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 has written a blog about science since 4 August 2004 (the early years are archived 
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