Common Whitetail

 

While walking this morning in Connetquot River State Park, I spotted this common whitetail skimmer. It's easy to see why this dragonfly got its name, with its striking white abdomen. Because only a mature male has a white tail, it's also easy to determine what sex it is. In the second picture the dragonfly is spread out on the ground, sunning itself. Dragonflies often do this in the morning to warm up their wing muscles before starting their day of flying.