The warm September days continue, the Buddleia blooms in time.
The flow of Butterfly seem incessant on my neighbours' scented blossoms.
Still the Red Admiral dominate with the lone Painted Lady holding her own for a piece of the sweet nectar action.
Another loner enters the fray. Smaller, faster, intermittent like a dodgy FM signal. It can move quicker than you can blink.... the Hummingbird Hawkmoth....This is a predominantly day flying Moth. A migratory species that arrives here in the late summer from the continent. I'm always keeping an eye out for this surreal creature at this time of year and this year I was rewarded....
Over my shoulder the Starlings in our garden were devouring the suet cake I had put out. Their antics proving an irresistible distraction for my lens.
The Hummingbird Hawkmoth, being such a rare and fleeting creature, had disappeared, but given time, another had taken it's place or perhaps it was the same one, who knows? I just take the opportunity when it presents itself to photograph this rather strange and engaging insect.
It has such a fast staccato way of flying as it feeds. It mimics the Hummingbird so appropriately.
With the naked eye it seems to be unable to get close enough to the flowers, like some unseen opposing magnetism keeping it at bay. Upon closer inspection the extra long proboscis, longer than the creature itself, bridges that gap.
With 365 days to a year and my time in the presence of such an admired individual as quick and fleeting as it's behaviour, I take my chance and over indulge, so forgive me here, I am mesmerised, in awe of this tiny jewel.
Zip,zip,zip it flies around the flower heads until it decides it has had enough and this ethereal being slips off into the ether.... see you next year?
After such a rush of admiration and adrenaline, the Red Admirals' for all their beauty, seem such a anti climax after the bulldozing appearance and disappearance of their cousin.
Back in our garden, I switch my attention to the orb web spiders in the fading sunlight. Their webs are everywhere. A simple task of emptying the kitchen scraps into the compost bin takes on a task not too dissimilar to one Indiana Jones would think twice about....
The Starlings have now finished their food, they will have to wait until tomorrow for me to refill them.
Across the gardens, the flats to the west have slowly had their rooftops filled with Carrion Crows. Not ones to congregate in any great numbers, I count at least 45 birds cawing and gesticulating consistently for over 30 minutes. I'd love to know what they are communicating about?
The Jackdaws on our chimney breasts seem a bit concerned about what all the fuss is about?
These are the ones that flock in numbers and often with Rooks too. Carrion Crows always keep themselves to themselves and never the twain shall meet.
The saying goes.. 'Some people see more in a walk around the block, than others see in a trip around the world' of which I can concur with, except this time I just stepped into my back garden....oh,and my neighbour's also! :)
N.B. The title of this post is a lyric taken from the song 'Hummingbird' by Frankie Laine
The flow of Butterfly seem incessant on my neighbours' scented blossoms.
Still the Red Admiral dominate with the lone Painted Lady holding her own for a piece of the sweet nectar action.
Another loner enters the fray. Smaller, faster, intermittent like a dodgy FM signal. It can move quicker than you can blink.... the Hummingbird Hawkmoth....This is a predominantly day flying Moth. A migratory species that arrives here in the late summer from the continent. I'm always keeping an eye out for this surreal creature at this time of year and this year I was rewarded....
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The Hummingbird Hawkmoth, being such a rare and fleeting creature, had disappeared, but given time, another had taken it's place or perhaps it was the same one, who knows? I just take the opportunity when it presents itself to photograph this rather strange and engaging insect.
It has such a fast staccato way of flying as it feeds. It mimics the Hummingbird so appropriately.
With the naked eye it seems to be unable to get close enough to the flowers, like some unseen opposing magnetism keeping it at bay. Upon closer inspection the extra long proboscis, longer than the creature itself, bridges that gap.
Zip,zip,zip it flies around the flower heads until it decides it has had enough and this ethereal being slips off into the ether.... see you next year?
Back in our garden, I switch my attention to the orb web spiders in the fading sunlight. Their webs are everywhere. A simple task of emptying the kitchen scraps into the compost bin takes on a task not too dissimilar to one Indiana Jones would think twice about....
Across the gardens, the flats to the west have slowly had their rooftops filled with Carrion Crows. Not ones to congregate in any great numbers, I count at least 45 birds cawing and gesticulating consistently for over 30 minutes. I'd love to know what they are communicating about?
These are the ones that flock in numbers and often with Rooks too. Carrion Crows always keep themselves to themselves and never the twain shall meet.
N.B. The title of this post is a lyric taken from the song 'Hummingbird' by Frankie Laine
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