Tag Archives: Dragonfly

Early Dragonfly

March 29, 2020 Ellen Jennings 11 Comments

I have seen dragonflies much earlier this year than the last few. Last year’s post Dragonfly, First of the Season was May 9th. In the comments of that post fellow blogger and dragonfly enthusiast Mike Powell (https://michaelqpowell.com/) thought that insect “looks to be a female Eastern Pondhawk ” and I am thinking this one might be also.

Several of them were flitting ahead of me on a wooded path and I was pleased to get the image of this one hanging onto a blade of grass.

Boynton Trail, Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
March 26, 2020

Insects

Dragonfly Season Begins

March 19, 2020 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

And there it was, hovering right in front of me over the pond. My shutter speed was only 1/800 but I took it any way as this was the first dragonfly I’ve seen this year. He stayed around a bit but my subsequent efforts at a higher speed weren’t as good as this one.

Nearby a second dragonfly, perhaps an Eastern Pondhawk, kept returning to this log, looking like he’s not quite ready for action.

With spring just beginning there will be ample opportunity for some better images of these curious creatures.

Just to round out the scene, here’s the log with the dragonfly about 2/3 of the way back.

March 18, 2020

Insects

Late Season Dragonflies

November 3, 2019 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

I spotted these Dragonflies over a week ago, perching on the edge of a pond, then taking forays out over the water and returning.

The weather has taken a much cooler turn in the last few days and we’ll be flirting with frost at the end of the week. These may have been the last of the season.

This and That

Around Magnolia Cemetery

November 3, 2019 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

A walk around Magnolia Cemetery fills the senses with textures and colors and small views are sometimes the best.

Flowers Through Fence Decorated with Suns

Shadows and lines surround family plots.

Insects go about their business; this dragonfly was sunning on a deteriorating fence post.

September 26, 2019, Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC

Insects

Brown Dragonfly

October 27, 2019 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

On our photography tour at the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center I saw a few dragonflies, that mostly eluded me as they fed at high speed.

This one took a rest on a nicely placed reed. Just as I was getting in place with a good angle for the background I felt a sharp bite on my leg. Ants! Needless to say that was the end of those pictures as I spent five minutes getting the little buggers off me and out of my shoes.

Insects

Dragonfly in Flight

October 26, 2019 Ellen Jennings 10 Comments

Capturing Dragonflies in flight is not easy. Their small size and erratic flight path is hard to follow. For some reason this one was hovering for an extended period of time just over the edge of the pond.

I was able to get decent focus and a photobomber.

Flowers, Insects

Orange-yellow Canna Lily

July 14, 2019 Ellen Jennings 6 Comments

There is a small patch of Canna Lilies at the edge of the big field at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. It’s a wet spot and the lilies and cattails seem pretty happy there.

This dragonfly found an unfurled blossom a nice place to perch on a hot day. True to form he lifted off just as I was ready to shoot then returned to the exact same spot,

The orange and yellow combination of the flowers is quite attractive, shouting out “summer!”

Insects

Dragonfly on Underside of Branch

May 31, 2019 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

This rather large dragonfly was looking for a spot to land and finally settled on this pretty lichen covered branch. In the first image he was hanging on to a bit of Spanish Moss.

He then got a better grip on the branch and stayed put. I did not see any insects for him to prey on. It was almost 100 F (37 C) and I wondered if he was looking for some shade. I don’t know what is going on with his tail–it looks like some plant debris was hitching a ride.

05/29/2019

Insects

Striped Wing Dragonfly

May 22, 2019 Ellen Jennings 10 Comments

The combination of the sun light and the distance from the perches to the background shows off this dragonfly’s striped wings quite nicely.

I don’t remember seeing this type of dragonfly before; but recognize the “return to the same spot” behavior I’ve seen in others.

He left and re-lit on this grain stalk multiple times while I watched.

5/19/2019 Mepkin Abbey

Insects

Dragonfly, First of the Season

May 9, 2019 Ellen Jennings 3 Comments

First decent photograph, that is. It seems like all of the dragonflies I’ve encountered this spring have been frantic, with none of that rhythmic pause, fly off and return to the same spot routine I got used to last year.

I liked the first image as much for the seed heads as the insect. The second image is the same dragonfly, on another nice piece of foliage.