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Archive for the ‘wildlife’ Category

Visiting family

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on October 9, 2024| 8 Comments »

For the next few weeks my postings will be sporadic as I spend time visiting family members. I know that some viewers are used to seeing almost daily posts and I wanted to reassure in advance them that nothing is wrong. I am hoping to be able to give a few updates during this period, if possible, and plan to resume my “normal” schedule in early November.

I spotted this Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) during a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge last week when the skies were completely cloudy and overcast. The light was limited, so the subject is nor illuminated very well, but I was happy that I was able to capture the texture of the snap on which the woodpecker was perched. If you look closely you can see some small holes in the tree where the woodpecker has been pecking away.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

 

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Common Yellowthroat (female)

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on October 8, 2024| 2 Comments »

I was looking for warblers last week when I visited Occoquan Bay National wildlife and this little bird with bright yellow coloration under its tail was one fo the very few that I was fortunate to spot. I don’t know my warblers very well, so my identification of warbler species is often incorrect. Nonetheless I pored over the images in my bird guide and on line and concluded that this might be a female Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas).

As is often the case, the male of the species is a lot easier to identify with his distinctive black mask, and females tend to me more nondescript. I’d welcome the views of more experienced birders if my identification is wrong. From my perspective, I am happy enough that I managed to capture this shot of the beautiful little bird.

UPDATE: One of my friends on Facebook identified the bird as a Palm Warbler. I really need to work on my identification skills.

Common Yellowthroat

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Wild Turkey in October

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, Thanksgiving, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on October 7, 2024| 4 Comments »

At this time of the year holiday preparations become intertwined at retail stores. I have already seen lots of displays for Halloween and suspect that I will see Christmas decorations for sale as well if I look a little harder. Indigenous Peoples Day and Thanksgiving Day are also part of this autumn blitz.

So I guess that it is not that surprising that I immediately thought of Thanksgiving Day when I spotted this Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Turkeys are part of the lore of Thanksgiving and play a central role in the traditional feast, though commercial turkeys no longer bear much resemblance to their wild counterparts.

There are several flocks of wild turkeys at this wildlife refuge and I often encounter them foraging along the trails. When they see me, they usually move slowly into the undergrowth—I suspect that they have grown accustomed to the presence of humans, but do not want to interact with them most of the time. Strangely enough, that’s the same attitude that I display when I am out in the wild with my camera.

Wild Turkey

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Blue-faced Meadowhawks in October

Posted in Autumn, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on October 6, 2024| 5 Comments »

I was delighted on Thursday to encounter my first Blue-faced Meadowhawk dragonfly (Sympetrum ambiguum) of the season at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. A few minutes later I got a peek at a pair of mating Blue-faced Meadowhawks—spring is not the only season for love.

Blue-faced Meadowhawks are one of the prettiest dragonfly species that I have ever encountered. I love the contrast between their turquoise faces and their bright red bodies. Generally I spot them in the early autumn, just as most of the other dragonfly species are starting to disappear.

Blue-faced Meadowhawks will be around for a bit longer and then their “cousins,” the Autumn Meadowhawks will end up as the last remaining dragonflies of the season. In some years I have seen Autumn Meadowhawks as late as mid-December and a fellow photographer spotted one in early January one year. Autumn Meadowhawks also have red bodies, but have brown eyes.

Blue-faced Meadowhawk

Blue-faced Meadowhawk

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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White-eyed Vireo in autumn

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on October 5, 2024| 6 Comments »

The weather forecast yesterday showed that there would be some sunshine, a welcome respite after a lengthy period of rainy and/or overcast weather, so I ventured out to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Some other photographers have recently posted photos of warblers there and I thought that I would try my luck, knowing that the still abundant foliage would hamper my efforts to spot them.

As I was walking along on one of the trails, I saw some flashes of yellow, a good indication of a possible warbler. I watched and waited and eventually managed to get a few shots of the bird. I vaguely recalled having seen this species before, but I couldn’t remember what it was. A short time later, I encountered a couple of birders with binoculars. I am usually reluctant to ask for help out in the field, but somehow I managed to overcome my inhibitions and showed them a photo. One of them suggested that it was probably a White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus), not a warbler.

When I returned home, I checked my blog and found that I had previously seen White-headed Vireos in the spring of both 2022 and 2o24. In those cases, the eyes of the vireo were much whiter than those of this bird, which somehow made those prior identifications a little easier.

This is a transitional time of the year for me, a time when I try to search for both birds and dragonflies. My head is moving almost continuously as I alternate between scanning the nearby ground area for insects and the more distant trees for birds.

Summer stragglers and migratory birds mean that I never know what I might encounter when I go walking with my camera, so I try to stay alert and ready at all times.

White-eyed Vireo

White-eyed Vireo

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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American Robin in October

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on October 3, 2024| 6 Comments »

It was cool and gray yesterday with intermittent periods of drizzle and I considered staying indoors. However, I had been cooped up inside for almost a week by teh daily rain showers, so I decided to venture out anyways. I did not see very many insects, only one dragonfly and one damselfly, but I did see a good number of birds. Actually, it is probably more accurate to say that I heard a lot of birds—most of them stayed hidden in the still abundant foliage or were visible from a long ways off.

During my time at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I encountered several flocks of American Robins (Turdus migratorius). Growing up in Massachusetts, I tended to think of American Robins as harbingers of spring, but here in Virginia they seem to be present throughout most of the year. I used to refer to thesr birds as simply “robin,” but ever since I started to photograph birds, I have been more careful in identifying them as “American Robins,” in order to distinguish them from European Robins that are somewhat similar in coloration, but quite different in overall appearance.

The American Robin in this photo was busily foraging in the debris on the trail alongside the water. Fortunately the tides had receded a lot since my previous visit to the refuge, so the trail was no longer under water. I love the way that all of the leaves and branches in the image are an almost perfect match for the colors of the bird, giving the shot a nice sense of harmony.

American Robin

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Big Spider

Posted in Arachnids, Autumn, Nature, Photography, spiders, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on October 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

At this time of the year, a lot of Black and Yellow Garden Spiders (Argiope aurantia) show up, like this one that I spotted recently at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. One of the features of this species is the distinctive zigzag pattern in the center of their webs.

When a prey lands on the web, the spider moves forward quickly to wrap up its victim in webbing material, as you can see in the second photo. Spiders will often wrap up several victims and leave them on the web for a later snack.

Black and yellow garden spider

spider

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Mockingbird in late September

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on October 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The weather has been uncooperative this past month and I’ve spent more time indoors than usual, so I have not been able to take as many bird photos as I have in some other months. Now that the leaves are starting to fall off of the trees, I am hoping that I will have the chance to spot and photograph more birds. As the weather gets cooler, there will also be fewer and fewer insects around, I will inevitably have to switch my focus.

Last week I spotted this Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) perched in a nearby tree while I was wading my way through Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It was a gray and overcast day and many birds seemed to be sheltering in the trees, hidden by the foliage. This mockingbird was hopping about in the tree and I was happy to capture this shot before it flew away.

Northern Mockingbird

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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More Monarchs

Posted in Autumn, Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on September 30, 2024| 2 Comments »

Last Wednesday I was thrilled to spot multiple Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) during a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, the most Monarchs that I have seen at one time this entire season. I do not know if these are local Monarchs that are preparing to migrate southward or if they are migrating Monarchs that are stopping by to refuel their bodies as they continue on their journey.

In either case, the butterflies were really active, in almost constant motion as they moved about the the open thistle flowers. I was hoping to get multiple butterflies in a single shot, but was never able to capture more than two of them in any photo, as you can see in the first image below.

The final photo shows the kind of photo that I was trying to take, a sidewards view of the Monarch in action. If you look closely, you can even see the butterfly’s extended proboscis. I also love the wonderful contrast between the orange of the butterfly and the pink of the thistle flower.

Monarch butterfly

Monarch butterfly

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Female Great Blue Skimmer

Posted in Autumn, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on September 26, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Several months ago, Great Blue Skimmer dragonflies (Libellula vibrans) were quite common at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. As we approach the end of September, though, they have now become an uncommon sight and those that I do spot are often survivors that show signs of advanced age.

Last week I spotted this female Great Blue Skimmer. This species is quite easy to identify, because both males and females have white faces. Younger females are yellow and brown in color, but those colors gradually get duller and darker with age. Interestingly enough, their eyes also change colors—younger females have eyes that are reddish brown over a dull green and as they get older their eyes often become blue, like those of the dragonfly in the photo below.

I could not help but notice that this dragonfly has some damage to her wings, a frequent sight as the dragonflies get older. Still, she was getting along pretty well, a testament to the resilience and determination of these senior citizens of the dragonfly world.

Great Blue Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Female Big Bluet damselfly

Posted in Autumn, damselfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on September 25, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Last week I spotted this female Big Bluet damselfly (Enallagma durum) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, one of the few damselflies still around this late in the season. Big Bluets are primarily a coastal species in our area, which helped me to narrow down the possibilities when trying to identify the damselfly species. Generally female damselflies are tougher to identify than males, but I pretty confident that this one is a Big Bluet.

UPDATE: A sharp-eyed viewer pointed out to me that this is probably an immature male Big Bluet, not a female, based on a number of specific physical features. I think he’s right! It is not the first time that I have misidentified a damselfly and it almost certainly will not be the last time.

I love the way that the light green in the background matches the color of the damselfly’s body and makes for a really pleasing image.

Big Bluet

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Bald Eagle in September

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on September 24, 2024| 7 Comments »

Last Thursday I captured my first shot of a Bald Eagle in a few months during a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I have spotted Bald Eagles several times this summer, but I did not see them from a distance, because of the foliage on the trees, and my first indication of their presence was when they were flying away from me.

There are still quite a few leaves on the trees, so I was startled when I flushed an eagle last week. I was fortunate, though, the eagle flew across my field of view and I was able to snap off a couple of shots before it disappeared from sight. This is a crop of the image that came out of my camera and I am pretty happy with the results, especially considering the fact that I had no time to make any adjustments to my camera before taking the shot.

I am still trying to focus primarily on insects, but know that before long I will be switching my focus to birds. However, as this photo shows, I will rarely pass up an opportunity to get a shot of a Bald Eagle, irrespective of the season.

Bald Eagle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Migrating helicopters

Posted in Autumn, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 23, 2024| 2 Comments »

It is getting to be that time of the year when certain dragonfly species, like the Common Green Darner (Anax junius), begin to migrate southward. Most people are aware of the migration of Monarch butterflies, but are surprised to learn that some dragonflies also migrate.

The Science News website described this amazing migration in an on-line article, “At least three generations make up the annual migration of Common Green Darner dragonflies. The first generation emerges in the southern United States, Mexico and the Caribbean starting around February and flies north. There, those insects lay eggs and die, giving rise to second generation that migrates south until late October. (Some in that second generation don’t fly south until the next year, after overwintering as nymphs.) A third generation, hatched in the south, overwinters there before laying eggs that will start the entire process over again.”

Last week I spotted a formation of helicopters flying in formation overhead as I was searching for dragonflies at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. For a moment the helicopters, which look to be UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, reminded me of migratory dragonflies. Before long their loud engines disturbed my reverie and I realized that they were probably flying to Fort Belvoir, a nearby military base.

The image I captured of the helicopters may look like it was turned into black-and-white after the fact, but that was actually the way that it came out of the camera. I really like the stark,  monochromatic feel of image that works well with the subject.

helicopters

© 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

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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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

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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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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Red Admiral butterfly

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on September 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »

During a recent visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge I spotted quite a few Red Admiral butterflies (Vanessa atalanta), a fairly common species where I live. When I did a little research on-line, I learned that, according to Wikipedia, Red Admirals, also known as Red Admirables, are found in temperate regions of North Africa, North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and island regions of Hawaii, and the Caribbean. Wow!

I remember in the past that I sometimes referred to this species as a “patriotic” butterfly, because it had red, white, and blue areas in its coloration. I was happy to capture this shot of a Red Admiral with its wings partially open, because it gives you an idea of the interior colors as well as the exterior colors of the butterfly. As you can see, the inside of the wings feature wide reddish-orange stripes.

Red Admiral

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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