I was out this morning changing SD cards in trail cams. I had just done one, started the quad and was about to move off when I heard a tremendous buzz above the noise of the engine. A quick look located a large (no, HUGE) fly eyeing me off from about 6 feet (1.8 metres). I would say it was at least 25mm (one inch) in length, maybe even 30mm. It behaved like a hoverfly - hovering in one place for a couple of seconds and then doing a quick sideways or up/down shift to a new position. But always watching me (at first, anyway). I usually have the 06 on the Q so I grabbed it. There was no way it would autofocus on the small target, so I fumbled around to get it into manual mode then tried to get the fly on screen and focussed. Of course, I would not sooner have it set than the fly would jink sideways and I would have to start again. I got a lot more duds than keepers. It was probably a bit of an over-reach for the Q considering the conditions. But I was pleased enough with the best shots.

What I would like is an ID on the beast? ("Wildman" may know it.) It behaved exactly like a hoverfly but Australian hoverflies are "small to medium" in size. This was anything but "small to medium". Here are the shots. According to the EXIF data, the lens was at 40.9mm (in my hurry I did not go to 45mm). All were processed in PS Elements 12. The first is a 25 per cent resize (to give an idea of what I was capturing). the others are 100 per cent crops measuring 1000 x 750 pixels.


Full image res-sized




The remainder are 100 per cent crops




The colour was striking. Should be an easy identifier for someone who knows these flies.




I failed to get an in-focus head on shot. But he(?) looked great eyeing me off. I was wondering if he was tossing up whether to sink that proboscis into me!






A farewell shot (800 x 600 pixels). Good profile.

[Unregistered User 8]

Methinks you have a " horse fly " there Peter. Be careful mate, THEY BITE !!!

[PJ1]

horse fly

Thanks, mate. That was my first thought. But then I reckoned it was too big (I searched hoverfly but not horse fly.) Your reference has got it right on the colour and it says 25mm so it fits the frame. Going by the eyes, mine was a female so I'd say it was the grandmother of them all. And it must have been eyeing me off as a potential meal. It sized me up from all angles.I got bitten by one up near Walhalla once. Very painful! (As your reference says)

[Unregistered User 8]

Thanks, mate.

Most welcome buddy.