All through October I wondered when I’ll see the first Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum), a very late-season dragonfly. October 29th, as it turned out.
(The only other species of Odonata generally seen this time of year is the migratory Common Green Darner.)
Another day, I went looking for a mating pair and they found me.
A pretty good illustration of Odonata sex. The male clasps the female at the back of her head and she bends forward to connect with his genitalia in his second abdominal segment. (Sperm is actually produced at the ninth abdominal segment, but he transfers it forward to the second for copulation.)
This one is from November 9th. Will it be my last sighting of the year?
I’ve just published an essay on natural history on Medium if you’d care to check it out.
Backyard and Beyond 
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