A hornet carrying away its food

I saw this large insect in the distance and wondered what it was. When it returned on a closer flight it landed on a flower and I assumed it was feeding on nectar.

It was only when it flew off that I saw it was carrying some winged insects between its forelegs. It must have landed on the flower and caught these small insects and bundled them up. Maybe it stung them to paralyse them. It was a formidable looking creature and much bigger than most bees.