As I was walking along a trail I spotted what looked to be a stick hanging from bugloss in a field away from the trail. I figured it was just a twig that fell from a tree and got caught up among the flowers so I kept going and didn't think twice about it. A few moments later I stopped because something didn't seem right about that "twig" so I turned around and went back for a second look. From the trail, it still appeared to be a twig and I was going to leave it at that, but then I thought I better go in there and take a closer look because it still didn't seem quite right. As I got closer that's when I realized it wasn't a twig but this Black Saddlebags dragonfly, a dragon that doesn't occur this far north except as rare stray. Not only that, the only times I have seen this dragon in the past it was always on the wing flying high above, which is characteristic of this species. I was grumbling that a thick layer of clouds had to roll in not long after I set out today but that's probably was caused this dragon to perch among the flowers and enabled a shot of this exceptional dragon for my area.

This was my "quick before it flies away" shot that I took as soon as I was within range. I tried to get closer and get a different angle that I thought would make for a better shot but he wanted none of it and flew off, resuming his normal high flying hunting style above the open field.