Slaty Skimmers

Back in July, I noticed a couple Slaty Skimmers among the many blue dragonflies out there. Most of the light blue ones were Eastern Pondhawk, while the dark blue ones tended to be Slaty Skimmers.

I'm a little surprised I haven't done a post on these before. Slaty Skimmers are fairly common around here, partly because they're relatively flexible about habitat. And they're apparently expanding their range into places like Wisconsin.

Some have described these guys as "curious" since they'll sometimes hover in front of you, though I'm thinking this is just the dragonfly doing a "threat assessment" on you.

July 23, 2021 at the Plainsboro Preserve
Photo 148592711, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

July 23, 2021 at the Plainsboro Preserve
Photo 148592691, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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