We watched them at an undisclosed friend's freshwater beach at an undisclosed location. OK, Frederick Lake, but don't tell anyone. They were, as the odonate enthusiasts say, all in tandem: pairs with the lead bird's - er, insect's (hate when I do that) - abdomen's tip stuck on the tail insect's thorax, like a refueling plane stuck on a bomber.
Each pair danced up and down, with every down just dipping the tail gunner (to strain the analogy) in the lake's surface, again and again. My entomologist friend said they were ovipositing (i.e., laying eggs). Not being an entomologist, I of course didn't quite believe her. If they're laying their eggs, why are they mating? Who's on top? Questions, questions. And under cross examination, she didn't know what species they were. Some entomologist. Of course, she was right.
Weeks later I finally got a chance to identify one of the things with iseek, on a baseball bleacher by Bissett Lake. They're Autumn Meadowhawks. Lots of dragonflies lay eggs while in tandem (who knew?), and this one's the latest to be active in our region, right through October.