Male Widow Skimmer at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge – Canon R7, handheld, f10, 1/320, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Canon RF 100-500mm at 500m, natural light
Earlier this month, I was thrilled to photograph and video my first-ever Widow Skimmer dragonfly while driving the auto tour route at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge.
Long before I became a bird photographer, I photographed dragonflies everywhere I found them. Fortunately, I could approach them closely on foot.
Dragonflies are still among my favorite photography subjects, and I adore them because of their shapes, colors, and beauty.
This male Widow Skimmer was perched in the grasses close to the edge of a dusty dirt road and didn’t seem to mind my presence at all. I took scores of photos of the dragonfly and then decided to create a video of him too.
During this video, the skimmer dragonfly can be seen using his forelegs to clean his head. Dragonflies can get mites, and I suspect they may use their legs to remove them from their heads.
Resting Widow Skimmer male in Oklahoma – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/1250, ISO 640, Canon RF 100-500mm at 500m, natural light
In another area of the refuge, I found more Widow Skimmers next to the road and stopped to photograph them too. This male was resting at the edge of a grassy area while others were hunting in flight.
I found more dragonflies that day that I have yet to identify. There are so many species here that are “new” to me and I am excited to see, observe, and photograph them all.
Birds are and will always be my main passion, but these “other things with wings” are so much fun for me. I can’t resist them!
Life is good.
Mia
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