Last week I was excited to capture this image of a beautiful Turquoise Bluet damselfly (Enallagma divagans) as I explored the edge of a small pond in Prince William County, Virginia. The damselfly was conducting short patrols over the water and then would perch on the vegetation sticking out of the water.
I got low to the ground and squatted as close to the water’s edge as I dared, doing my best to avoid falling into the water as I leaned forward. I managed to stay dry as I waited patiently. Eventually the Turquoise Bluet perched within range of my lens and I was able to capture a pretty detailed image of the little bluet, which was about 1.4 inches (35 mm) in length.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Beautiful.
An excellent image!
Michael, this is truly spectacular. The insect is so prehistoric and fantastic, and the details in the colors, the two tail bands, wings, leg shadows, compound eyes are marvelous.
Thanks, Jet. There is indeed something prehistoric-looking about dragonflies and damselflies. According to fossils, there used to be dragonfly-like creatures on the earth called griffinflies that were almost 18 inches long roughly 317 to 247 million years ago. (https://eartharchives.org/articles/the-biggest-insect-ever-was-a-huge-dragonfly/index.html).
Fascinating info about griffinflies, Mike, thanks so very much.
Very nice Mike! Great Damselfly Image!
Thanks, Reed. Normally I take a lot of dragonfly photos at this time of the year, but this year I have also been getting shots of a good number of damselflies too.
That is a wonderful find and a splendid photograph!
Makes me want to head out and comb the grass.
Thanks, Wally. I seem to be shooting more damselflies than in the past–maybe I am just paying more attention to them now. 🙂
Wow! Simply stunning for it’s size, well spotted and photographed!!
Very nice, Mike, and great job saying dry!
🙂 I’m ok with getting wet feet, but try to avoid falling into the water, especially in places where I suspect the bottom is soft and uncertain. I’ve am fortunate that I have never doused a camera, even the time when I ended up in water almost up to my knees. 🙂
Being wary of falling is a legitimate concern as we get a bit older, Mike 🤣. You may have seen on my Congaree post that I recently fell off a slippery log down into some thick mud, and I’ll tell you I was scared for a few moments. A bit for my camera but mostly that I was wounded. We were out in the middle of nowhere and I would have needed lots of help if I’d really been hurt.
Yikes. Yes, it pays to be careful, especially if you go out on your own as I often do.
Hopefully with your phone in your pocket, Mike! Although some of the places we go there isn’t much of a signal ☎
Yes, with my cellphone with me in my pocket or in my backpack. I put off getting a cellphone for a long time, until my friends convinced me that I absolutely needed to do so for the sake of my safety. It is a bit rare, but occasionally I too find myself in place with no cell signal.