Damselfly in slow moving creek looked more blue-green than the bright vivid blue ones nearby.

Western Forktail (Ischnura perparva) is a damselfly. Forktails (Genus Ischnura) is a flying insect in the Narrow-winged Damselflies (Coenagrionidae) family that is found near fresh water, often at the margins of ponds or at edges of slow-running streams. Bluets are found where the stream runs faster.

Field Guide to California Insects, by Kip Will, J. Gross, D. Rubinoff , J. Powell, 2nd ed., 2020, p. 55.

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

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Comparison of Dragonflies and Damselflies: both are flying insects in the Order Odonata that are found near bodies of fresh water. Adults are highly aerial, larvae are aquatic, and all ages are strictly predatory.

Field Guide to California Insects, by Kip Will, J. Gross, D. Rubinoff , J. Powell, 2nd ed., 2020, pp. 51-66.

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.

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

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

Male dragonfly on Manzanita shrub on a hilltop by Butterfly Valley in Fort Ord National Monument. There are several vernal pools close by Butterfly Valley, which is just south of E. Machine Gun Flats Rd. (See map on p. 1 of David Styer's Flora of Fort Ord.)

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.

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

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There are 4 confirmed species of Meadowhawk (genus) dragonflies in Monterey County 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