Comments on: The Purple Martin with dragonfly Image Optimization. And learning about exposure compromises … https://www.birdsasart-blog.com/baa/2020/05/03/the-purple-martin-with-dragonfly-image-optimization-and-learning-about-exposure-compromises/ The blog of bird photographer Arthur Morris Fri, 07 Mar 2025 15:47:20 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 By: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART https://www.birdsasart-blog.com/baa/2020/05/03/the-purple-martin-with-dragonfly-image-optimization-and-learning-about-exposure-compromises/comment-page-1/#comment-1783735 Sun, 03 May 2020 22:04:37 +0000 http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/?p=67228#comment-1783735 In reply to Blair Nikula.

Thanks a stack, Blair. Are you still with Manomet? Are you in touch with Brian Harrington? I can’t imagine that you are not still stoked by shorebirds! Great to hear from you.

with love, artie

]]> By: Blair Nikula https://www.birdsasart-blog.com/baa/2020/05/03/the-purple-martin-with-dragonfly-image-optimization-and-learning-about-exposure-compromises/comment-page-1/#comment-1783734 Sun, 03 May 2020 20:57:51 +0000 http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/?p=67228#comment-1783734 Hi Artie,
The dragonfly in the martin’s bill is not a green darner. Darners, like most dragonflies, have very large eyes that meet in a seam across the top of the head. The eyes on the martin’s dragonfly are rather widely separated (more like a damselfly in that respects), which means it’s one of the clubtail dragonflies (family Gomphidae). There are many species, they are often very difficult to identify, and I don’t know that a positive identification can be made from the photo. I’m not familiar with the most likely species in your area, however most are riverine species, so I would guess it’s not one of those. The rusty end of the abdomen suggests Russet-tailed Clubtail (Stylurus plagiatus) as a possibility, a species which inhabits lakes, including brackish habitats.

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