Yesterday I was delighted to spot another Blue-faced Meadowhawk dragonfly (Sympetrum ambiguum), one of my favorite dragonflies, while wandering the trails at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The previous one that I saw earlier this month was perched high in a tree, so it was difficult for me to get a good shot of it.
The newest Blue-faced Meadowhawk, a male, was perched on the ground amid the leaf litter, which is where I usually see this species. I love the way that the fallen leaves provide an instant indication that we are now in the autumn season. The drab brown color of those leaves really helps to make the bright red and blue of this spectacular dragonfly really pop.
It was almost impossible to blur out the background completely, but I got low and carefully chose an angle that makes the clutter a bit less distracting. It turned out that this was the only Blue-faced Meadowhawk, so I was happy that I managed to get some decent shots of this one before he flew away.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Splendid colour!
Thanks, Liz. I love the combination of the bright red on the body and the turquoise and blue eyes–it is quite stunning when viewed close up.