Scorpion

Initially twitching..and even getting the shot , the distance was so staggering that the image had written all over it, 'Could do better!' The red-necked phalarope rare and quite interesting in it's own way is unusual in the bird world. Another day, another blip :))

Catching sight of this on the canal bank, on the nettles I took a few shots. Rain and wind a slight problem here I feel, so upped the ISO but someone up there is having a laugh with our weather! Not until I got home and ran it by the computer was it obvious to me, it was a scorpion fly. Named for obvious reasons I feel when you look at the tail.

This is a male and the scorpion tail is in fact the claspers with which he holds the female and which he uses in courtship displays. Mating at night and all a bit dodgy for him by the sound of it - he has to bring her a present - box of chocolates, dead insect .....whatever.... to placate her just to survive. She lays the eggs in the soil. The long mouthparts help him in the scavenging of dead insects.

I love the wings and that is what initially drew me to him - very - scorpion!