Insect whisperer

After a rather melancholy morning, I joined the boys at the pool and then along came Ben's friend Pau.

This giant insect (6 cms I should think) landed in the pool. I washed it over to the grating where it hung out drying, but the boys kept splashing it. I wasn't sure if it was a kind of hornet and could sting, so I begged the boys to get away as if it got angry it would get them first and then pointed out a French family had just come in with their baby in a buggy. I said, for example, it would be awful if the baby got stung.

Once the boys had taken distance I got some paper to let it crawl on and went to let it limp off over the fence, but suddenly it took flight a good 15m, you've guessed it, straight into the baby's buggy! I squealed whilst running over and begged the parents to quickly unbuckle him, and then grabbed him out. I suppose they must have been a little alarmed at me grabbing their baby, and then they saw that it had crawled right under its leg. Phew!

If anyone can i.d. it for me, I'd be very grateful. And if anyone told me they can understand English, I wouldn't be surprised.

Unfortunately for the poor thing, the father squashed our six legged friend immediately. They reckoned it was hornet, I'm not sure, but I suppose I'm very glad I saw where it went and nothing else happened.

Bed soon. Night night.