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.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Magnificent photography as always, sir.
Thanks so much for your kind words. It is a fun challenge to try to capture the beauty of nature that I observe and experience in a photo.
Amazing photo, thank you!