Here is one more species of dragonfly I photographed on September 14, rather a banner day for dragonflies.
This one was perched on vegetation hanging over the edge of a pond.
Narrow blades of grass seemed to be the preferred resting spot.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
September 14, 2022
This Needham’s Skimmer was perched close to the ground and out of the breeze, a nice fit for using the Tamron 180mm macro lens.
The angle and background worked well to pick up the orange tones.
He didn’t move far between these shots, trying out some different perches almost like a model.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
September 14, 2022
There were a lot of these Baskettails zooming over a dike between two ponds, presumably feeding.
This reed stalk was the highest vegetation around with the top coveted perch well above my head.
Backlit by the sun, you can see numerous tears in the wings.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
September 14, 2022
These Pennants were perching at or slightly above my eye level, making nice subjects on swamp reeds.
Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, SC
September 14, 2022
Chinese Tallow, also known as Popcorn Tree, is an invasive species that crowds out native vegetation and is notoriously hard to get rid of. These trees have been treated but you can see from the sprouting vegetation are not dead.
These dragonflies found the “popcorn” seeds to be good perches.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
September 19, 2022
I almost deleted this image then saw the antennae sticking out from the stem below the dragonfly.
The dragonfly shifted to another branch right after I took the first image, giving me a little better view.
And then one more time, this time choosing a leaf as his perch.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
August 27, 2022
Yesterday afternoon we had a multiple dragonfly visitors in our backyard, after seeing very few all summer.
I’m pretty sure this is a Blue Dasher, even though it was quite small, about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) long.
This individual tried out several of the dried stems in my patio pots.
Blue Dasher
September 14, 2022
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
September 12, 2022
Pennant dragonflies are known for perching on the tips of vegetation. This one was swaying on a blade of grass at the edge of the Ashley River.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
September 12, 2022
This image has been hanging out with an unfinished post for a year and I’m cleaning house today. The green background and the stick perch appeal to me.
