Yesterday it was hot and humid and there was an air quality alert because of smoke from the Canadian wildfires. I was therefore not too surprised when I pulled into the parking lot at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge to see that I was the only car there. As I have mentioned previously, I prefer to enjoy nature alone whenever possible, so I was quite pleased that I had the refuge to myself.
It was about midday, so I knew that the birds would not be very active—they tend to be more active in the early morning and later afternoon—but I knew that many insects prefer the warmest periods of the day. I saw quite a few Big Bluet damselflies (Enallagma durum) in the vegetation near the water. As its name suggests, this damselfly is quite large—up to 1.7 inches (43 mm)—and is primarily a coastal species.
This was my favorite shot of the day of a Big Bluet. I like the overall cool tones of the image and the way that the vegetation fades into background, allowing the viewer to focus on the wonderful details of this beautiful Big Bluet.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I love the quiet walks without people!
Me too. I am not selfish in most parts of my life, but when it comes to nature, I don’t like to share my experience with others. Some of my fellow photographers like to go out in groups, but I prefer a more solitary pursuit.
I like the sharpness of the photo, Mike!
This is such a wonderful photo, Mike. When I clicked on it all the intricate markings of the damselfly came alive, so beautiful. They have a brilliant blue which you captured nicely.
Thanks, Jet. Although the photo looks like it was taken with a macro lens, I actually took it with an 18-400mm lens fully extended to 400mm. I was really happy with the way that the details came out, details which you can’t really pick out with the naked eye.
Superb photograph, Mike!
No people – my favorite venue.
Thanks, Wally. We are pretty much alike in our approaches and preferences. 🙂
Nice Mike! They are fun photo subjects!