It took me forever to get a shot of him (he was busy mating off & on with some female dragonflies nearby), but he finally took a rest on the tip of this plant right near where I was leaning...

Sympetrum illotum (Cardinal Meadowhawk), Males perch low over or adjacent to still or slow-moving water at ponds, canals, and small open streams. The eyes are red to go with an orange-red face, and they often perch expectantly, wings bowed forward, ready to launch at any moment.