Beetling along

I removed this nice stag-beetle from the path of oncoming traffic in the early evening. At first I thought it was a female Lucanus cervus because its antlers are fairly small but now I think its a not-very-well-endowed male.

Whatever sex, it is out on the lam - hoping to find other beetles to mate with before it dies. Stag beetles don't live very long and have to take their pleasures where they can.

As its saviour it seemed only fair that I should be able to take a snap of it on my hand before putting it into the safety of the hedgerow.

Stag beetles are rare but we always get a few around the town each summer, probably because of the old oak trees that are dotted about nearby.

They fly (though rather weirdly because of their size) - and on humid, thundery evenings at this time of year you will often come across males flying out like incompetent bats to look for a mate.

When I'm cycling uphill and breathless, I'm always a bit anxious that one might try and fly into my mouth. It would be a bad experience for both of us