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Archive for the ‘Summer’ Category

Smiling at me

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on July 7, 2025| 7 Comments »

I have spent a lot more time indoors this past month than I normally, as a result of our unusually warm and stormy weather. On Saturday I finally made it out to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, my favorite place to explore with my camera, and was greeted by an abundance of dragonflies.

Many of the dragonflies I encountered were Needham’s Skimmers that were often perched at the tops of vegetation that seems to have grown a lot recently. A lot of other flies were common too and they pestered me incessantly by buzzing around my ears, but fortunately they did not appear to be interested in biting me.

I was delighted that many dragonflies seemed be smiling at me, like this cool-looking Needhams’s Skimmer (Libellula needhami). I also really like that I able to capture the beauty of the beautiful two-toned, speckled eyes.

Needham's Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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In my neighbor’s garden

Posted in Flowers, Gardening, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, Summer, tagged , , , , , , , on June 26, 2025| 5 Comments »

Shortly after waking up this morning, I walked over to my neighbor Cindy’s garden to see what was in bloom. The last time I checked, about a week ago,  there were lots of flowering day lilies, but I suspected that the recent heat had caused many of them to wilt and die. I am not sure if lilies close up at night, but I did not see any lilies in bloom in the early morning light—I was there about 6:15 today.

However, there were plenty of purple coneflowers and Shasta daisies open and I did my best to capture some their beauty with the short macro lens that I was using. I was delighted to spot a tiny insect creature crawling around on one of the daisies, as you can sort of see in the second photo. The limited light available forced me to open the aperture of the lens and created such a narrow depth of field that I could not get both the insect and the flower in focus.

Most of you know that I enjoy photographing wildlife and nature in more remote locations, but it is reassuring to know that I do not always have to travel far to find subjects—beauty is everywhere.

shasta daisy

Shasta daisy

coneflower

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Blue-tipped Dancer damselfly

Posted in damselfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on June 25, 2025| 1 Comment »

I’m reluctant to go out in our current extreme heat here in Northern Virginia, so here’s a shot from earlier this month (11 June) of a Blue-tipped Dancer damselfly (Argia tibialis) at Wickford Park in Alexandria. This damselfly looks a bit like several other species, but the angle of this photo shows the distinguishing features of a Blue-tipped Dancer including its mostly black abdomen, the wide deep purple stripes on its thorax, and, of course, the blue color of the final two segments of its abdomen.

Some of you may recall a recent posting that featured a Common Sanddragon dragonfly perched on a leaf at this same location. Believe it or not, this is the exact same leaf. I am not sure that there is anything special about the leaf, other than the fact that it was the only on the sandy/rocky bank of the creek, but I was more than happy to capture images of both a dragonfly and damselfly separately perched on it.

Blue-tipped Dancer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Looking for a good angle…

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 23, 2025| 7 Comments »

It is hot! It seems that much of Europe and the United States is currently experiencing sweltering heat. Here in Northern Virginia where I live, high temperatures are going to hover around 100 degrees (38 degrees C) each day this week. I might consider going out with my camera when there are heat advisories, but today there are extreme heat advisories and people are advised not to go out in the heat unless absolutely necessary.

This morning I went over my photos from an outing earlier this month and recalled my thought process when I was taking photos of Common Sanddragon dragonflies (Progomphus obscurus). I was trying to frame the shot in a way that showed the dragonfly’s face and body with an interesting background, which was a bit frustrating, because the Sanddragons tended to perch at the edge of the water facing the water.

I changed positions repeatedly and eventually I got the shot that I was imagining in my head. I love how the green of the dragonfly’s eyes matches some of the mossy vegetation and how the yellow and brown body matches the stones. The dragonfly also seems to be looking up at me and smiling, though I suspect that may be my imagination.

Stay cool and hydrated this week if you have to go outside this week!

Common Sanddragon

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Common Sanddragon dragonflies

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on June 21, 2025| 3 Comments »

I spotted these male Common Sanddragon dragonflies(Progomphus obscurus) on 11 June alongside a creek at Wickford Park, a small suburban park in Alexandria, Virginia. As their name suggests, Common Sanddragons prefer sandy beaches over the kinds of vegetation where many other dragonflies most often perch.

The Common Sanddragons were pretty skittish and would fly away as I approached, but would frequently return to “their” beaches a short time later. Most of the time, they would face the water, which made it problematic to get a side shot. However, one perched on a leaf a bit farther from the edge of the water and I was able to capture the first image below, my favorite image of the day.

You may notice that the Common Sanddragons in the photos have their abdomens (their “tails”) raised. I think that may be their normal way of perching or it may be a variation of the obelisk pose used by other species to regulate their body temperature by reducing the amount of their bodies exposed to the direct sunlight.

Common Sanddragon

Common Sanddragon

Common Sanddragon

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Variable Dancer (immature)

Posted in damselfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 20, 2025| 6 Comments »

Variable Dancers (Argia fumipennis) are one of my favorite damselflies, as you may have guessed if you have seen the banner page of my blog that features a photo of a gorgeous violet-colored Variable Dancer. Technically there are three subspecies of Variable Dancers, but I think that all of the ones that I see in my area are members of the subspecies Argia fumipennis violacea, the Violet Dancer.

Last week I spotted several male Variable Dancers at Wickford Park in Alexandria, Virginia, as you can see in the second photo below, so I knew that they lived in that habitat. I was a bit confused, though, when I spotted the damselfly in the first photo and initially could not identify it. After poring over my reference guides and searching for the internet, I realized that the damselfly was probably an immature male Variable Dancer. Many immature male dragonflies and damselflies change colors as they mature, but this color change is particularly striking.

Today is the summer solstice for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, officially marking the beginning of summer. (Technically it comes this evening at 10:42 where I live.) Happy Summer to all of you in the north and Happy Winter to those of you in the Southern Hemisphere.

Variable Dancer

Variable Dancer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Mourning Cloak butterfly

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 18, 2025| 7 Comments »

Mourning Cloak butterflies (Nymphalis antiopa) are often one of the first butterflies that I see in early spring, because they overwinter with us as adults in a kind of hibernation. According to Wikipedia, Mourning Cloaks, known in Britain as the Camberwell Beauty, have a lifespan of 11 to 12 months, one of the longest lifespans for any butterfly.

In the springtime, these butterflies mate and I suspect that the butterfly in the photo below that I spotted in early June at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge is part of the “new generation.” I don’t know a whole lot about the entire life cycle of the Mourning Cloak, but from what I have read, their lives include periods of activity followed by long periods of inactivity. During the summer, for example, they enter into a “dormant” stage, known as aestivation that is somewhat similar to hibernation, and then become active again in the autumn.

I love the markings of this beautiful butterfly and was thrilled when it held its wings open for a few seconds and let me see the stunning blue markings on its inner wings that stand out among the mostly subdued colors on its body.

Mourning Cloak butterfly

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Great Crested Flycatcher

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on June 17, 2025| 2 Comments »

Earlier in June I spotted this cool-looking bird at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I am not really sure what species it is, but I think it might be a Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus). The bird was mostly hidden in the foliage, but I managed to get a couple of reasonably clear shots of it.

I love the wash of yellow on its belly that gradually fades into the gray of its throat. There are a few other birds in the flycatcher family that are somewhat similar in appearance, so I could be off in my identification, but this is the one that most closely matches the descriptions and images in my identification guides.

Great Crested Flycatcher

Great Crested Flycatcher

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Ebony Jewelwing damselfly

Posted in damselfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I spotted my first Ebony Jewelwing damselflies (Calopteryx maculata) of the year last week during a short visit to Wickford Park, a small suburban park with a creek that runs through it. Members of this species have distinctive dark wings and are generally found in shaded streams where the mixed lighting makes it challenging to photograph them.

Female Ebony Jewelwings have small white patches (known as pseudostigmas) on their wings that along with their terminal appendages make them easy to identify. The damselflies in these two photos are both female. I am not sure why the eyes of the damselfly in the first photo are so red in appearance—perhaps it is a result of the angle of the light or maybe it is related to the age of the individual. Whatever the case, the red eyes give the damselfly a devilish look.

Ebony Jewelwing

Ebony Jewelwing

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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First Slaty Skimmer of 2025

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 14, 2025| 5 Comments »

On Wednesday I visited Wickford Park, a small suburban park a few miles from where I live that has a creek that flows through it. In the past I have spotted a variety of dragonflies and damselflies at this location and once again I was rewarded with some new sightings.

I was pleasantly surprised to spot a male Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta), the first one that I have seen this year. During the summer, Slaty Skimmers are quite common at a number of the locations that I visit. The dark slate blue of the mature males of this species and their brown eyes make this species pretty easy to identify.

I thought about cropping this image closer to give a better look at the dragonfly, but decided that I really liked the twisting vegetation on which the dragonfly was perched and ultimately decided to keep the crop loose. What do you think?

Slaty Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Love is in the air

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 13, 2025| 4 Comments »

A dragonfly couple in wheel formation flew by me during a recent visit Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and landed on some nearby vegetation. This acrobatic position is the one used by most dragonflies for mating—sometimes they will mate while in the air and other times they will “do the deed” while perched.

I am not totally certain but I believe that these dragonflies are Unicorn Clubtails (Arigomphus villosipes), a species that I see from time to time in my area.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Unicorn Clubtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Powdered Dancer damselfly

Posted in damselfly, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, spring, Summer, Winter, tagged , , , , , , on June 12, 2025| 5 Comments »

Most of the time that I see damselflies, they are perched in the vegetation. Powdered Dancer damselflies (Argia moesta), like this one that I spotted last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, however, like to perch on bare ground, emergent stones, and along trails. Immature male Powdered Dancers are tan to dark brown, turn darker with age, and becoming almost completely whitish at maturity.

The “powdered” color of this damselfly helped in to blend in almost perfectly with the sand and gravel on this trail at the wildlife refuge. If I had not seen it land, I suspect that I would have had real trouble spotting this Powdered Dancer damselfly.

Powdered Dancer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Reaching for nectar

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on June 11, 2025| 6 Comments »

This Zebra Swallowtail butterfly (Eurytides marcellus) had its wings fully extended as it reached for nectar from an unidentified plant last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I love the way that the photo below shows the butterfly’s long “tails” that appear to be fully intact, making me wonder if this butterfly had recently emerged.

In my area of Northern Virginia Zebra Swallow tails tend to have at least two broods a year. According to the local Prince William Conservation Alliance, “The summer generation is larger and has proportionally wider stripes and longer tails than the spring generation.”

Zebra Swallowtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Yellow-breasted Chat

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on June 10, 2025| 5 Comments »

Last Monday I spotted this beautiful Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I thought that this was my first encounter with this bird species, but a search of my previous blog postings revealed that I got some long distance shots of one in 2022.

Many of the migrating warblers that are passing through my area have various yellow markings, so I assumed that this was simply another warbler. The reality, however, is hardly simple. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “The Yellow-breasted Chat has always been a mystery to taxonomists—it looks similar to warblers but is larger, with a more varied repertoire of songs and calls, and also has other differences in behavior and anatomy. The species was placed in the warbler family (Parulidae) for decades, but in the late 2010s was given its own family (Icteriidae), in recognition of these differences.”

If that were not confusing enough, the name “chat” is used for a number of different birds throughout the world. According to Wikipedia, “Chats (formerly sometimes known as “chat-thrushes”) are a group of small Old World insectivorous birds formerly classified as members of the thrush family (Turdidae), but following genetic DNA analysis are now considered to belong to the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae). The name is normally applied to the more robust ground-feeding flycatchers found in Europe and Asia and most northern species are strong migrants.”

All of this scientific explanation leaves me utterly confused. The only thing I know for sure is that the Yellow-breasted Chat that I photographed was a real treat for me—its bright yellow color immediately brought a smile to my face and lifted my spirits. For me, that is more than enough—I’ll leave the arguments about taxonomy and classification to others.

Yellow-breasted Chat

Yellow-breasted Chat

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Glimpse of a Monarch

Posted in Autumn, Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on September 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I have seen quite a few Viceroy butterflies this summer, but have had real difficulties finding Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus). I have repeatedly heard warnings about how their habitats are threatened and fears that they might soon become extinct.

I was therefore quite thrilled when I spotted this bright orange butterfly on Thursday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It seemed to be a bit larger that the Viceroys that I am used to seeing, so I chased after it, full of hope that it might be a Monarch. It landed for only a moment and I was able to capture this shot of the beautiful creature—it was indeed a Monarch butterfly.

The Monarch took off a few seconds later and flew out of sight. I stayed in place a bit longer, still filled with awe and wonder at the brief encounter, before I too moved on. It is amazing how much moments like this one lift my spirits.

Monarch

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Fine-lined Emerald dragonfly

Posted in Autumn, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on September 20, 2024| Leave a Comment »

After searching diligently for the last few weeks, today yesterday I finally spotted a Fine-lined Emerald dragonfly (Somatochlora filosa) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. In the past this species has appeared on the scene in early September and is quite uncommon in my area.

As you can see from the photos, Fine-lined Emeralds like to hang vertically when they are perched, unlike many of the familiar dragonflies that I see throughout the summer that perch horizontally. When I spotted this dragonfly initially, it was flying back and forth at about knee-height and I immediately suspected that it was my target species. I have been watching dragonflies for a number of years and can identify some species (or at least make a good basis) on the basis of their flight profile.

I first spotted this species in 2017 at this refuge and have searched for them every year since then. The last few years it has grown increasingly hard to find Fine-lined Emeralds, so I was really happy yesterday to see this one.

This was actually my second encounter of the day with the species. A bit earlier, I observed one flying, but lost it in the vegetation while tracking it. This one might possibly be the same dragonfly, though it was far enough away that it could be a second one. Later in the day in another part of the refuge I caught a glimpse of another one as it zoomed by me. I chased after it, but came up empty-handed.

I will probably return to the wildlife refuge early next week to see if I can find another Fine-lined Emerald or perhaps I will find a Blue-faced Meadowhawk or an Autumn Meadowhawk, two other autumn dragonfly species.

Fine-lined Emerald

Fine-lined Emerald

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Spicebush Swallowtail in mid-September

Posted in Autumn, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on September 19, 2024| 7 Comments »

As I have mentioned previously, I have real difficulties in identifying many of the dark swallowtails that I encounter. However, sometimes I get a perfect view of one and the task is vastly simplified.

Last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, for example, I spotted this Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio troilus) feeding on a blooming thistle plant. I could tell it was a Spicebush Swallowtail because its row of inner orange spots was interrupted by a swoosh of blue that looks a bit like the tail of a comet. Additionally, the position of the butterfly made for a beautiful composition of the image that I was able to capture.

Spicebush Swallowtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Swift Setwing in mid-September

Posted in Autumn, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on September 18, 2024| 1 Comment »

I had not seen a Swift Setwing dragonfly (Dythemis velox) in several weeks at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge and feared that they might be gone for the season. I was therefore thrilled when I spotted this one last Thursday. Most of the previous times when I have seen Swift Setwings, they have been perched with their wings pulled forward, but this one had its wings fully extended.
A bit later that same day, I spotted a Swift Setwing that appeared to be missing an entire wing, as you can see in the second photo below. I looked carefully at other shots of the same dragonfly and in a couple of them I can see at least a partial wing in that spot. It is interesting that I did not notice this problem with the wing while out in the field, and the dragonfly flew away without any issues whatsoever.

Swift Setwing

Swift Setwing

Swift Setwing

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Skipper in September

Posted in Autumn, Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, plants, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 17, 2024| 2 Comments »

Recently I have featured numerous large, beautiful butterflies feeding on blooming plants, especially thistles. Today, I decided to turn the spotlight to the smaller, more nondescript butterflies, commonly referred to as skippers, that have been equally active and visible in recent weeks.

According to Wikipedia, there are more than 3500 species of skipper butterflies in the world and many of the species are visually similar in appearance. For that reason, I am especially cautious in trying to identify one of these small butterflies. Sometimes I will request assistance in identifying specimens in one of many Facebook groups to which I belong. I have learned the “secret” to getting a response—if I make a misidentification, some experts who might not help me with an identification will feel compelled to correct me.

I spotted the little beauty in the photo below last week while I was exploring a patch of flowers at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge. It might be a Peck’s Skipper (Polites peckius), but to me it looks a bit more like a Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon). Whatever the case, I like the way that I was able to capture the butterfly in action, sipping nectar with its proboscis fully extended.

Peck's Skipper

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Sidewards glance

Posted in Autumn, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on September 16, 2024| 3 Comments »

Some dragonflies will look me straight in the eye, but others, like this male Blue Dasher dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis), seem to prefer sidewards glances. I spotted this cute little dragonfly last Thursday at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge. Blue Dasher dragonflies are among the first dragonflies to appear on the scene in the spring and among the last ones to disappear in the autumn.

The vegetation at this time of the year is always interesting, a combination of new growth and dried-out stems. I love both the colors and textures of the perch that this dragonfly had selected and the visible cobwebs add a nice touch of visual interest to the image.

Blue Dasher

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Great Spangled Fritillary and thistle

Posted in Autumn, Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on September 15, 2024| 4 Comments »

I spotted this spectacular Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly (Speyeria cybele) last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Although I usually have something to say about an image, in this case I will let it speak for itself. Suffice it to say that I love the wonderful combination of the pink of the flower and the orange of the butterfly. Wow!

Great Spangled Fritillary

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Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and thistle

Posted in Autumn, Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on September 13, 2024| 1 Comment »

We are definitely in a period of time when butterflies are everywhere, especially in the patches of thistles that are blooming now. Earlier in the week I spotted this beautiful male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge as he was feeding on a thistle. I was delighted to capture a shot when the butterfly had his wings fuly extended, showing off all the details of the wings.

In case you are curious, you can tell that the butterfly is a male because he lacks the band of blue spots along the hindwings that are found on the females of the species.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Florida Predatory Stink Bugs

Posted in Autumn, Bugs, Insects, Nature, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on September 12, 2024| 7 Comments »

On Monday I spotted these cool-looking black- and-red beetles at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I think that they are immature Florida Predatory Stink Bugs (Euthyrhynchus floridanus), a species considered to be beneficial, because its diet consists of many species of pest insects. The nymphs of this species go through five stages (instars) in their growth process and I believe these bugs are in one of the later stages of development.

Florida Predatory Stink Bugs

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Heron sentinel

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on September 11, 2024| 1 Comment »

The leaves are still on the trees, which makes it tough for me to spot perched birds, which is one the reasons why I focus on insects in the summer months. Nonetheless, I tend to scan the trees when I am out with my camera, hoping to spot a bird perched in the open.

On Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I spotted an unfamiliar shape through the foliage as I was hiking along one of the trails. As I moved a bit to the side to get a better view, I realized that it was a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias). Now I know that herons will roost in the trees at night, but it is a little unusual for me to see on in a tree at midday. The bird appeared to be keeping an eye on something, almost like a sentinel, though I have no idea on what its attention was focused.

I moved slowly and stealthily to get a better shooting angle and eventually captured this image of the heron. As you can see in the photo, the heron was definitely alert and paying attention—it did not appear to be relaxing in the tree. Maybe the heron felt like the king of the world and was taking a moment to survey his realm.

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Spicebush Swallowtail

Posted in Autumn, Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on September 10, 2024| 4 Comments »

There has been a relatively recent resurgence of butterflies in my area. In the past week or so I have seen more butterflies than at any other time this summer. Several of the dark swallowtail butterflies, though, are similar in appearance and are hard to tell apart, especially when wing damage hides some of the features that I rely on for identification.

Last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I spotted this beautiful dark swallowtail as it was feeding on a thistle plant. I can’t tell for sure, but I think that it may be a Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio troilus). A chunk of the hind wing is missing, but otherwise the butterfly seems to be in good shape. It was moving around a lot on the thistle, but I was patient and eventually was able to capture a decent shot of this beautiful creature.

Pipevine Swallowtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Senior Great Blue Skimmer

Posted in Autumn, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on September 9, 2024| 4 Comments »

How old does a dragonfly have to be to collect Social Security? OK, that’s a bit of a crazy question, but collecting Social Security is a sure sign that you are getting old. A couple of weeks ago, I received my first payment from the Social Security Administration, a sure sign that I am officially “old.” Last week I also stopped in a a Metro offices in Washington D.C. to sign up for a senior pass that allows me to ride Metro trains at a reduced rate—one of the few tangible benefits of becoming a senior.

Here in the United States, people are living longer than in the past and it is anticipated that the Social Security Administration will run out of money to pay full benefits in a decade or so of changes are not made. Politicians don’t want to deal with the issue and keep putting off coming up with a solution to the problem.

Comparatively speaking, dragonflies live uncomplicated lives. They hang on for as long as they can and then they die, hopefully after successfully procreating. Last week I spotted this elderly female Great Blue Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula vibrans) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Her coloration was dark and faded and her wings were tattered, but she was still functioning. After spending a few quiet moments with her, I pushed onward, still lost in my thoughts about life and growing older.

Great Blue Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Eastern Tiger Swallowtails in September

Posted in Autumn, Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on September 8, 2024| 6 Comments »

I’ve noted several times recently the tattered butterflies that I tend to encounter at this time of the year. However, not all of the ones that I see have suffered wing damage. Some of them appear to have recently emerged and are in perfect condition, like these Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies (Papilio glaucus) that I spotted during a recent visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Twelve-spotted Skimmer dragonfly

Posted in Autumn, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 7, 2024| 3 Comments »

I love to see dragonflies with patterned wings and so I was delighted to spot this male Twelve-spotted Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula pulchella) on Tuesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The males of this species have a beautiful combination of brown and white patches on their wings.

I used to be confused about the name of the species, because there appear to be a total of twenty-two spots. To make things worse, this species is also known as the Ten-spot Skimmer. What? It apparently depends of how you count the spots. If you count only the brown spots that are present on both males and females, you get twelve spots, but if you count the white spots that are present on only the males, you get ten spots. Yikes! Who knew that math was so important in dragonfly identification. 🙂

Twelve-spotted Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Female Needham’s Skimmer

Posted in Autumn, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on September 6, 2024| 3 Comments »

Earlier this summer Needham’s Skimmer dragonflies (Libellula needhami) were among the most common dragonflies that I would see at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The last month or so, however, their numbers have declined significantly and they are now quite hard to find. I was delighted, therefore, to photograph this slightly tattered female Needham’s Skimmer on Tuesday morning.

Our weather has cooled off this week, with early morning temperatures in the 50’s (10 degrees C) and daytime highs struggling to get to 80 degrees (27 degrees C). I looked at the 10-day weather forecast and see that temperatures are not predicted to hit the 90’s (33 degrees C). Now it would be premature to declare that summer is over and we may well have some hot days in store for us, but the seasons are definitely changing.

So I will continue to search for remaining dragonflies while again, hopeful that I will spot some of the autumn species, like the Autumn Meadowhawks and Blue-faced Meadowhawks that should be appearing soon. Personally, autumn is my favorite time of the year, with cool nights and warm, sunny days, but I am not yet ready to bid farewell to the summer.

Needham's Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Red-banded Hairstreak butterfly

Posted in Autumn, Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on September 5, 2024| 8 Comments »

On Tuesday I spotted a really cool-looking butterfly at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, a Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops). This species has distinctive reddish-orange markings across its hind and forewings. I don’t recall seeing this species very often, though I have included photographs of the butterflies in some blog postings in the past.

The Red-banded Hairstreak is quite small in size, with a wingspan of just over an inch (25 mm), so I had to focus very carefully on the butterfly to obtain a sharp image. I was pleasantly surprised by the results with my Tamron 18-400mm zoom lens that did a pretty good job in capturing a shot of such a small subject.

Red-banded Hairstreak

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Slaty Skimmers in September

Posted in Autumn, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 4, 2024| 1 Comment »

The countdown begins. Now that we are into September, the number of dragonfly species is beginning to drop and many of the remaining ones are looking a little tattered. They seem to adapt and compensate for their disabilities while moving, perhaps, a bit more slowly.

Yesterday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife I photographed a number of male Slaty Skimmer dragonflies (Libellula incesta). Their dark bodies and eyes make them pretty easy to identify. Some of them appeared to be in pretty good condition, like the one in the first photo, while others, like the one in the second photo, are showing the signs of a tough summer.

Aging in all species is inevitable. No matter how much we complain about it, we are fortunate if we are able to slow its effects—we cannot stop it. The 19th century French romantic poet Alphonse de Lamartine wrote about the passage of time in a famous poem called Le Lac (The Lake) that included these words:

“Just a few more moments, I ask — in vain, for time
Eludes me and takes flight.
I tell the night to pass more slowly, and dawn comes
To chase away the night.

“Then let us love! Then let us fill each fleeting hour
With joy and ecstasy!
Man does not have a port; time does not have a shore.
It passes, and so do we.”

Slaty Skimmer

Slaty Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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