Mike Powell

The sun was shining brightly yesterday (11 November), so I decided to venture out yesterday to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge to search for dragonflies. Weather forecasters predict that temperatures will drop dramatically later this week and we are likely to have cold rain (with snow further north). For a variety of reason I have not been out with my camera in several weeks and it felt good to step back into nature.

I was delighted to spot several dozen Autumn Meadowhawk dragonflies (Sympetrum vicinum) at multiple locations throughout the refuge. I did not see dragonflies of any other species—Autumn Meadowhawks are usually the last ones that I see each year—but I did spot a few damselflies. I have not yet downloaded the images from my camera’s memory card to my computer yet, but I thought I’d share a couple of shots taken with my iPhone.

I encountered several other wildlife/nature photographers at the refuge who mostly seemed to be searching for birds. I spent quite a while talking with one of them and mentioned that I was looking for dragonflies. I noted to him that I was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, because Autumn Meadowhawks sometimes will perch on gray surfaces, perhaps mistaking them for the water. A few moments later, an Autumn Meadowhawk landed on the hooded part of my sweatshirt. The other photographed grabbed a shot with his cell phone and I handed my iPhone to him and asked him to take one for me. I am pretty flexible, but there was no way that I could see, much less photograph that dragonfly, which you can see in the first photo below.

As I was walking along one of the leaf-littered trails, I noticed that I was casting a long shadow. I really like elongated shadows and I took advantage of the moment to capture my favorite kind of selfie.

When I have gone through my photos from my “big” camera, I probably will post a few more shots of what may be the last dragonflies that I will see this season. Hope springs eternal, as the old saying goes, and I am conscious of the fact that I have spotted Autumn Meadowhawk dragonflies in December several times.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.