There were lots of Slaty Skimmers (Libellula incesta) flying about on Tuesday at the small pond at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, but none of them were cooperative in perching within range. They seemed to content to buzz around over the lily pads and land occasionally in vegetation overhanging the water—I was willing to lean a little to get closer to the dragonflies, but did not want to risk falling into the water.
Slaty Skimmers are one of our most common summer dragonfly species and they find themselves at home in almost any habitat. The mature males are really easy to identify because of their dark bodies and eyes. Immature males and females are a lot harder to distinguish from a number of other species in the skimmer family, like the Great Blue Skimmer and the Bar-winged Skimmer.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
A beautiful one.