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Archive for the ‘wildlife’ Category

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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Damaged butterfly wings

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on September 2, 2024| 1 Comment »

In those parts of the world that use a meteorological calendar, autumn arrived on the first day of September. The rest of us will have to wait until the 22nd of this month to mark the official changing of the season. As I have noted in some previous postings, I have already noted the decrease in several dragonfly species and the overall numbers of dragonflies will continue to drop during September.

It is also common for me to see butterflies with damaged wings at this time of the year. I marvel at the ability of butterflies to survive with a significant amount of damage to their wings. Last week I spotted this Common Buckeye butterfly (Junonia coenia) during a visit to Huntley Meadows Park. The butterfly was missing the lower portions of both of its wings, but somehow was still able to fly.

I recall reading somewhere that the purpose of the large eyespots on the wings of butterflies is to fool predators into attacking those portions of their bodies, thereby protecting their more vulnerable body parts. I don’t know it that was the case with this butterfly, but it may well be the cause of the damage that it has sustained.

Autumn often fills me with a vague sense of melancholy and I acutely feel the passage of time. Some aspects of life inexorably will come to a close or enter a state of dormancy.

I try desperately to hold on to the summer, but a part of me knows that change is inevitable. Enjoy the remaining portions of the season.

Common Buckeye

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Great Spangled Fritillary and thistle

Posted in Butterflies, Flowers, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on September 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I was delighted to spot this Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly (Speyeria cybele) feeding on a thistle flower during a recent visit to Huntley Meadows Park, a county-run wetland not far from where I live in Northern Virginia. I have not seen many of this species of butterfly this season, so I was happy to capture this artsy artsy shot of the Great Spangled Fritillary on the one open bloom of the thistle plant.

I love the way that they spiky unopened buds add visual interest to the image without drawing attention from the primary subject.

Great Spangled Fritillary

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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No luck this time

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on August 31, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Earlier this week I watched a distant Great Egret (Ardea alba) as he stared at the waters at Huntley Meadows Park. Initially he was standing tall, but slowly the egret bent over, carefully balancing himself on a floating tree trunk. We both watched and waited until the moment came when he plunged his head into the water. I fired off some shots, wondering if the egret had caught a fish.

I can’t say for certain that the egret was unsuccessful, but it sure looks to me like there was no fish in his bill as he withdrew his head from the water. It appeared to me like the egret was fishing for tiny fish, because he did not plunge his head very deep into the water. After this attempt, the egret stood upright and relaxed for a few moments, before eventually resuming his efforts.

I moved on, wishing him the best of luck in his pursuit of his next fish, as I continued to hunt for dragonflies.

Great Egret

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Butterflies and thistle

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , , on August 30, 2024| 8 Comments »

There must be something irresistible about thistle flowers, because on Tuesday I encountered multiple clusters of thistles with butterflies feeding on them during a short visit to Huntley Meadows Park. Sometimes the butterflies seemed to be socially distancing themselves, but at other times they were feeding side by side with other butterflies, including those of different species.

Of course, butterflies do not remain still while feeding—they move about constantly as they change their positions and flap their wings, complicating my efforts to capture images of them. The first photo below is one of my favorites. It shows a dark morph female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) sharing a thistle flower with two Great Spangled Fritillary butterflies (Speyeria cybele). I love the contrast between the colors of these two species that together provide a foretaste of the autumn season that is almost upon us.

The second photo provides a closer view of the dark morph Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. The final photo is a shot of what I believe is another female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail that has a yellow coloration similar to that of a male, but has an additional band of blue spots along the hindwings. I think it is really cool that there are two different color variants of females—in many insect and bird species, the males have more color and variation and the females are drab by comparison.

butterflies

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Viceroy at water’s edge

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on August 28, 2024| 2 Comments »

I love to search for Monarch butterflies, but this year I have spotted only a few of them. I am more likely to spot the similar looking Viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus), like this one that I photographed last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It paused for a moment as it perched high in the vegetation at the edge of the water of the bay and I captured the moment as the butterfly looked out on the watery expanse.

What was the butterfly thinking? I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be able to fly freely like a butterfly. Perhaps the butterfly was imaging what it would be like to swim like a fish.

We always are a little restless, wanting to be different from what we are. Maybe we should spend more time celebrating who we are in the present moment, a unique combination of strengths and weaknesses. As one of my brothers likes to say, “Be yourself—everyone else is already taken.”

Viceroy

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Variegated Fritillary butterfly

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on August 27, 2024| 4 Comments »

I chased this small orange butterfly around for quite a while before it finally landed. Only then was I able to determine that it was probably a Variegated Fritillary butterfly (Euptoieta claudia), a species that I do not see very often. I looked over my old blog postings and discovered that most of my sightings of this species have been late in the season—earlier in the season I tend to see the somewhat similar-looking Great Spangled Fritillary more often.

We have had a decent amount of rain recently, so there is still a lot of green in the vegetation that provides a nice contrast with the orange and brown tones of the butterfly. Those colors somehow remind me of the imminent arrival of the fall season. There is still a bit of the summer to enjoy, however, so I am not quite ready to jump ahead to the autumn—I prefer to live in the moment and celebrate what is in front of me in the present moments.

Variegated Fritillary

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Swallowtail and thistle

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on August 26, 2024| 5 Comments »

Last Friday I spotted this Black Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio polyxenes) as it was feeding on a thistle plant at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I love the shape, color, and texture of these thistle plants. I was a little shocked to see the excellent condition of the butterfly this late in the season.

When I returned home I did a little research and found out that this butterfly has at least two broods each year, with the second one flying at least until the end of August. Sometimes there is a partial third brood. Perhaps the butterfly in the photo recently emerged.

The later broods will lay eggs and winter is spent in a chrysalis stage. In the springtime, the adults will emerge and the cycle will continue. Nature is amazing!

Black Swallowtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Young deer

Posted in animals, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on August 25, 2024| 3 Comments »

I do not see deer very often at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. A few times a year, the refuge is closed for for a few days for deer hunting, so I know that there must be plenty of deer, but they remain hidden most of the time.

On Friday I photographed a White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) at the refuge. It was part of a group of at least four deer that I spotted as they grazed alongside the trail that I was following. Three of the deer moved into the brush on the side of the road as soon as they detected my presence, but one remained in place and stared at me with what appeared to be curiosity.

I had the impression that the deer was young, though I must confess that I have so little experience with deer that I have no idea how to tell their age. The deer appeared to be in good health. Some of my fellow photographers are virulently against hunting, but I recognize that deer overpopulation is a problem in our suburban area. Periodic hunting is a viable way of controlling the population size, though I personally am not a hunter and do not even own a gun.

My goal is to capture images with my camera of the wonders of the natural world and I felt blessed to be able to spend a few moments with this beautiful creature. After a few moments of staring at each other, the deer slowly made its way into the vegetation and disappeared from sight.

White-tailed Deer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Needham’s Skimmer in late August

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on August 24, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Early in the summer, Needham’s Skimmers (Libellula needhami) were among the most common dragonflies at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. As the dragonfly season begins to wind down, their population size has been noticeably dwindling. I am still likely to see some of them, but I have to search a lot harder than I did a month or two ago.

Yesterday I captured this image of a female Needham’s Skimmer. She is in pretty good shape overall, with only a small portion of her wings looking a little tattered.

I like the way that this image shows the bright yellow veining near the leading edges of her wings, one of the distinctive identifying features of this dragonfly species. (The mature males are bright orange or red in coloration, making them even easier to identify.)

Needham's Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Blue Dasher in August

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

I really like Blue Dasher dragonflies. They are quite common and visible throughout most of the summer. Unlike some other dragonfly species that require specific habitats, Blue Dashers (Pachydiplax longipennis) can be found almost anywhere.

I really like the description of the species on the Dragonflies of Northern Virginia website, one of my favorite resources for information about the dragonflies in my area:

“A very little guy in a big hungry world, Blue Dashers make up for their small size with plenty of moxie. Just about everything eats them…but it certainly hasn’t affected their numbers. The most abundant dragonfly in our area, they face their predator-filled worlds head on. Males aggressively defend their small, shore-line territories against larger skimmers, and spend a great deal of time with their black-tipped abdomens pointed high in the air – an aggressive threat display. It’s also a technique used to cool down by reducing surface area to the sun, called the obelisk position. However, Dashers use it more than other species, and half the time it appears to be done for the purpose of territorial display, rather than temperature control.”

I spotted this Blue Dasher on Monday at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge. I couldn’t get really close to the dragonfly, but like the way that the abundant vegetation helped to frame the dragonfly.

Blue Dasher

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Aging dragonfly

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 22, 2024| 3 Comments »

This female Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta) that I spotted on Monday at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge has definitely seen better days. Its wings are growing tattered and its color has darkened with age. Nonetheless, the dragonfly is carrying on and compensating as it grows older. In fact, the dragonfly seemed to be feeding on some kind of insect when I photographed it.

A few weeks ago I turned 70 and I have become increasingly conscious of the passing of time. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, so I am trying to pay more attention to living my life in the moment, as perhaps this aging dragonfly is doing.

Slaty Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

 

 

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Swift Setwings still with us

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , on August 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The countdown continues, but the dragonfly season is not over yet. I will undoubtedly continue to spot dragonflies for the next few months, but already their numbers seem to be diminishing as summer prepares to give way to autumn. We have had a series of cooler days this week, but I’m quite confident that summer is not quite ready to give up its hold and next week the high temperatures are forecast to return to the 90s.

I was happy on Monday to spot a Swift Setwing dragonfly (Dythemis velox) at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, the only one that I managed to photograph during my visit. I did have another sighting of a Swift Setwing that I was unable to photograph, but I am not sure if it was the same individual or a different one.

In the past, I have seen a Swift Setwing as late as September, but there are no guarantees that they will continue to be around that long this year. The population of Swift Setwing dragonflies is pretty well-established at this location, but it is quite small.

Each year I try to document my dragonfly sightings as we start to approach the end of the season, so I will probably return to this location again in the upcoming weeks. There are a few late-season species, like the Russet-tipped Clubtail, that will start to reappear, so I will keep my eyes open for them as well.

Swift Setwing

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

 

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Eastern Amberwing (female)

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on August 20, 2024| 9 Comments »

Eastern Amberwings (Perithemis tenera) are one of the smallest dragonfly species where I live—less than one inch (25 mm) in length. I often see the amber-colored males buzzing around at the ponds that I visit, but it is pretty rare for me to spot a female.

Yesterday I visited Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge and was a bit surprised to see a female Eastern Amberwing dragonfly in the vegetation near the edge of a small pond. Unlike the males, females of these species have patterned wings that are partially clear. I maneuvered around to composed a shot and managed to capture this image of the dragonfly.

According to the website Dragonflies of Northern Virginia, one of my favorite dragonfly websites, female Eastern Amberwing dragonflies are often found far from the water in meadows where they share perches with hornet and other wasps. When they are threatened, these dragonflies will rhythmically move their wings up and down while pulsing their abdomens in imitation of a wasp to scare off potential predators that believe they are about to be stung.

I don’t know if this female was checking out the males at the pond, searching for a suitable partner, or perhaps had just mated and was recovering from the experience. Whatever the case, I was delighted to spot this elusive little dragonfly.

Eastern Amberwing

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Eastern Pondhawk (female)

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on August 19, 2024| Leave a Comment »

With most dragonfly species, the male is usually the one with the most distinctive coloration and females are often nondescript in appearance. That is definitely not the case with the Eastern Pondhawk dragonfly (Erythemis simplicicollis), where the female is bright green and has distinctive black bands on her abdomen. She also has a green face that makes it almost impossible to misidentify this species.

Immature males of this species have a similar coloration to that of the female, but they are gradually transformed into a duller shade of blue and finally a powdery bluish-gray. The terminal appendages of the male are different from those of the female and additionally the ovipositor of the female, the egg-laying organ, is frequently visible below the tip of her abdomen, as you can see in this photo that I took last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

Eastern Pondhawks are quite common in my area, though this year I have not seen as many as in previous years. Although other dragonflies are equally fierce predators as the Eastern Pondhawk, the majority of the times that I have seen a dragonfly with prey, particularly other dragonflies or damselflies, it has been an Eastern Pondhawk.

Eastern Pondhawk

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Late season Calico Pennant dragonfly

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on August 18, 2024| 2 Comments »

I thought that the Calico Pennant dragonflies (Celithemis elisa) might be gone for the season, so I was thrilled to spot this handsome male last Monday (12 August) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Calico Pennants are among the most colorful dragonflies that I encounter, with beautiful patterned wings. Early in their development, male Calico Pennants have yellow bodies, like their female counterparts, but eventually they become a bright red in color.

When I captured this image of the Calico Pennant, he was perched at the very tip of the vegetation, a favorite perching spot for this species. Like other pennant species, Calico Pennants often occupy precarious perches that cause them to flap like a pennant when even the slightest breeze is blowing.

Calico Pennant

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Abstract dragonfly

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 17, 2024| 8 Comments »

If you want to photograph dragonflies for identification purposes, it is best to photograph them from the side. The side view gives you a good view of the head, thorax, and abdomen of the dragonfly, although the tips of the wings often are out of focus. If you are a scientist, the side view is probably the best one for you.

If you are are an artist, however, you are not so worried about having the entire dragonfly in focus. You focus on the beauty of the dragonfly and on different ways pf capturing that beauty. I personally really like head-on frontal shots of a dragonfly that provide an almost abstract view of the amazing creature.

This past Monday I encountered a Halloween Pennant dragonfly (Celithemis eponina) during a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I carefully maneuvered around the dragonfly in order to get an almost head-on view of it.

Shooting at an upwards angle, I captured the image below. I really like the abstract feel of the shot—your mind has to do some quick processing to realize that the subject is a dragonfly. There is an abstract minimalism to the shot that I really like that was enhanced by the way that I had to shoot at an upward angle, which eliminated all of the clutter behind the dragonfly.

Halloween Pennant

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Widow Skimmer in August

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on August 16, 2024| 2 Comments »

The end of the season is drawing near for many of the common dragonflies in my area. A month from now, some species will be gone entirely, with only a few hardy stragglers hanging on for a bit longer. Children return to school this coming week, which seems outrageously early to me—when I was growing up, school did not begin until after Labor Day.

I am starting to pay greater attention to the dragonflies that I encounter, never knowing for sure if I will see them again this season. Summer is not over yet, of course, but there are already signs that the seasons are changing.

I spotted this male Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Many of the dragonflies that I see are showing signs of wear, with tattered wings increasing common, but this individual was beautifully intact.

I suspect that dragonflies live in the moment, focused solely on the present for as long as they live. I recently read an article that noted how much of life many people miss, because they are focused too much on the future, which, of course, is never guaranteed. Yes, it is good to plan for the future, but be sure to enjoy your present life too.

Widow Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Solitary Sandpiper

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on August 15, 2024| 5 Comments »

Shorebirds are always tough for me to identify—so many of them are similar in appearance. When I spotted this little bird on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I noticed that it was all alone. Half-jokingly, I thought to myself that maybe it is a Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria).

When I later checked my bird identification guide I was shocked to discover that it probably is a Solitary Sandpiper. As its name suggests, this bird was by itself, foraging for food in the shallow water at the edge of a pond. I watched it for a while, but when I moved closer to get a better shot, the bird flew away to a spot across the small pond.

Solitary Sandpiper

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Osprey in August

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on August 14, 2024| 6 Comments »

With so many of the trees covered in leaves, it is a bit difficult for me to spot a perched bird. Sometimes, though, I get lucky and a bird will perch in the open on a dead tree and I will be able to get a clean shot of it. Otherwise, they can remain perched, hidden by the shadows of the trees.

We are in the doldrums of summer right now and many of the birds do not appear to be active during the warm, daylight hours. I was therefore delighted to spot this Osprey (Pandion haliaeteus) as it perched on the dead branches of a tree. This Osprey seemed to be relaxing and did not fly away immediately as I attempted to get a little closer. Occasionally it would turn its head from side to side, but otherwise remained in a relaxed position.

After I had taken a couple of shots, I continued on, leaving the Osprey at peace in the tree.

Osprey

Osprey

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Blue-tipped Dancer

Posted in damselfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on August 13, 2024| Leave a Comment »

During a recent visit to Jackson Miles Abbott Wetlands Refuge I spotted this Blue-tipped Dancer (Argia tibialis) damselfly. I was initially quite far from it when I first saw it and was not at all certain what it was. As I got closer to it, I could see that it was mostly black and only the very tip of its abdomen was blue in coloration. I did not immediately recognize it, but figured that I would be able to do so after the fact. In doing so, I was applying one of my primary rules of photography—shoot first and ask questions later.

When I got home and was processing the images, I decided that it was probably a Blue-tipped Dancer, a fairly common dark species that is reportedly found at a diverse number of locations. Upon discovering its name, I did a search of my past blog postings and discovered that I had seen one a few times before. I guess I would have remembered the name of the species if I saw it more often, but am happy that I was able to be able to retrieve it.

Yesterday we finally had a break from the extremely hot weather and I finally was able to get out with my camera. I am pretty sure that I captured some images that I will want to share with you all. Stay tuned for more.

Blue-tipped Dancer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

 

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Painted Turtle in August

Posted in Music, Photography, Reptiles, Summer, turtle, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on August 12, 2024| 5 Comments »

It was uncomfortably hot for me and I tried to stay in the shade as much as possible during a recent visit to Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge. A Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta), however, had pulled itself almost completely out of the water to maximize its exposure to the direct sunlight. For the record, I am not the kind of guy who enjoys baking in the sun on a beach.

I really like the turtle’s pose and the way that it stands out amidst all of the water and the abundant vegetation. The beautiful reflection was a nice bonus, adding a bit of symmetry and additional visual interest to the image.

Painted Turtle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Pearl Crescent in August

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on August 10, 2024| 2 Comments »

Pearl Crescent butterflies (Phyciodes tharos) are quite common in my area, but they are small and skittish and often feed with their wings partially open, so it is hard to get a photo of one with its wings spread wide. Last week I spotted several Pearl Crescents in a large patch of Black-eyed Susans at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge and I stalked them for quite some time. I was delighted when I finally managed to capture this image that shows wonderfully the beautiful details of this little butterfly.

Pearl Crescent

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Powdered Dancer damselflies

Posted in damselfly, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on August 9, 2024| 3 Comments »

I was happy to spot these male Powdered Dancer damselflies (Argia moesta) on Monday at a creek in Prince William County, Virginia. Most of the damselflies that I see regularly are found at small ponds and marshy areas, but this species prefers rocky streams and rivers. Sometimes Powdered Dancers will perch in the streamside vegetation, but often they will perch flat on rocks in the water, as you can see in several of these shots.

The thoraxes of Male Powdered Dancers are mostly white due to pruinosity, i.e. they are covered by minute waxy dust particles that makes them look frosted or powdered. This phenomenon is present in some dragonflies too, most notably the male Common Whitetail dragonflies.

Powdered Dancer

Powdered Dancer

Powdered Dancer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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