A selection of dragonfly photos are given below. All taken with my Panasonic Lumix FZ45 Bridge camera since the summer of 2012. Ordered as follows:

Aeshnidae - Hawker dragonflies
Corduliidae - Emerald dragonflies
Libellulidae - Chase, Skimmer and Darter dragonflies

The countries indicated after each name denotes where the species shown in the photographs were seen.

All photos copyright of the author unless stated otherwise.

Aeshnidae - Hawker dragonflies

Migrant Hawker - Aeshna mixta (UK)
First three - two individuals photographed near (first) and at (second and third) Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, UK, August 2014.

Four and five - Old Moor RSPB, South Yorkshire, UK, August 2014.

Next three - Kilnsea, East Yorkshire, UK, August 2014.

Nine and ten - Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, UK, August 2015 and Sep. 2016.

Next two - Hatfield Moors, South Yorkshire, Sep. 2016.

Next two - Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, UK, Sep. 2016 and Aug. 2017

Bottom one - Kilnsea, East Yorkshire, UK, Sep. 2019.

Southern Migrant Hawker (Blue-eyed Hawker) - Aeshna affinis (UK)
This rare Mediterranean visitor to the UK has been seen along the Thames Estuary east of the Dartford Bridge in recent years. All of the following are from Wat Tyler CP, Pitsea, Essex (August 2015) except the bottom three - from Canvey Island, Essex (July 2017).

Southern Hawker - Aeshna cyanea (UK)

Photos of this very smart dragonfly from the woodland area at Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, UK in August 2013 (top), July 2015 (next two) and September 2015 (next two). Photos from the same locality in Sep. 2016 (next three) and Borehamwood, Herts. (Aug. 2021)

Brown Hawker - Aeshna grandis (UK)

Hitching a lift on the train near Elstree, Herts., UK in August 2012 (top). The second one in more natural surroundings at Wittenham Clumps, Oxon. (August 2012).

Norfolk Hawker - Aeshna isoceles (GER)

Photo from Waghäusel, Baden-Württemberg, Germany at the beginning of June 2022.

Emperor Dragonfly - Anax imperator (UK)

A regularly seen summer dragonfly (first 2) - seen at Old Lodge, Ashdown Forest, Sussex (June 2014) and (3rd) - photographed at Rainham Marshes RSPB, London (July 2015). Photographed in the Black Forest, Germany, May 2019 (bottom).

Lesser Emperor Dragonfly - Anax parthenope (UK)

A record shot of the one that spent an hour or so at the Dragonfly Pond at Rainham marshes RSPB, London on Saturday 11 July 2015.

Green Darner - Anax junius (USA)
This "Emperor" type dragonfly was easy to see yet trick to photograph at Cape May, New Jersey, Oct 2015.

Swamp Darner - Epiaeschna hero (USA)
This fine "Emperor" type dragonfly seen a couple of times during the trip in May 2017, with this example photographed at Cape May Point State Park.

Hairy Dragonfly - Brachytron pratense (UK)

The top two played "hide and seek" in the Cordite woodland at Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, UK in June and July 2012 respectively. The bottom one was taken at Rainham Marshes RSPB in July 2013.

Painted Skimmer - Libellula semifasciata (USA)
A well marked dragonfly showing at Cape May Point State Park, New Jersey, USA in May 2018.

Gomphidae - Club-tailed dragonflies

Common Club-tailed Dragonfly - Gomphus vulgatissimus (Ger)

Common Club-tailed Dragonfly frequenting a weir along a canal near Blankenloch, Karlsruhe, Germany in June 2015.

Corduliidae - Emerald dragonflies

Brilliant Emerald - Somatochlora metallica (UK)

This localised dragonfly is truly metallic as the scientific name suggests. Fairly common to see at the stream of Old Lodge, Ashdown Forest, Sussex in June 2014 where these photos were taken.

Libellulidae - Chaser, Skimmer and Darter dragonflies

Halloween Pennant - Celithemis eponina (USA)

Late in the season for this striking ode, Cape May, NJ, Sep/Oct 2013.

Eastern Pondhawk - Erythemis simplicicollis (USA)

A common dragonfly at Cape May, giving many photo opportunities. Green = female and blue = male. Cape May, New Jersey, Sep/Oct 2013. The last one was photographed in May 2017.

Blue Corporal - Ladona deplanata (USA)

Plentiful on the sandy floor of Belleplain State Forest, Cape May County in May 2013.

Broad-bodied Chaser - Libellula depressa (UK)

Reasonably common in southern England. Top two - one of several in the acid bog area of Old Lodge, Ashdown Forest, Sussex in June 2014. Next - from Rainham Marshes RSPB, London in June 2018. Bottom - from Rainham Marshes RSPB, London in June 2019.

Scarce Chaser - Libellula fulva (UK)

A cracking dragonfly species, seen at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB, Norfolk in June 2014. Typical of this species it favoured perching on vegetation and one returned to the same twig like a Spotted Flycatcher. Note the dark colouring on the inner wing characteristic of this species plus the rubbing on the abdomen. The next three photos are from Waghäusel, Germany, June 2015 with the last from the same location (Apr/May 2016).

Painted Skimmer - Libellula semifasciata (USA)
A well marked dragonfly showing at Cape May Point State Park, New Jersey, USA in May 2018.

Twelve-spotted Skimmer - Libellula pulchella (USA)

Simply stunning! Seen in a variety of habitats at Cape May, NJ, Sep/Oct 2013.

Four-spotted Chaser - Libellula quadrimaculata (UK)

This beauty perched up nicely at Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, UK in June 2012 (first 3). The next was from Old Lodge, Ashdown Forest, Sussex sighted in June 2014. Next - Lakenheath Fen RSPB, Suffolk (May 2017) and Rainham Marshes RSPB, London (June 2018). Bottom - Rainham Marshes RSPB, London (June 2019).

Common Whitetail - Plathemis lydia (USA)
A lot of these stunning dragonflies emerged at Cape May Point on the last day of my trip in May 2015.

Blue-faced Meadowhawk - Sympetrum ambiguum (USA)
One or two seen in the State Park at Cape May, New Jersey, Oct 2015.

Black-tailed Skimmer - Orthetrum cancellatum (UK & Ger)

Common at Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, UK in June and July 2012 and the same months of 2013. Top two photos taken in July 2012 with the next three - Rainham Marshes RSPB (July 2013), Waghäusel, Germany (June 2015) and Rainham Marshes RSPB (July 2015). The following three from Old Moor RSPB, Barnsley, South Yorkshire in Sep. 2016, with the final two from Waghäusel, Germany (June 2018) .

Keeled Skimmer - Orthetrum coerulescens (UK & Cyprus)

Easily seen in the acidic boggy areas of Old Lodge, Ashdown Forest, Sussex (June 2014).

anceps subspecies below (Cyprus Sep/Oct 2014).

Ruddy Darter - Sympetrum sanguineum (UK)

Common at Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, UK throughout June and July 2012, and in the same months of 2013. The top four all taken in 2012 with the next three - in order from Rainham Marshes RSPB (July 2013), Wombwell Ings RSPB, South Yorkshire (August 2014) and Rainham Marshes RSPB (July 2015). The bottom two from Rainham Marshes RSPB (July 2016).

Common Darter - Sympetrum striolatum (UK)

Photos from Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, Wittenham Clumps, Oxon., Old Moor RSPB, South Yorkshire respectively in August 2012 with the last two from Kilnsea, East Yorkshire in August 2014 and Old Moor RSPB, Barnsley, South Yorkshire (Sep. 2016).

Red-veined Darter - Sympetrum fonscolombii (Cyprus, Ger & UK)
Easily seen in Cyprus (Sep/Oct 2014) - first six. Present at Waghäusel, Germany in June 2015 - next three. From Cyprus (Oct 2016) - next five. The next six are from Kelling Water Meadows, Norfolk, UK in May 2017 - scarce visitor to the UK, but seems to be on the increase. The penultimate two are of a female photographed at Spurn (Beacon Lane) in Sep. 2017, with the last from Anarita Park, Cyprus in Oct. 2019.

Black Darter - Sympetrum danae (UK) Several examples present at the peat bog habitat characteristic of Hatfield Moors, South Yorkshire (Sep. 2016).

Scarlet Dragonfly - Crocothemis erythraea (GER)
Scarlet Dragonfly (Broad Scarlet) present at Waghäusel, Germany in June 2015 (top 3), and June 2018.

Carolina Saddlebags - Tramea Carolina (USA)

As with Black Saddlebags this big dragonfly species more usually seen in flight, Cape May, Sep/Oct 2013.

Black Saddlebags - Tramea lacerate (USA)

Lucky to see this big dragonfly species perched up, more usually seen carrying its rucksack in flight, Cape May, Sep/Oct 2013 (top) and Oct 2015 (bottom).

Violet Dropwing - Trithemis annulata (Cyprus)

Stunning dragonfly from Cyprus: seen at the isolated pools along the dried up river bed near Paphos Sewage Works (Sep/Oct 2014) - (first two) and the others from Asprokremmos Dam (Oct 2016 and Oct 2019).