Flying ant day: insects stage annual mating ritual

Swarms of flying ants have been seen across Scotland as part of a spectacular annual mating ritual.

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Ours came on Monday. I arrived home to see them all scuttling about near my front door. I took a couple of shots with my long lens and then popped into the front hall to quickly change it for a smaller one. I was literally less than half a minute and yet when I went back out side, most if them had flown off - talk about bad timing!!! Apparently they were all around town, although not when I was in there.

I got a couple of shots which I will post when I can get around to it.

I haven't seen them flying here yet, but we always used to know when it was happening in Ayr.

Clouds of Gulls would duck and dive above us, trying to catch as many as possible for dinner. The noise of the Gulls was deafening!

Then we'd go out to the front garden where the paviors were and watch as seemingly hundreds of the females would climb roses, trees and even just blades of grass, just to get a good take off!

I think we may be missing it here as there are few Gulls around - just about 6 BHGs when the old couple down the road put out crusts, plus the odd Herring Gull when one perches on a roof ridge.

Goodness - I can just imagine the gulls!!!! I wonder if the Sparrows in my roof spotted the ants - they certainly had a field-day with the Damselflies, so they would have loved the ants:)