This is the male Scorpion Fly. It was the female I uploaded yesterday. The Scorpion-like bulbous tail is only seen in the male and is in fact it's genitalia - and doesn't sting! They feed mostly on dead insects, which they frequently steal from the webs of spiders. Mating usually takes place at night. It can be a dangerous time for the male, because if he is not careful, the female might decide to kill him! To avoid this he presents her with a gift of a drop of saliva which, it seems, in the world of Scorpion Flies, is the equivalent of a bunch of roses or a box of chocolates.

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Tags:   Scorpion Fly Male Scorpion Fly Panorpa communis insects saliva chocolates roses wild and free Low Barns Nature Reserve Durham Wildlife Trust UK Wildlife Trusts Canon 600D EOS Sigma 105mm Macro Hand-held one shot macro

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A male Black Redstart showing off the white panel on his wings and the rust-red on his tail.

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Tags:   Black Redstart Male Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros wild and free Turdidae Spain Canon 7D MK II Canon 100-400 rust-red white wire

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Another of my Red Kite images from the other week. The weather has been dull and showery here for the last few days so this is a reminder of what a blue sky looks like!

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Tags:   North Yorkshire Harewood Red Kite Milvus milvus Birds of prey birds in flight Blue Sky wild and free Canon 7D MK II Sigma 150-600 C

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This is another image of the Grey Heron I captured in September with a Black-tailed Skimmer Dragonfly in it's bill.

Published on the front cover of the British Dragonfly Society autumn 2017 magazine.

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Tags:   Grey heron Ardea cinerea herons Dragonflies Black-tailed Skimmer Dragonfly Odonata birds with prey prey wild and free Canon 7D MK II Canon 100-400 Orthetrum cancellatum

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I found this Redwing feeding on the same Rowan tree as the Waxwing yesterday.

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Tags:   Redwing Turdus iliacus Rowan tree Thrushes wild and free Canon 7D MK II Sigma 150-600 C New Year berries birds feeding red berries

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