Emergent Southern Hawker

Very busy with our wee visitor so a very late upload tonight. It could have been a landscape from our uphill walk or from our meander round the loch and up the river, even some close ups of insects on flowers but it had to be this emergent dragonfly for tonight.

I have been keeping an eye on the garden pond and tonight I noticed a dragonfly beginning to emerge from it's cocoon like exuvia. I had spotted it on the surface of the pond and had waited like an expectant parent for it to climb up one of the reeds. Today's unexpected warm , bright sunshine must have encouraged it to come out of the water. I missed it climbing but i did see the drragonfly hanging upside down then flipping upwards to catch on the the exuvia for support. The whole process fom emerging to flying off took about 2 and a half hours, enough time to try various lenses and viewpoints. Wellies on I sat by the edge of the pond with our wee visitor, all of 9 years old, all of us including John were completely entranced by what we were watching. hence a very late supper.

If I have time I will process the other images as they are still in RAW format and will upload to my blipfolio.

Really magical moment when the dragonfly , spread its wings and lifted off from the reeds up into the trees. hope it comes back to visit us tomorrow.