In August 2008 I moved into my new home. It was a very hot day and I saw
something very similar to this.

http://prehistoricparkip.wikia.com/wiki/Giant_Dragonfly

It was about 10 inches long and was hovering.
It had a head something like the head of a horse, thus I always thought
incorrectly they were called Horse Flies.
I saw them many years ago in a swamp - England.

Any idea what these horrible things may have been? This is not a wind up.

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 11 Sep 2013 15:24:16 +0100, "Mr Pounder"
wrote:

In August 2008 I moved into my new home. It was a very hot day and I saw
something very similar to this.

http://prehistoricparkip.wikia.com/wiki/Giant_Dragonfly

It was about 10 inches long and was hovering.
It had a head something like the head of a horse, thus I always thought
incorrectly they were called Horse Flies.
I saw them many years ago in a swamp - England.

Any idea what these horrible things may have been? This is not a wind up.

Ginandtonicus pluralis?

No thanks.

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 11 Sep 2013 18:55:18 +0100, "Mr Pounder"
wrote:


"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
. ..
On Wed, 11 Sep 2013 15:24:16 +0100, "Mr Pounder"
wrote:

In August 2008 I moved into my new home. It was a very hot day and I saw
something very similar to this.

http://prehistoricparkip.wikia.com/wiki/Giant_Dragonfly

It was about 10 inches long and was hovering.
It had a head something like the head of a horse, thus I always thought
incorrectly they were called Horse Flies.
I saw them many years ago in a swamp - England.

Any idea what these horrible things may have been? This is not a wind
up.

Ginandtonicus pluralis?

No thanks.

Joking apart, and assuming it wasn't a reincarnation of Meganeura from
350 million years ago, then I'm puzzled. Wiki gives a list of the
largest living insects he
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_insects

I'm no ornithologist, but my best guess (and it is only a guess) is
that it was a Merlin, the smallest of the UK resident birds of prey (a
little larger than a blackbird), which does occasionally hover, and is
known to winter on coastal marshes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlin_%28bird%29

Thanks for the reply, it was not a bird.
This thing was long, thin and had what looked like a pointed tail.

"Malcolm" wrote in message
...

In article , Mr Pounder
writes
In August 2008 I moved into my new home. It was a very hot day and I saw
something very similar to this.

http://prehistoricparkip.wikia.com/wiki/Giant_Dragonfly

It was about 10 inches long and was hovering.
It had a head something like the head of a horse, thus I always thought
incorrectly they were called Horse Flies.
I saw them many years ago in a swamp - England.

Any idea what these horrible things may have been? This is not a wind up.


Where was it hovering? Close to flowers, for example, as if feeding from
them?

There are no 10-inch-long flying invertebrates native to the UK. The
largest dragonflies are up to 3 nches long.

When I first saw them years ago there were quite a few of them hovering
over a swamp.
In 2008 there was just one hovering in the back garden. Dunno if it was
eating the plants, I did not stay there long enough. Yup, I sort of ran
away...

"Malcolm" wrote


Mr Pounder writes
In August 2008 I moved into my new home. It was a very hot day and I saw
something very similar to this.

http://prehistoricparkip.wikia.com/wiki/Giant_Dragonfly

It was about 10 inches long and was hovering.
It had a head something like the head of a horse, thus I always thought
incorrectly they were called Horse Flies.
I saw them many years ago in a swamp - England.

Any idea what these horrible things may have been? This is not a wind up.


Where was it hovering? Close to flowers, for example, as if feeding from
them?

There are no 10-inch-long flying invertebrates native to the UK. The
largest dragonflies are up to 3 nches long.


How about a pair mating? The males hold the females by the back of the neck
with their rears so they do appear quite long although the two lots of wings
give them away.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

"Bob Hobden" wrote ...

"Malcolm" wrote


Mr Pounder writes
In August 2008 I moved into my new home. It was a very hot day and I saw
something very similar to this.

http://prehistoricparkip.wikia.com/wiki/Giant_Dragonfly

It was about 10 inches long and was hovering.
It had a head something like the head of a horse, thus I always thought
incorrectly they were called Horse Flies.
I saw them many years ago in a swamp - England.

Any idea what these horrible things may have been? This is not a wind up.


Where was it hovering? Close to flowers, for example, as if feeding from
them?

There are no 10-inch-long flying invertebrates native to the UK. The
largest dragonflies are up to 3 nches long.


How about a pair mating? The males hold the females by the back of the neck
with their rears so they do appear quite long although the two lots of
wings give them away.


This is what I mean...
http://www.wildimage.co.uk/photo_7349978.html

--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

"Malcolm" wrote in message
...

In article , Bob Hobden
writes
"Malcolm" wrote


Mr Pounder writes
In August 2008 I moved into my new home. It was a very hot day and I saw
something very similar to this.

http://prehistoricparkip.wikia.com/wiki/Giant_Dragonfly

It was about 10 inches long and was hovering.
It had a head something like the head of a horse, thus I always thought
incorrectly they were called Horse Flies.
I saw them many years ago in a swamp - England.

Any idea what these horrible things may have been? This is not a wind
up.


Where was it hovering? Close to flowers, for example, as if feeding from
them?

There are no 10-inch-long flying invertebrates native to the UK. The
largest dragonflies are up to 3 nches long.


How about a pair mating? The males hold the females by the back of the
neck with their rears so they do appear quite long although the two lots
of wings give them away.

An excellent suggestion. The OP has said that he first saw them over a
swamp, which obviously suggests dragonflies. The other point to note is
that one of the hardest things for even experienced naturalists is to
accurately estimate size. I note also that the OP "ran away" on seeing the
one in his garden.

Thanks for the suggestion, it was not two stuck together, it was just the
one.
These were like small flying walking sticks with a head similar to that of a
horse. I will never forget the shape of the head, this is why I always
thought they were called horse flies.
They made a buzzing noise.
I'm reasonably sure about the size. These were not small things. My mate was
with me in the back garden, he was the first to run away :-)