The prompt this week for One Single Impression is glory. Being a northern gardener, I find the first warm days of spring very special.

I took these a couple of weeks ago about a quarter of a mile apart. They are the only dragonflies I photographed that day, and are male and female twelve spot skimmers. Not that I knew that until I got home and looked her up.

After working several hours in the garden today, I took a walk to see if I could see a few more dragonflies. The conditions were ideal- sunny, and a nice breeze. Of course, I had my camera with me. Actually had it in the garden, too. I missed a shot of a hummingbird moth and the dragonfly above while I was working, so was thankful to get another chance at what I think is a variable darner, later in the woods. This is a very large dragonfly, and fast, too. A pair of them were just ahead of me most of my walk. I finally got this shot when one of them settled in a choke cherry tree above me. I used my flash for the first time for extra light since I was shooting toward the sky.

I took this shot in a tree, too, but closer to the ground. This is another first for me, much smaller than the darner, and probably the first black dragonfly I have photographed this year. It does have a pale blue streak running down it’s back, and large green eyes.

click on photos for larger views

I photographed these two small dragonflies yesterday afternoon on a path near my house. The one in the upper photo is a female white faced meadowhawk, and the lower shot is a male banded-wing meadowhawk. While I was looking up information on meadowhawks, I found that they are usually the last dragonflies seen in the fall.