The empty view downstream Usually when I look downstream, I never have to wait long to spot a steady stream of critters moving upstream in my direction. Not so today. The dragonfly population has taken a rapid nosedive and while the odonate flight season is not over by any means, the numbers are way down. Now, when I watch the stream, there's not much to see, save, every day, a little more gold in the light and in the leaves: the first hints of autumn. Even though the weather remains warm and humid, there's a faint chill in the air that has nothing to do with the temperature.