposed to get to 80 today–which is a good sign that more dragonflies will soon be flying.
Stunning photo, Mike. Congratulations on this most lovely find!😊
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Thanks, Mitzy.
Good hike!
[…] the coastal plain region, unlike the Uhler’s Sundragon that I featured in an earlier posting (First dragonfly of 2022) that is found at rocky forest streams. Most of the early spring dragonflies are found in specific […]
Nice