Cardinal Meadowhawk

Most meadowhawks (Sympetrum) are red—at least the males are, and sometimes the females too—but the Cardinal Meadowhawk (S. illotum) is about as red as they get. Mature males are simply vivid. Among the first spring-flying dragonflies in the Pacific Northwest lowlands west of the Cascades, it’s a welcome splash of color after a damp, dreary winter. Look for them at marshes and well-vegetated ponds and lakes of all sizes.