The following gallery shows 33 finalists for my “Top 10 Photos of 2016.” The photos are presented in reverse-chronological order beginning in December 2016 and ending in May 2016.
The Top 10 photos will be selected using reader feedback. Please enter a comment at the end of this post listing the number for each of your 10 favorite photos. If listing 10 photos is asking too much, then please list at least five photos, e.g., No. 5, 8, 14, 17, 21, etc. Thanks for sharing your selections, and thanks for following my photoblog!
No. 1
The following specimen was collected on 16 May 2016 (with permission from park staff) along the Potomac River at Riverbend Park, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. (This studio photograph, taken on 25 December 2016, hasn’t been published in a post.)
16 MAY 2016 | Riverbend Park | Gomphurus vastus exuvia
No. 2
The next specimen was collected on 07 July 2016 along the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia USA. (This studio photograph was taken on 02 December 2016.)
07 JUL 2016 | Potomac River | Eastern Amberwing (exuvia, head-on)
No. 3
06 NOV 2016 | Huntley Meadows Park | Great Spreadwing (female)
No. 4
14 OCT 2016 | JMAWR | Shadow Darner (female heteromorph)
No. 5
14 OCT 2016 | JMAWR | Russet-tipped Clubtail (male)
No. 6
![A Black Saddlebags dragonfly (Tramea lacerata) spotted at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. [*]](https://waltersanford.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/p1390405-rw2-ver3_aperture-bfx39.jpg)
10 OCT 2016 | Huntley Meadows Park | Black Saddlebags (male)
No. 8
27 SEP 2016 | Mason Neck West Park | Wandering Glider (female)
No. 9
No. 10
No. 11
15 SEP 2016 | Huntley Meadows Park | Wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus)
No. 12
15 SEP 2015 | JMAWR | Blue-faced Meadowhawk (female andromorph)
No. 13
No. 14
08 AUG 2016 | Riverbend Park | Black-shouldered Spinyleg (female)
No. 15
04 AUG 2016 | Riverbend Park | Black-shouldered Spinyleg (male)
No. 16
04 AUG 2016 | Riverbend Park | Eastern Ringtail (female)
No. 17
04 AUG 2016 | Riverbend Park | American Rubyspot (female)
No. 18
15 JUL 2016 | Huntley Meadows Park | Halloween Pennant (female)
No. 19
No. 20
15 JUL 2016 | Huntley Meadows Park | Spot-winged Glider (female)
No. 21
11 JUL 2016 | OBNWR | Halloween Pennant (female)
No. 22
No. 23
02 JUL 2016 | MRA | Carolina Saddlebags (male)
No. 24
26 JUN 2016 | JMAWR | Swift Setwing (male)
No. 25
26 JUN 2016 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male)
No. 26
24 JUN 2016 | HMP | Slender Spreadwing (adult male)
No. 27
24 JUN 2016 | HMP | Slender Spreadwing (mating pair, “in heart“)
No. 28
21 June 2016 | Dragonhunter dragonfly (female)
No. 29
18 JUN 2016 | OBNWR | Calico Pennant (female)
No. 30
18 JUN 2016 | OBNWR | Calico Pennant (male)
No. 31
No. 32
26 MAY 2016 | Huntley Meadows Park | Painted Skimmer (teneral male)
No. 33
Editor’s Note: The following location codes are used in some photo captions, shown above.
- HMP = Huntley Meadows Park
- JMAWR = Jackson Mile Abbott Wetland Refuge (#24 on the map)
- MNWP = Mason Neck West Park
- MRA = Meadowood Recreation Area
- OBNWR = Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge
- WP/DC = Wickford Park/Dogue Creek
Copyright © 2016 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags: Dogue Creek, Huntley Meadows Park, Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, Mason Neck West Park, Meadowood Recreation Area, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, retrospective, Wickford Park, wildlife photography
walter sanford's photoblog 
December 30, 2016 at 7:34 am |
What a fantastic selection of images! They are all superb, but here are my ten, in no particular order: 18, 8, 10, 11, 30, 17, 2, 28, 16 and 15.
December 31, 2016 at 10:35 am |
Thanks for voting, Pete. I’ll say more after the poll is closed.
December 30, 2016 at 9:02 am |
29 – 19 – 4 – 8 – 23 – 3 – 13 for sure my faves,
followed by 17 – 22 – 25
it is torture trying to pick 10
I get a kick out of your pictures and descriptions, and from time to time your enthusiasm for a particular subject brings a smile to my face. :o)
December 31, 2016 at 10:36 am |
Thoroughly enjoyed your comment, “lurker!” Please lurk less and comment more in the future. Thanks for voting!
December 30, 2016 at 12:05 pm |
They are all great shots!! My top 10 are: 1, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 18, 22, 29, 32
Thanks for sharing!!!
December 31, 2016 at 10:37 am |
You’re too kind, Erin! Thanks for voting.
December 30, 2016 at 12:20 pm |
Nice selection Walter and thanks for all your ID help this year. My favorites in no particular order are 5,6,9,13,18 (excellent),19,24, 25, 32.
December 31, 2016 at 10:38 am |
It is a pleasure to help, Fred — I enjoy the challenge! Thanks for voting.
December 31, 2016 at 4:54 am |
My absolute favorite is probably either 18 or 21. The other picks for me. in no particular order. are 5, 9, 13, 16, 17, 22, 24 and 25.
December 31, 2016 at 10:39 am |
Thanks for voting, Mike! We share some of the same faves, probably a result of the fact that we visit many of the same places. I’ll say more after the poll is closed.
December 31, 2016 at 5:49 pm |
It was tough for me to try to be objective, because I know how rare and unusual some of these species are in our area. When I am the one pushing the shutter button in those circumstances, a certain amount of emotion is attached to the moment and to the corresponding images. That tends to make certain photos special to me for reasons that others may not fully grasp. I suspect that you have similar feelings about some of your images, judging from some of your posts about new finds.
December 31, 2016 at 10:04 pm |
Love them all, but if I have to pick…3, 5, 8, 28, 33, 24, 13, 27, 19,10
January 1, 2017 at 11:32 am |
Thanks for voting, Mike B. I’m too close to the photos to be completely objective, plus as Mike Powell said, I’m biased by the fact that I know how challenging it was to find some of the subjects.
January 1, 2017 at 3:54 pm |
Hey Walt, these are too fabulous to rate but since you asked ….
19, 13. 32, 4, 30, 29, 16, 18, 21, 23
I have really enjoyed viewing these. Thank you for asking!!! Happy New Year. Tif
January 1, 2017 at 7:53 pm |
Thanks for the kind words, Tiffany! Seems like many of your favorites are the red dragonflies.
January 1, 2017 at 10:03 pm |
6,8,13,16,17,18,21,29,30,32
January 1, 2017 at 10:29 pm |
5
7
9
10
11
18
21
23
25
32
January 3, 2017 at 12:58 pm |
Oof, that was tough…so many fabulous shots.
10 and 11 are definitely at the top of my list, with 23, 22, and 32 a close second. Then, 16, 18, 30, 6, and 8 in no particular order.
Always awed by your talent!
January 5, 2017 at 12:59 am |
Wow. That was difficult. It was also hard to just focus on the composition and not my favorite species, but here is what caught my eye in order: 2, 28, 13, 16, 14, 18, 19, 29, 8, 6. I had a hard time not including #10, that was beautiful. I will try not to go back and second guess myself now, tempting as that may be!
Excellent work, Walter. I always enjoy your images and posts.
January 22, 2017 at 4:14 am |
[…] the winners of the Peopoll’s Choice Awards for my Top 10 Photos of 2016. The Top 10 photos were selected using reader feedback. Sincere thanks for your […]