This is the snipe fly. It is thought that the name comes from the habitat in which it is found, which is damp grassland the same as the snipe. It can also be found in damp woodland and is most often seen from May to July. It is identified by the small dark panels on each wing, hairy abdomen, and proportionately long legs. This is a male. The females are broader and paler in the body.
The snipe fly is a predator of smaller insects. Its method is to perch head-down on a selected look-out spot like a fence post and watch for passing prey. It will then catch smaller insects in flight and bring them back to its post to eat or suck their blood. The larvae are also predatory.