The end of the season has come for most species of dragonflies, with only a few hardy survivors still flying. However, I am delighted that to note that I am still seeing plenty of Autumn Meadowhawk dragonflies (Sympetrum vicinum) and expect to continue see them for at least a number of months. For me, the appearance of these bright red dragonflies is one of the signs of the change of the seasons.
I love trying to capture images of Autumn Meadowhawks perching on colorful fall foliage, but they are rarely as cooperative as the dragonfly featured in the first two photos. I’ll be trying to capture similar shots as the season progresses. The final photo provides a somewhat more isolated view of the stunning brown eyes of this male Autumn Meadowhawk and the beautiful red tones of its body.
The dragonfly season may be winding down, but from my perspective it is far from being over.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I like the ones on the fall-colored leaves.
Thanks, Dan. The dragonflies blend in pretty well with the red leaves. I included the shot on the green leaves primarily because it gave a sharper view of the dragonfly itself. I personally prefer the more artsy approach with the colorful leaves.
Very nice Mike! Glad you are still seeing & photographing Dragonflies! I have only seen a couple here during our walks and they were flying in the distance.
Gorgeous captures, Mike.
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Thanks, Mitzy. I love seeing these little red dragonflies, especially because they appear when things are really slowing down insect-wise.
Happy to see that you’re still having happy hunting.
Red on red… perfect!
Thanks, Chris. Red is one of the colors I tend to associate with autumn, so it is kind of a seasonal image for me.
Second shot looks like a portrait!!
It is tough to get a dragonfly to pose for a portrait–that shot is about as close as I can get.
The Dragonfly whisperer!