As usual I will wait for others to ID the ‘critter’.
I don’t know if it matters but this one was photographed on the edge of a Tupelo and Bald Cypress swamp.
As with most of his cousins he kept returning to his favorite perch. I did not have a heavy long lens so I was able to wait him out. My arms were up to the task.
This one, Ted, looks to me like an immature male Needham’s Skimmer. The shape of the appendages at the end of the abdomen (the “tail”) show that it is a male. The gold-tinged wings and the long dark stripe down the abdomen make me think that it is a Needham’s Skimmer (though there is a chance it might be a Golden-winged Skimmer–a species that I personally have never seen). When male Needham’s Skimmers mature they become an orangish-red in color, which suggests to me this one is immature.
Thanks, I knew either you or Peter Hillman would help out š
We’ll both do our best to educate you. š
It might take some dedication.
The colour is almost unreal!
There are all kinds in the swamps.
This is a dragonfly. It’s a very good shot.