Pointing The Way

This Arrowhead Spiketail dragonfly (Cordulegaster obliqua), named appropriately for the yellow markings on its abdomen that look like arrowheads, was one of the toughest dragonflies I have encountered.  As the temperatures cooled at the cabin one night, I found him perched on a low shrub for the evening.  He did not move at all when I took numerous photographs of him, even the extremely close shots.  The next morning, after a long rainstorm throughout the night and then a heavy dew in the clear morning, he was still hanging onto his branch.  He had large water drops all over his eyes, body, and wings, providing interesting photo opportunities.  Eventually, he dried off when the sun rose high enough and he zipped off to find breakfast.