Dragonfly emergence

In the years I have been watching dragonflies I have never witnessed an emergence.  Until now. After a cold wet spring we have finally had some sunny weather and our first four-spotted chasers are on the wing.  Yesterday I was out fairly early in the hope of seeing just this when I noticed a nymph on a dead reed about 40cm above the water.  It was still moving and getting comfortable so I sat down to watch at 09.30.

All movement stopped and at 09.45 the first split along the back of the thorax began to appear.

The split extended to the back of the head and the head appeared.

Then the dragonfly gradually hauled itself out until only its abdomen was still in the exoskeleton.

It hung like that for quite a few minutes until at 10.09 it suddenly sprang forward, grasped the exuvia and pulled out the rest of its abdomen.

Then over the next hour the wings and the abdomen slowly expanded.  At the same time the body was darkening and the wing spots began to appear.

The dragonfly's position was changing as it was being blown about in the breeze and the wings suddenly opened at 11.13.

The next stage was to climb up onto the exuvia and a few minutes later to climb higher up the reed.

It sat in the sunshine at the top of the reed for several minutes and then suddenly flew off, exactly two hours after the whole process started.  This dragonfly is male and he will stay away from the water while he hunts and builds up his strength for a few days.  Then he'll return and go on patrol in the hope of finding a mate.  

This was one of the most amazing things I have seen in a long time, even though I knew what was going to happen.  To watch an ugly water-breathing nymph turn into a beautiful, air-breathing, flying dragonfly was mesmerising.