I was delighted on Monday to spot multiple Autumn Meadowhawk dragonflies (Sympetrum vicinum) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. During the past couple of weeks I saw a few female Autumn Meadowhawks, but until this week I had not photographed a single male—I think that all of the dragonflies that I spotted that day were males. Females are mostly brown with touches of red, while the bodies of males are mostly red, as you can see in the photo below.
Autumn Meadowhawks are only about 1.2 inches (30 mm) in length, so they are difficult to spot, despite their bright coloration. At this time of the year when fallen leaves litter the ground, they tend to blend in pretty well with their surroundings.
I was using my Tamron 150-600mm lens with a monopod, my preferred combination for photographing birds, so it was a challenge to focus on such tiny subjects as dragonflies. I was persistent, however, and was successful in capturing some pretty detailed shots of them.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Interesting rock! Seems like it has lines in it. Do you know anything about rocks? 😃 (NO worries if not. 🙂
The dragonfly is actually perched on a log that has deteriorated and weathered quire a bit and has lost its bark. 🙂 For the record, I know almost nothing about rocks, with the exception of rock music. 🙂
Lol!