The first thing I saw was a male Striped Meadowhawk flying low over the grass along by the edge of a marsh. But, then I noticed two couples copulating in the grass, below.
Everywhere, there were copulating meadowhawks. In this picture, the male is on the left, the female is on the right. He is holding the back of her head; she is holding his abdomen. The female is doing the work of pumping.
He now protects his investment by travelling with her to where she can lay the fertilized eggs.
That couple was not alone; there were dozens of them dropping eggs along the edge of the marsh.
This must of been fantastic to see.
Photo #3 is one of the best Dragon photos I have ever seen..
kama sutra dragonfly! fabulous stuff, Alistair! A large stack of the September North Columbia Monthly is now on the news stand at Otter Books. Send your friends in to procure their own copy of your wonderful photo of the osprey!