Green damsel

[MN Shutterbug]

Not much to shoot around here these days, so I'll take what I can get. It's really tough to focus on the eyes of something like this, with a 400mm lens. I don't believe I had ever seen a green damselfly before. I see quite a few blue ones, and when I was a kid red ones were all over the place.

[dockothebay]

Really pretty - and you did a very fine job focusing on those little eyes!

[MN Shutterbug]

Thanks Jackie, but the eyes in comparison to the rest of their head, are quite large.

[Birdsong]

Pretty little green guy! Nice photo.

[Canon Guy]

I don't think I've seen one of those before. Nice capture!

[Steve Foss]

so I'll take what I can get.

That's all any of us can do.

A fine looking damselfly, Mike. It looks like a male ebony jewelwing to me. Excellent job on the comp and focus. They usually don't stay still for very long once they land. Was this shot along a creek, river or water of some type?

[MN Shutterbug]

Thanks for the comments.

Actually Steve, this was shot within about 25 yards of a creek. Have you been spying on me? How in the world can you tell it's a male? Do you see something I don't?

[Steve Foss]

I have "Damselflies of the North Woods," by Bob DuBois. It's part of the North Woods Naturalist field guide series. While it covers the northwoods, many of the species found here are also found in other places. And while the ebony jewelwing isn't a prairie species, some woodland species make their way into prairie zones by living along "gallery" forest (woodlands that border rivers/creeks and extend as fingers of forest out into the prairies.)

The ebony jewelwing is never found far from water, and the guide I mentioned shows males and females. I've also photographed the ebony jewelwing up here numerous times, and your specimen looks exactly like the males I've seen. Females have different color patterns.

[Catmendo]

Excellent work Mike, the colors are awesome!

[Dbl]

Cool shot X! I like it.

[finnbay]

Well done, Mike! I have a tough time getting them to sit still long enough to get a shot!