A dash of Blue Dasher

There are plenty of dragonflies over the creek at the bottom of the garden here in Virginia.

This one is a Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis. Hold on, it’s not blue, is it? That’s because it’s a female.

It’s overcast with intermittent sunshine over a stream dappled with light through trees. It’s a nightmare to photograph them. It’s also warm and the dragonflies’ senses are hyper-alert with the warmth of their bodies. They fly as soon as I move:

This one flies from its perch and then back again:

Its dashed abdomen and striped thorax mean it’s easy to identify, helped by being a common dragonfly here.

I just need to see a male now; and there is one, far away, in the shade and with a hole torn in its wing. I have a photograph, but it’s not a beautiful one. I’ll just have to come back and try again.