Four-Spotted Skimmer

[centuryplant]

This is one of the first skimmers to emerge in late May, at about the same time as the much smaller Dot-Tailed Whiteface. The gold color is brightest when they're absolutely fresh, and fades to a yellowish gray with age.

This photo is ten years old, and I can't remember now what led me to try to pick the dragonfly up. I do remember struggling to manage the camera with one hand, which I guess is my excuse for not quite getting the whole bug in the frame here.