What a whopper!

I was at the end of our garden looking for butterflies when this gigantic wasplike insect flew in and crash landed on the remains of the spruce that blew down earlier this year.  I didn't know what it was so I checked it out and identified it as a Giant Woodwasp [Urocerus Gigas] aka Giant Horntail.  According to Paul Brock's guide it is, with a body length of up to 40mm, the largest British species of woodwasp.  This is a female and she is actively drilling into the wood to insert her eggs.  The resulting larvae will feed on the dead wood and mature in 2 to 3 years.  Despite her appearance she has no sting and is harmless to humans.