Butterfly bushes spread such a banquet of nectar on hot Summer days, it's no surprise that a smorgasbord of critters buzz by for a feast. Last Saturday, a video of butterflies and bees.
Today a hummingbird moth inspired me to bring out the still camera.
What a Dr. Doolittle creature: A moth that is active in the day not at night. A moth with invisibly-speedy wings that work, like hummingbirds', just as well in reverse. A moth with the same darting, blink-and-you'll-miss-it flightplan from blossom to blossom. Backward, forward, upward, downward: "Whatever-ward", just as long as it's at top speed please.
And when the flower's in range, a thread-thin tubular proboscis is unfurled deep into the flower.
To honor wildlife as much as the plant life they feed on and pollinate, from now on I'll provide the Latin for both. This particular species of hummingbird moth is Hemaris thysbe—what a fun name to say, "THIZZ-be"—and it's feeding with gusto on Buddleia davidii 'White Ball.'
What a pair. What a partnership.
Today a hummingbird moth inspired me to bring out the still camera.
What a Dr. Doolittle creature: A moth that is active in the day not at night. A moth with invisibly-speedy wings that work, like hummingbirds', just as well in reverse. A moth with the same darting, blink-and-you'll-miss-it flightplan from blossom to blossom. Backward, forward, upward, downward: "Whatever-ward", just as long as it's at top speed please.
And when the flower's in range, a thread-thin tubular proboscis is unfurled deep into the flower.
To honor wildlife as much as the plant life they feed on and pollinate, from now on I'll provide the Latin for both. This particular species of hummingbird moth is Hemaris thysbe—what a fun name to say, "THIZZ-be"—and it's feeding with gusto on Buddleia davidii 'White Ball.'
What a pair. What a partnership.
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