Special visitor to my garden yesterday!

Hiii Janey, wonderful, just perfect, just what you needed to see. I was only looking at the Red Valerian today thinking of the humming bird moth. I know its special for you to see. Hope you're keeping well. x

Fantastic! I've only ever seen one before. How lucky that you happened to be around when it arrived and great that you managed to get a photo to remember it by.

me too like steragram have only seen one before and that was over ten years ago (however i know there are some in village) you did to get a great photo they are very fast..

great blog and thx for sharing the Hummingbird Hawk Moth.

Brilliant photos, Janey. Never seen one of these myself but lovely to see this, especially as you say it has special meaning for you.

Wonderful photos Janey ... so pleased it came into your garden ... :o)

I'm glad your special visitor hovered around long enough for you to get a couple of great shots Janey. Never seen one before.

Lovely new pic of you Dawn! And I was going to pm you about this too...:)) I'm doing okay thank you Dawn, keeping busy which helps a lot.

Thanks girls, it really was a treat to see...and it waited while I fetched my camera too! Me and Ian loved seeing these when we lived away, I would always shriek when I spied one nearby...Lol! And I've been lucky here too, like in Dawns garden, they come for a few minutes on a very warm day.

Oh bless you Janey, remembering how special that is to you, I am delighted you got your photo's...Nearly forgot to say how good they are....

Lovely photos Janey, glad they stayed around long enough for you to take the photo.

How lovely janey, ive had them in my garden a couple of times.... I think there very fairy like... :))

Aren't they just the most lovely things. I have never seen them here yet but had many of them in my previous garden.
Interesting to note that they used to get trapped very frequently in my oenotheras siskyou, and only this plant. It is very sticky but by no means the only plant that was.
I think the flower is just that bit too deep for them to avoid getting stuck.
I seemed to be forever on hbhm patrol there..lol

Now that's very early to see, more usually late July August I wonder if it manged to overwinter here because it was so mild , the 1st one I ever saw I honestly thought I had a humming bird in the garden until I looked it up.

I did have a carpenter bee two years ago I was totally amazed by that I went on a bug forum to find out what it was and it was the 1st sighting of the year in the UK and caused quite a stir lol

great photos as well I am always to slow to get the camera

Gg

oh wow, great pictures. I don't think I've seen these guys before. And I have to agree with Hollyeves, they are fairy-like.

Brilliant photos, Janey, pure magic. So pleased it turned up for you and waited while you went for the camera, very obliging :)

How beautiful - I've never seen one so really envious. Great pictures!

Thanks everyone, pleased you like them as much as me!

Yes Holly, they are usually just a blur....and it's warmer where you are, which they like....

Is that Evening primrose Resi? I have some growing now, shall have to watch them then. Saying that I would love to see one still...:))

Maybe it did Gnarly and came north on a warm current....I'm going to have to have a look at the carpenter bee now!

The common evening primrose that i know is yellow, but i think you are right and it is a cultivar of the oenothera. I never realized that, maybe because it is pink, much smaller and opens during the day, just never made the connection. It was just an absolute magnet for hummers. I never managed to get a reasonable picture of one. Y ours is fantastic, they are so fast.

What fabulous pics Janey well done for catching it and for the lovely memories it brought back to you :o))x

Wonderful pics Janey.

Great photo of such a fast creature, Janey! :-)) I saw them for the first time, at least 30 years ago, when we lived in Spain & on a 5th floor flat. I had a lot of Geraniums on our balcony & one evening I was sitting outside, enjoying the summer evening coolness when I saw one of these. I was absolutely fascinated watching it go from flower! :-))

I saw it again of several occasions after that first visit. Though, truth be told, I don't know if it was the same one. LOL!

Since living in this flat on the ground floor in the UK I've seen them on numerous occasions. Still feel the same fascination as when I saw them for the first time!

you have a good eye for a picture and a good camera . very nice . my partner at the time on a realy hot day told me there was a humming bird in the garden bye the honey su8ckle flowers . I told her not to be soft till I sore it . I nearly believed it myself till I looked closer . this was the first and last one ive seen too . its a double edge sword being a humming bird moth or a humming bird . too hover like that at that speed they burn loads of energy but the ownly way too fly like that with such precision is to flap your wings very quickly .nature is a wonderful thing .

Resi...I've checked out the pink variety, a much more ground cover type isn't it, not so good for the HbHM if they get caught in it though, not sure I could try and help there, can't get too close to moths I'm afraid....lol!

Thanks Amy, I'm wondering if it is the one that I saw in the Autumn.....I hope it's staying round the garden..:))

Thank you Stroller and Balcony, I can imagine how you felt Balc, we saw them first in Spain too, like you, I was mesmerised and so sure it was a tiny bird, they bare amazing the way they fly aren't they...:)

Hello NP! Haven't seen you on here for ages! I had to laugh, you telling her not to be soft...ha..ha! Yes it must have high speed metabolism too, to convert that nectar to energy...I'm so pleased you've enjoyed the pics.

Thanks for all the great comments everyone, if we get the heat back......I'm depending on it!.....we may see quite a few more of these incredible insects.

I'd love to see one of these, but they don't visit my garden, glad it visited yours:-)

It visited my garden in the east of England on a really hot summer on a very hot day . Quite amazing . I went threw a very bad time last year janey but now I'm back better than ever X .

Hi Janey well all I can say you must be a 100 meter sprinter as one visited mt garden about 11.30 feeding on the ornamental onions I bombed inside got the camera , it then flew on to the dicentra and then off it went , its the earliest I have ever seen them in this garden.

My mate had called around and he said "what that going 100 miles a hour" I told him a visitor from Africa !!!!

Gg

They maybe do Ba....it's just being around when they do, as Gnarly says they are top speed!

I'm so sorry NP, but pleased you are feeling better and back with us again, with your fantastic talent, you are needed, especially here. Xx

Ha ha Gnarly, it really is now you do, now you don't spotting them isn't it, I was lucky, he was enjoying the red valerian in my garden. I know, once you've seen them they are amazing, no doubt your mate will be looking out for them at his own place now....:))

Hi Janey, I've just stumbled on your photos. They are absolutely stunning and I love the micro detail.

Thank you Bluebell, it's nice to have another look myself!
They are such amazing insects, I'm hoping this summer may bring them back to the garden, when the Valerian is in flower, I'll be on watch......:)).