It’s always fun to try to capture a shot of an Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly (Sympetrum vicinum) with beautiful fall colors in the background, as I did last Friday (31 October) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Autumn Meadowhawks are invariably the last surviving species of the dragonfly season. In past years I have spotted them as late as the middle of December, and fellow dragonfly enthusiasts have reportedly seen them in our area in early January.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I am always in awe of how you spot these tiny almost see through winged dragonflies! Superb photography Mike, as always. Amazing!
Thanks, Suzette. As you might suspect, the key to my “success” is mostly a combination of patience and persistence. A little knowledge and skill helps, of course, but mostly it’s about moving slowly with my senses attuned to what is going on all around me in nature.
Great work, Mike, your skill and patience pay off superbly. Have a great day!
Beautiful photo! One thing I really like about dragonflies–they’re often willing to sit, wait, and let the human get a photo! Not always, but often…