Striped Meadowhawk

The sun is finally shining in the Pacific Northwest again, at least for three days. My husband, a friend and I headed to one of our favorite dragonfly haunts, Ben Irving Reservoir, Douglas County, Oregon. A few dragonflies are still flying even though we’ve had lots of rain and a light frost. I noticed this striped meadowhawk kept returning to the same strand of grass so I sat down on the grassy bank to sketch and draw. The little dragonfly was kind enough to even land on my hand a half dozen times so I could get a better look.

It felt wonderful soaking up sunshine and enjoying the insects around me. Nearby two spotted towhees and two Bewicks wrens took turns peering out of dense poison oak. Off in the distance a small flock of Canada geese grazed on green grasses and a great egret hunted in the shallows.

Sometimes I’m surprised at the things I see when I draw. At first I assumed all six feet rested on the stand of old grass, but then I realized there is a reason for the tiny barbs on his legs. He uses the barbs rather like tree surgeon uses climbing irons.