I saw more dragonflies this afternoon at the marsh, including this one that kept landing on the path - it probably liked the warmth of the slate. It is the same species of dragonfly as in yesterday's posting - the Common Whitetail skimmer - but this one is a male. It's obvious why it is called a 'whitetail'.
Yesterday for the first time this year, I noticed several dragonflies zipping around "hawking" for mosquitoes at the marsh. This one happened to stop and perch an old cattail stalk. It's a female Common Whitetail skimmer dragonfly, one of our more common varieties.
Here's something different I saw on this evening's marsh walk. Just as I approached the gate, I saw this big dragonfly land on a large rock beside the gate. Luckily, it stayed put while I took a few shots. I don't recall ever seeing one like it before. When I checked it out in my insect field guide, I found that it's a Common Whitetail Skimmer (male - the female has a brown tail), "one of our most recognizable dragonflies." Where have I been?? Obviously not where they've been.
