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Archive for June, 2024

Another Unicorn Clubtail dragonfly

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on June 22, 2024| Leave a Comment »

There must be something special about this perch. One week after I photographed a Unicorn Clubtail dragonfly (Arigomphus villosipes) on a log at the edge of a small pond at Occoquan Regional Park, I  spotted another Unicorn Clubtail in the exact same spot. Perhaps it was even the same individual, hanging out in the same old places, as this wildlife photographer is wont to do.

The edge of the pond is very mucky, so I couldn’t get any closer to give you a better view of the little “horn” that sticks up between the eyes and gives rise to the name “unicorn.” You’ll have to trust me on that point or check out a 2017 blog post entitled Unicorn in Northern Virginia that includes a better view of the unicorn “horn.”

We are in the midst of a real heat wave, with daily temperatures soaring into the mid-90’s (35 degrees C), so my wildlife forays are shorter than normal. Don’t worry, I am taking it slow, seeking shade whenever possible, and carrying water with me. Forecasters predict that this heat wave will continue for at least another week.  Yikes!

Unicorn Clubtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Petaltail and prey

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , on June 21, 2024| 3 Comments »

When I spotted this Gray Petaltail dragonfly (Tachopteryx thoreyi) on Monday at Occoquan Regional Park, I could see that it was feasting on some kind of insect that it had caught, but I could not get close enough to identify the prey. Dragonflies are fierce predators that feed on a wide variety of insects, sometimes including other dragonflies or damselflies.

When I examine the image carefully I can just make out the wings and legs and possibly an eye of the victim, but that does not help me to identify it. The dragonfly was perched high on the trunk of the tree and when I tried to move closer to get a better shot, the sharp angle made it even harder to see what was going on. I was happy enough to capture this profile view of the Gray Petaltail, which would otherwise have been pretty well camouflaged by the rough bark of the tree.

Gray Petaltail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Widow Skimmer (male)

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 20, 2024| 4 Comments »

Many dragonflies have transparent wings that seem to disappear when they are flying, making them look even smaller and hard to detect. Male Widow Skimmer dragonflies (Libellula luctuosa), however, have such large bi-colored patches on their wings that they look almost like butterflies when in flight, an impression heightened by the fluttering way that they fly.

I was thrilled when I spotted this male Widow Skimmer—the females of this species do not have the white wing patches—on Monday at Occoquan Regional Park. The dragonfly flew by me numerous times and I watched and waiting, hoping that it would land.  My patience eventually paid off and I was able to capture this shot that shows off its wings beautifully. This may not be the most artistic image that I have ever captured, but it is a good one to use for the purpose of identification.

One of the coolest things about photography is that it can be both scientific and artistic, allowing me to be as geeky as I want in either domain.

Widow Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Female Sable Clubtail dragonfly

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 19, 2024| 2 Comments »

Sable Clubtail dragonflies (Stenogomphurus rogersi) are uncommon in my area. This dragonfly species is generally found only in very small numbers, has a short flight period, and requires very specific habitats, preferably a small, clean forest stream. There is only one location in my area where I have found Sable Clubtails in the past and some years I have not seen a single one.

I was therefore really excited on Monday when I spotted what I thought might be a Sable Clubtail. I was not sure of my identification, though, because this dragonfly was in a different location at the park, not along the stream where I had seen Sable Clubtails in the past.

When I returned home and examined my photos on my computer, I was shocked to see that the dragonfly was a female–I am pretty sure that all of the Sable Clubtails that I have previously seen were males. For the sake of comparison, I have added a photo of a male that was part of a posting I did on 10 June 2024 entitled Sable Clubtail dragonfly (male). If you look closely at the tip of the abdomen (the “tail”) of each dragonfly, you will see different shaped terminal appendages, which are key factors in helping to identify the gender of a dragonfly.

Different dragonfly species have different courting behaviors. In some cases, the males and females are present in the same area, but in other cases, the females remain in a different area until they are actually ready for mating. I looked through my resources and on-line to see if I could find any information about the behavior of Sable Clubtail females, but came up empty-handed.

Where do female Sable Clubtails like to hang out? With a sample size of only one, I certainly can’t come to any conclusions, but I will continue to keep my eyes open and perhaps I will encounter another one.

Sable Clubtail

Sable Clubtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Google seems to like me

Posted in Flowers, Inspiration, Nature, Photography, plants, tagged , , , , , , , on June 18, 2024| 3 Comments »

How does the Google search engine work? What causes information that you post to show in the first page of Google results? There are plenty of people on-line who claim to understand the Google algorithm and are willing to sell you there services for something called Search Engine Optimization, but for most of us, Google is a bit of a mystery.

When I do a daily blog posting, I expect that most of my views for that day will be from that posting, primarily from subscribers to my blog, or maybe for postings from the previous few days. Over the past ten years, I have learned that other viewers may be drawn to my site as a result of searches using Google or other search engines. In 2023, for example, 34 percent (14,473) of my 43,661 total views came from Google searches.

In the last couple of months, however, I have noticed a rise in daily views that seems to be driven largely by an increase in Google searches. I have a modest goal for my blog of about 120 daily views and in May and June the daily views have averaged over 200. I’d like to think that my blog postings have been better than average recently, but the numbers don’t bear that out.

So far this month, 59 percent of my 4,074 views came from Google searches, including 562 views of a 2013 posting called Fuzzy White Caterpillar and 217 views of a 2019 posting called Groundhog in a tree. In the case of the latter posting, when I do a Google search of “Groundhog in a tree,” my posting shows up as the first result. Yikes!

I really don’t care that much about the number of views that my blog gets, but my analytic mind is fascinated by the data. As I have noted repeatedly in the past, I use the words and images in my blog postings to share a bit of the world as I experience it, showcasing with a sense of wonder and curiosity the amazing world in which we live, as filtered through my eyes and through my brain.

In case you are curious, this white water lily was one of several that I encountered during a recent visit to Green Spring Gardens. Somehow this simple image conveys a sense of the peace and serenity that I felt as I captured the image. My hope is that we can all experience a bit more of that peace in our daily lives.

As for Google, I am somewhat perplexed and a little amused that Google seems to like me a bit more recently and is sending additional viewers my way and suspect that it is only a passing fancy. As Andy Warhol is reported to have said, “In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.”

water lily

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Pink water lily

Posted in Flowers, Nature, Photography, spring, tagged , , , , , , , on June 17, 2024| 5 Comments »

I love the way that water lilies seem to glow, as though there were a light emanating from their centers. I photographed this pretty pink water lily during a recent visit to Green Spring Gardens, a county-run historical garden not far from where I live. Several white water lilies were also in bloom, but somehow I was drawn to the solitary pink one that was surrounded by lily pads.

Whenever I see Water Lilies in bloom, I immediately think of one of my favorite artists—Claude Monet. During the last thirty years of his life, water lilies (Nymphéas in French) were the main focus of his artistic production.

water lily

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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At water’s edge

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on June 16, 2024| 3 Comments »

Most of the time when I spot Eastern Amberwing dragonflies (Perithemis tenera) they are busily flying about over the water, but this handsome little guy decided to rest a bit in the vegetation at the water’s edge on Thursday at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge.

Most of the summer dragonflies have now arrived on the scene, so I may not be featuring any new species for a while. However, I am content to photograph my familiar “friends,” always hoping to capture them in different perches, activities, or lighting conditions. Each moment gives me a new chance to capture something beautiful and/or unusual. Beauty is everywhere.

Eastern Amberwing

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Slaty Skimmer dragonflies

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on June 15, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Slaty Skimmers (Libellula incesta) have now started to appear at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, signaling to me that summer is almost here. During the hottest months of the year, Slaty Skimmers are one of the commonly seen dragonfly species in my area, in part because they are habitat generalists—you can find them everywhere,

The greyish-blue bodies and dark eyes of the mature male Slaty Skimmers make them easy to identify. The immature members of this species, however, are a lot harder to identify, because they are similar in appearance to the young of several other species in the area. Fortunately for me, the Slaty Skimmers in these two photos, the first that I have photographed in 2024, are both mature males.

Slaty Skimmer

Slaty Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Prince Baskettail dragonfly in flight

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 14, 2024| 5 Comments »

When I spotted a dragonfly patrolling over the water of a small pond yesterday at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, I knew almost immediately that it was a Prince Baskettail dragonfly (Epitheca princeps). How could I tell? As it flew by, I could catch glimpses of the dark patches on its wings and the Prince Baskettail is the only large dragonfly with patterned wings in our area. (Prince Baskettails are almost three inches (76 mm) in length).

Seeing the dragonfly in flight was easy, but getting a clear shot of it was a considerable challenge. I watched the dragonfly and was able to determine its approximate patrol area. When it flew into that area, I attempted to track it, sometimes using my camera’s autofocus and sometimes focusing manually. Most of my shots were out of focus or did not include the dragonfly in the frame, but I managed to get a few decent shots, with the image below being the best of the lot.

Some of my fellow wildlife photographers marvel at images like this and think that high end gear or special techniques are necessary. The reality, though, is that I use relatively modest equipment and the “secret” to my success quite often is a combination of patience, practice, and persistence.

Prince Baskettail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Poppy Love

Posted in Bees, Flowers, Nature, Photography, tagged , , , , , , on June 13, 2024| 4 Comments »

The poppies at Green Spring Gardens were well past their prime when I spotted them during a visit last week. Nonetheless I was drawn in by the shapes and colors of these cool flowers and captured some fun photos. The images have a kind of abstract feel to them that I really enjoy, a departure from my normal realistic style.

If you look closely at the final photo, you will notice that a bee really liked the flower too and was busily collecting pollen.

poppy

poppy

poppy

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

 

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Red Milkweed Beetle

Posted in Insects, Nature, Photography, plants, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on June 12, 2024| 3 Comments »

Most people know that Monarch butterflies love milkweed, but if you move in closer to the plants, you’ll discover a world of fascinating little creatures, like this Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus) that I spotted last week at Green Spring Gardens, a county-run historical garden not far from where I live.

I first encountered these little red beetles a dozen or so years ago and became a bit obsessed with them. I am not sure if it is their “longhorn” antennae or the bold pattern on their bodies or the bright color that attracts me most—I just know that I love seeing them in all of their developmental forms (they go through several interesting instars as they grow).

This milkweed beetle was crawling around a lot, so it was hard to get a shot of it. Fortunately, it stopped for a moment when it reached the end of the leaf and I was able to capture this simple environmental portrait..

The next time you see some milkweed, stop for a moment, examine it closely, and prepare to enter a fascinating little world as the scent of the flowers envelops you.

Red Milkweed Beetles

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Lotus pose

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Flowers, Nature, Photography, plants, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I love photographing dragonflies as they perch on lotus flowers and lotus buds. Alas, the lotuses were not yet in bloom last week when I visited Green Spring Gardens, a nearby county-run garden that has a small pond with a few lotuses and water lilies.

Fortunately quite a few dragonflies were buzzing around the pond and I managed to capture this image of a male Blue Dasher dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis) as he perched on the tip of a rolled-up lotus leaf. I like the way that the texture of the leaf adds visual interest to the image, something that would be absent if the dragonfly had perched on a bare branch.

I will probably return to the gardens in a few weeks to see if I can get some shots of the lotuses when they are blooming. As I recall, lotuses seem to enjoy the hazy, hot, and humid days that are far too common during the summer in the Washington D.C. area.

Blue Dasher

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Sable Clubtail dragonfly (male)

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on June 10, 2024| 4 Comments »

I love the stunning green eyes of this male Sable Clubtail dragonfly (Stenogomphurus rogersi) that I spotted last week while exploring a small stream in Fairfax County, Virginia. The eyes look like they are made out of malachite or some similar semi-precious stone.

Sable Clubtails are generally found only in very small numbers, have a short flight period, and require very specific habitats—this species prefers small, clean forest streams. There is only one location in my area where I have found this species in the past and some years I have not seen a single one. I was therefore really excited when I manage to get some shots of this somewhat uncommon dragonfly species last Monday.

Sable Clubtail

Sable Clubtail

Sable Clubtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Unicorn Clubtail in June

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 9, 2024| 5 Comments »

Do you believe in unicorns? I am always delighted when I manage to spot a Unicorn Clubtail (Arigomphus villosipes), a beautiful dragonfly species in which both sexes have a small hornlike projection between their eyes that gives rise to their common name—you can’t really see the “horn” in these photos, so you’ll have to take my word on it. I spotted the dragonfly in this posting while exploring a small pond in Fairfax County, where I live.

It is fairly easy to identify this species, because of the rusty-edged club at the bottom portion of the dragonfly’s abdomen and its very visible bright tip. Male Unicorn Clubtails tend to fly short patrols and perch quite often on low vegetation.  It is not hard to spot them if I am in the appropriate environment, which is usually a pond or marsh, unlike most other clubtail dragonflies that prefer rivers and streams.

Chasing unicorns and dragons? That is how I enjoy spending my time in the wild.

Unicorn Clubtail

Unicorn Clubtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Eastern Pondhawk (male)

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 8, 2024| 6 Comments »

When male Eastern Pondhawk dragonflies (Erythemis simplicicollis) are very young, they have green bodies with dark banding on the abdomen, just like their female counterparts. Over time male Eastern Pondhawks are gradually transformed into a duller shade of blue and finally a powdery bluish-grey.

From an aesthetic point of view, my favorite stage of development is when they are young males and their thoraxes are a beautiful shade of green that contrasts wonderfully with their blue abdomens. Eastern Pondhawks of both genders have cool-looking green faces that help to distinguish them immediately from other dragonfly species.

I spotted this Eastern Pondhawk during a recent visit to Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, a small refuge that belongs to a nearby military installation. It is not a contiguous part of that installation, however, and is open to the public. The composition of this shot is quite simple, but I like the way that the Y-shape of the forked branch helps to divide up the frame and lead the viewer’s eyes to the main subject.

Eastern Pondhawk

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Female Widow Skimmer

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 7, 2024| 3 Comments »

On Monday I photographed this female Widow Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula luctuosa) at Occoquan Regional Park, my first sighting of this species in 2024. Why is it called a “Widow Skimmer?” Someone apparently thought the dark patches on the wings of this species looked like the mourning crepe that historically widows wore and even a portion of its Latin name “luctuosa” means “sorrowful.”

The dark wing patches are quite distinctive and may it relatively easy to identify this species. The males of the species, which I did not see at all that day, have patches of white in addition to the same dark wing patches of the female and their bodies are blue in color when they are mature. Click on this link to see some photos of a male Widow Skimmer from a few years ago.

Widow Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Great Blue Skimmer dragonfly

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Nature, Photography, Portraits, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on June 6, 2024| Leave a Comment »

On Monday I played a little game of peekaboo with this Great Blue Skimmer (Libellula vibrans) dragonfly at Occoquan Regional Park. As I approached, the dragonfly hunkered down and was almost hidden from view. I stopped and waited and eventually the Great Blue Skimmer lifted its head, looked right at me, and appeared to smile.

The second shot provides a more traditional view of this species, highlighting its beautiful speckled eyes and white face that help in distinguishing it from other blue dragonflies in our area. Great Blue Skimmers are quite common in my area during the summer, but this was one of first ones that I spotted this year.

Great Blue Skimmer

Great Blue Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Climbing a tree?

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 5, 2024| 3 Comments »

This Gray Petaltail dragonfly (Tachopteryx thoreyi) looked like it was trying to climb a small tree when I spotted it from a distance on Monday at Occoquan Regional Park in Lorton, Virginia. I was happy to be able to capture this shot from the side, because when Gray Petaltails perch flat against a tree, they become virtually invisible—their black and gray coloration causes them to blend in perfectly with the rough bark of a tree.

Gray Petaltail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Gathering pollen

Posted in Bees, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 4, 2024| 3 Comments »

This bumble bee was busily filling its pollen sacs and sucking up nectar when I spotted it recently during a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I cannot identify the plant on which the bee was feeding, but I love its beautiful colors and the blurry bokeh balls that were created in the out-of-focus areas of the plant.

As many of you know, when you move in close to a subject, the depth of field becomes really narrow, which means that only certain elements will be in sharp focus. My goal as a photographer is to try to make sure that the most critical areas, which usually include the eyes of the subject, are in focus. In this case, I was delighted that both the eye and the extended proboscis are relatively sharp.

bumble bee

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Spangled Skimmer dragonflies

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on June 3, 2024| 5 Comments »

Dragonfly identification can sometimes be quite difficult—many species, and especially the females of the species, are similar in color and in markings. There are, for example, quite a few blue male dragonflies with females that are yellow and brown, like these Spangled Skimmers (Libellula cyanea) that I spotted last week at Occoquan Regional Park.

Fortunately, however, this dragonfly is quite easy to identify  because of its unique black and white stigmata, the spots on the outer leading edge of each wing. As far as I know, no other dragonfly in our area has bicolor stigmata. The stigmata are not there for decoration, but serve an important role in the flight of dragonflies. I do not really understand the physics of flight, but have read that the stigmata are heavier than the adjoining cells and help to stabilize the vibrations of the wings.

Now that we are into June, I have noticed that most of the summer dragonflies have appeared on the scene. There are a few that I have not yet spotted, but with a little luck I will see (and photograph) them soon.

Spangled Skimmer

Spangled Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Sharing the perch

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Male dragonflies can be quite aggressive in fighting off potential rivals, but they seem somewhat more tolerant of males from a different species. This past Wednesday I spotted two dragonflies peacefully coexisting and sharing a perch at Occoquan Regional Park.

The dragonfly perched near the top of the branch is a male Spangled Skimmer (Libellula cyanea) and the one perched a bit lower is a male Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia). I have already seen quite a few Common Whitetails this season, but this Spangled Skimmer was one of the first that I have spotted this yea.

Spangled Skimmer and Common Whitetail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Ebony Jewelwing damselfly

Posted in damselfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 1, 2024| 3 Comments »

I was delighted this week to spot my first Ebony Jewelwing damselflies (Calopteryx maculata) of the season while I was exploring at Occoquan Regional Park. Members of this species have distinctive dark wings and are generally found in shaded forest streams where the mixed lighting makes it challenging to photograph them.

When things work out, though, I can sometimes get a good shot of one, like this dramatic portrait of a female perched on a sunlit piece of vegetation. Only females have the little white patches (known as pseudostigmas) on their wings that along with their terminal appendages make them easy to identify.

Ebony Jewelwing

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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