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Bright, red Cardinal Meadowhawk by Willows near a year-round stream.
Link to sharper close-up confirmed observation showing thorax with 2 white spots: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/206469198
Link to Mating Cardinal Meadowhawks: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/214078829
When joined together, they exhibit "mate-guarding" behavior while the female lays eggs with tail-dipping motions into water.

Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum). Meadowhawks (Genus Sympetrum) are dragonflies in the Skimmers (Libellulidae) family. Adult male Carninal Meadowhawk is 38-40mm long. It has a red head, face, thorax, and abdomen. The thorax has two distinct white lateral spots. Wing veins are bright red, becoming dull brownish-red apically (at tip). Female has the same pattern as male, but is a more dull tan color, including on the wing veins. It flies from March through December with a peak in early summer. They are usually seen around standing water, pond, margins, along roadside ditches, lakes, and vernal pools where they lay their eggs.

Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West by Dennis Paulson, 2009, pp. 456-457, and 459-460.

Field Guide to California Insects, by Kip Will, J. Gross, D. Rubinoff , J. Powell, 2nd ed., 2020, pp. 64-66.

BugGuide: https://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Sympetrum+illotum

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There are 4 confirmed species of Meadowhawk (genus) dragonflies in Monterey County, CA (as of 4/30/24) on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=36.798096691810976&nelng=-121.60547559070926&place_id=any&quality_grade=research&subview=map&swlat=36.42108931984111&swlng=-122.82633130359989&taxon_id=51556&view=species

Meadowhawks (Genus Sympetrum) are dragonflies in the Skimmers (Libellulidae) family.
Field Guide to California Insects, by Kip Will, J. Gross, D. Rubinoff , J. Powell, 2nd ed., 2020, pp. 61-66.
BugGuide, genus Sympetrum: https://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Sympetrum

Dragonflies and Damselflies are flying insects in the Order Odonata. Adults are highly aerial. Larvae are aquatic and predatory. Adult dragonflies are characterized by a pair of large, multifaceted compound eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with colored patches, and an elongated body. Dragonflies can be mistaken for the closely related Damselflies, but the wings of most dragonflies are held flat, outward at a right angle, away from the body, while damselflies hold their wings folded at rest, above, or parallel to the abdomen. Dragonflies are agile fliers, while damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight.

Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America, Eaton and Kaufman, 2006, pp. 42-53.

See INaturalist Project: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/dragonflies-and-damselflies-of-the-new-world

In general, BugGuide: Arthropods: Photos of Insects, Spiders & Their Kin (US & Canada), clickable categories or use search bar (scientific name): https://bugguide.net/node/view/3/bgpage

Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West by Dennis Paulson, 2009

Dragonflies and Damselflies of California by Tim Manolis, 2003