Variegated Meadowhawk

Erika and I observed numerous dragonflies during our walk on the beach at Westport, Washington, on 26 August 2019. Unfortunately, only one posed for a photograph—this Variegated Meadowhawk. We were surprised to see any dragonflies at all, since all but a very few of these insects breed in salt water. Variegated Meadowhawks, however, are known for their migratory behavior—thus this individual may have not have bred locally. This species makes complicated migrations. Northern breeders winter in the south, sometimes far from water. Huge fall flights are recorded along the Pacific Coast of the United States. Thousands have been counted along the coast, at rates of up to 500 per minute (Paulson 2009). Variegated Meadowhawks, whose breeding range is poorly known, has been recorded from southern Canada south to northern Central America.