Thursday, September 15, 2011

Saffron-winged Meadowhawk

I spend a lot of time watching and photographing dragonflies, but not enough time sketching them. This one kept returning to the same stem. There was an added incentive to draw in that I wasn't sure what species I had in front of me. I knew it was a female meadowhawk, but which one? Could I draw it well enough to identify it when I had my field guide in hand?

Her body is rusty orange; no thoratic stripes; golden on the forward edge of her wings; and just a little golden-tan on her legs.

When I got home I looked in "Dragonflies and Damselflies of Oregon" by Kert and Gordon. .... it's a Saffron-winged meadowhawk. I have to admit there is a certain sdatisfaction to being able to identify the little dragonfly from just my drawing.

2 comments:

  1. I can see why you could id it. Great observation turned in to a painting.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wonderful drawing of the Dragonfly…well done.

    ReplyDelete

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