The first time I saw it I did not had my glasses on so I thought it was a bug and I can hear the buzzing of the wings, it was only about 2 feet from me. It was feeding on my luffa flowers. I was a little taken aback when I first saw it because if it was a bug then it was big. The next evening two of them came and I had a closer look at them. I thought they look like tiny birds still without my glasses so I called out to Becky to come have a look. "Yes they're birds and real pretty too!" she confirmed. We were only about 18inches from them. They just go about doing their business and they just disappeared after a short while. The were really fast too! The next evening just before the luffa flowers bloom I was ready with my glasses on and camera in hand I was ready to capture them in photos. Then it started to rain and it got dark real fast and there was no sign of them. I guess I must consider myself to be very lucky to see them two days in a row and this is the first time in my life to see them in real life. Yesterday evening while weeding the raised bed where the luffa is, I heard buzzing sound and the tiny amazing bird was back. I rushed to get my glasses and cellphone and caught these images. The flowers is about 4~5cm across. Bee Hummer ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Can you see it? ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Bee Hummer in flight ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Never knew they existed here ... wow!!! It's amazing :-D
More, more - we must have many more shots of them!! Keep those glasses on and have your camera with you whenever you go into the garden. :-D
Is that a hummingbird bee moth? We were at a garden center last Summer and we were looking at one kind of plant on the tables. There were about 8 or 10 of them on all the plants of this one kind of flower. The flower must have been at perfect maturity and tasted the best at that minute. There was not one bee moth anywhere else. They are very cool. Now we see them in our garden often.
That is a type of hawk moth? I have seen ones that are brown looking like your pictures. But they also can be a bright green like humming birds. They are really neat moths to watch.
Thanks Eileen, I did kept my glasses on and a camera in hand yesterday but no show. I don't think I can capture a clear photo with my compact camera, anyway the camera is now in my luggage. Barb it was definitely a bird. If you were to look at the third picture, just at the left of the center flower you can see the outline of a bird. Sorry for the blur picture, they move so fast and there is no time to zoom in or focus. It has a beautiful reddish brown golden colour. :-D Thanks Ronni, yes they are real tiny and easily mistaken for a bug. Thanks Tooty2shoes, it is really fast so I don't think it's a moth. Aren't they amazing, 2ofus?
KK Ng; I am sure it is a hawk moth. They move and fly just like a humming bird. From the first photo I can see it's antennas sticking out the top of its head. They are a really fascinating moth. We have them here in Wisconsin in the summer time. One plant they really love it called a Gas Plant. It gives off a beautiful perfume odor and a gas that you can light with a match. Not sure what the botanical name for that plant is. Maybe our moderator will know.
Yesterday a pair of them came and my daughters were fascinated to see them up quite close. They are bee hummers alright.
Hi. Most interesting this and had something similar here last summer - on Phlox flowers. I got macro pics - looked up the book and these are called "Humming Bird Hawk Moths" and Moths these certainly are. Hovered just away from the flowers with its proboscis(?) into the flower and wings were an orange blur as can be seen clearly in the first pic About one inch long in the body but they also have a black and white striped tail hinged down like a bird - look closely at the second pic and you will see it. They visited several times - I saw them in daylight and sunny but apparently they fly by night also. Syd. PS. To research - its Technical name is Macroglossom stellatarum (From the book). ( photo / image / picture from Sydney Smith's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Sydney Smith's Garden )
We have something similar that's call hummingbird moth. But its not real colorful like a hummer, flies like one though and only see them around dusk Anyhow, so happy they decided to visit your mini farm!
I get excited every summer when I see them. I do enjoy how they don't seem to be scared off by us. They are really hard to get a clear picture because they are so fast. I have had 2 different kinds here, one is a clear wing hummingbird moth. They are fascinating to watch. Clearwing Hummingbird Moth ( photo / image / picture from Sherry8's Garden )
Thanks Cherylad, every evening I would stay out to enjoy the aroma of the luffa bloom and wait for the hummers to make an appearance. They don't come everyday and if they do, they really make my day Yes they are all interesting, but seeing a hummer bee in real life is just priceless! :-D
Hi Sherry8 - All. Your pic looks the same as the ones I saw in my garden. Likewise I found they are not overly troubled by seeing you. It was a first for me when I saw them and I have not seen them since. Above all mind were it possible I would love to see some Humming Birds on the plot Syd.
