I had a visit from a Hummingbird Moth, today

[Siwsan]

This isn't a stellar photo because it flitted around too much for my phone to get anything good. Then it finally landed on a shrub but I was so off center, I cropped out 2/3 of the photo because it was all shrub. But I think what I salvaged was pretty cool. I'm hoping it sticks around so I can try, again.

[Arkansas Granny]

1. I've only seen one of those irl and I was sure it was a baby hummingbird.

When I researched it I was just as excited to find out it was a moth. The resemblance is uncanny.

[NYETNYET]

2. VERY COOL

[Girard442]

3. They're lovely to watch, although they do cheat a bit on the hovering.

They sometimes steady themselves on flowers with their front feet. Tsk,tsk. No actual hummingbird would do that.

[Solly Mack]

4. I am so jealous! I keep trying to attract one and no suck luck yet.

I love, love hummingbird moths!


It's in my "bucket list" of photos to get.

[The River]

7. Plant a Night Blooming

flower like the Moon Flower. They bloom in the evening and are open all night.
They get swarms of Hummingbird moths after dark.
Needless to say you'll need a fast flash.

[Solly Mack]

9. Can't. Have to plant dog friendly flowers.

HM also like Bee Balm, which I do have and it is pet friendly.

Thanks, though!

[Siwsan]

12. I'm going to start checking my Moon Flowers at night!

Thanks for that bit of info!

[2naSalit]

8. I used to have them around

my garden in Idaho, they started their day around 4pm though I have seen some, in Montana, that are out in the morning. I found they liked my soapwort most but also evening primrose and snap dragons.

[Solly Mack]

10. I have to be careful about what I plant because of my dogs.

My garden is rather wild and not a neat thing, so my dogs have free range of everything....as do the wildlife in the area.

I have Bee Balm - huge one - and HM like those, so I'll keep looking for them.

Maybe next year look into more pet-friendly/HM friendly flowers.

Thanks!

[Siwsan]

13. I first saw this on my Bee Balm

I've been going out and checking but so far it hasn't returned.

[Solly Mack]

14. You give me hope! Thanks!

I sit out and wait when I can. It'll happen...eventually.

[2naSalit]

15. I think those plants are dog friendly

Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) Is pretty, in the carnation family. Mine was about 20" high and flowered for a while, it's where they started their journey in the garden every day. And yo can use this plant to make soap!

[Solly Mack]

16. Soapwort isn't pet friendly. All parts toxic to dogs.

It's on the list of no-nos I got from the Humane Society.

[2naSalit]

17. Oh! I don't keep dogs

so I haven't done much investigation about garden plants. Ooops, never mind!

[Zoonart]

5. Very cool.

I used to see them often when I lived in Bucks County, PA, not so much in the Lower Hudson Valley, NYS.
Thanks for posting.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. Beautiful photo, beautiful moth! Wow, thanks for sharing this gem! n/t

[SWBTATTReg]

11. Thanks so much for posting...I used to see these at night too in ...

the Ozarks of Missouri...huge and they actually do look like a real hummingbird. We used to find their wings too, they apparently drop them off (perhaps in their life cycle), and they are greenish in color, around the plants my grandmother and great grandmother had in their garden (I forget what the flowers were).

One more neat thing about living in the wild Ozarks...

[tymorial]

18. Oh I had one of those last summer

I had no idea what it was at first. Freaked me out! It then kept coming back. So cool right?

I am unlikely to see one here where I live now but I guess they weren't uncommon in Lincoln mass.

[Harker]

19. Saw my first a couple of weeks ago.

I ran to my tablet and searched insect + hummingbird, luckily enough.

[radical noodle]

20. Once they come around,

they often stay around for awhile. I've seen them more often in the early evenings. Good photo and good luck with the next one! PS: They loved Cleome at my house.

[Crunchy Frog]

21. I once saw a hummingbird moth and a hummingbird

Both sucking nectar from a cluster of flowers in a high mountain brook in Colorado. I wish I could have gotten a picture.

[AllaN01Bear]

22. ohm myyyyyy!!

[GreenEyedLefty]

23. These guys start out as tomato hornworms.

Probably why you don't see too many of these magnificent moths.

Anyway, when we had a lot of impatiens, we would see hummingbird moths fairly often.

[AllyCat]

24. I used to see these when I lived in Colo. Spgs.

They are super cool! Thank you for posting.