This is the first time in all my 73 years that I have seen a Hummingbird Hawk moth at rest, other than a couple of specimens which have come into the greenhouse, unknown to me, and expired.
The moth is one of the busiest of its kind, for ever hovering over clumps of lavender and other scented Summer plants, a daylight flyer and therefore often seen, usually to understandable wonderment. "Is that a humming bird?" I've been asked a dozen or more times. And indeed, although small enough, the moth is bigger than some of the smallest humming birds.
This one was nectaring in the standard, fascinating manner in the grandchildren's garden. Alerted by my wandering past, it nipped up into this large shrub and perched there, out of reach of a decently-focussed photograph but close enough for the above. I was then distracted by the jewel-like flutterings of a group of amorous Common Blue butterflies including the obligingly posing male below. What lovely creations they are!
In the world of moths meanwhile, I am currently being visited by Snouts galore, large numbers of boring (to me, sorry, I just cannot get the hang of ID-ing them) brown and grey types like this Flounced Rustic, and also the much cheerier Orange Swift, below that.
Equally welcome, Light Emeralds have emerged in large numbers along with the sinister-looking Box moth, whose voracious caterpillars are genuinely sinister to owners of box hedges, including the National Trust which looks after miles of them.
My star, though, is this Old Lady, below, a venerable-looking dame with a fine turn of speed once disturbed. I watched a large moth like this fluttering high above the trap last night, soon after I had turned it on, but the rival glories of the Blue Supermoon kept whatever it was safely up high and the catch this morning was standard for the time of the year.
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