GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in 
tags: Widow Skimmer, Libella luctuosa, dragonfly, Image of the Day
A male Widow Skimmer, Libella luctuosa, photographed in July on Konza Prairie.
This is one of the "King Skimmers", and is found across much of the USA except for Florida, the Rockies, and the intermountain West. Dragonflies are territorial and return to the same perch quite often, which made photographing this one relatively easy. I have a friend, Mark Chappell, who is up to the challenge of photographing dragonflies in flight.
Image: Dave Rintoul, KSU [larger]
Comments
Pretty!
When I was little in el salvador I used to tie a string on their leg and have them fly in circles. Am I cruel?
Posted by: Federico | August 4, 2007 1:53 AM