A Hunter Loses its Meal

We have beautifully fine weather here after yesterday's heavy rain so we took a walk along the path which skirts the mouth of the Deben estuary - picture shows Bawdsey Manor - where....

....the yachts were enjoying the brisk northwesterly wind.

Despite the temperature struggling to reach double figures a few dragonflies were out, including this male common darter sunning himself on an autumn leaf.

A yellow underwing caught our eye because it was fluttering on the pathway without being able to move, the reason being....

....that the jaws of a long black beetle were firmly clamped to its abdomen. The beetle is a devil's coach horse (or coachman), Ocypus olens, a voracious hunter.

My pictures taken, Gill was all for detaching the beetle from its pitiful prey while I favoured leaving them for nature to take its course. Our brief discussion was interrupted by a passing lady who, seeing our interest, knelt and separated them.