Finally managed to id this insect. I have had the pictures for a couple years now and had not taken the time to look it up. I was working on building the chicken coop when I felt something land on me. Instinctively I swiped it of my arm without looking and then it flew in front of my face and landed on the coop wall. I tried to catch it but it flew at me and landed on the front of my sweatshirt.

The Horntails are considered wood wasps and tend towards trees that are not healthy, primary hosts include fir, larch, incense cedar, spruce, Douglas-fir, and hemlock. They lay their eggs on the wood and also leave a fungus that acts as the food for the larvae. The Horntails are not generally damaging to structures unless infested wood is used to build. The same goes for furniture made using infested wood.

A good description can be found HERE.

The colors are pretty distinct and the redish/orangish wings stand out among the various plants on the farm. I have only seen a handful of these Horntails over the years and only single ones at a time.

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