An emperor emerges!

LARGE IS A MUST
There is so much going on around us at the moment!
The pond has been a fascinating microenvironment in itself. When you think about what we have observed already this year - toads mating/laying spawn; diving beetles eating ALL the toadpoles; chaser dragonflies emerging; damselflies emerging; damselflies mating/egg laying; swallows arriving and drinking on the wing.
Today must be emperor dragonfly day because there are already 3 empty nymph cases on the iris leaves and I only just caught this one before it gently allowed the wind to take it on its virgin flight up and over into the field next door. Everything seems to have a time.
Actually, reading the literature, I was led to believe that it took 2 to 3 years for these to reach maturity so I wasn't expecting them until at least next year (the pond being 1 year old). It was so beautiful and so enormous! You don't really get the feeling of size here.
I have a lot of sorting out and processing to do. I took 180 images of Telford during the hour flight yesterday morning and another 180 of the barn owl last night (although there were lots of out of focus shots while I got my panning eye in last night!) And now another 80 or so shots of the dragonfly! Can't see me ever catching up.
I'm also very behind with thank you's for stars, hearts and subs, let alone responses to comments. I do appreciate all of these and the interest you show in my work. The whole blip experience has given me a focus and reason for taking photographs - a real purpose. I suppose a positive thing that has come out of Parkinson's is that I would never have taken all these images if hadn't developed it - I would still be working my butt off at work with no time for myself.

I'll do the exif data when I get home. Love you all! Xx