While on the deck trying (mostly in vain) to take images of hummingbirds in flight, a creature buzzed by me heading to a nearby flower. But it wasn't the target of my photography, it was an imposter!
It hovered like a hummingbird and ate nectar like one too. But it was smaller and didn't create that loud buzz that hummingbird wings do.
It was a Hummingbird Clearwing moth, a sphinx moth in the Sphingidae family. It has a long proboscis which allows it to eat nectar from deep, tubular flowers, and that coils up when not in use. The caterpillar feeds on honeysuckle, snowberry, hawthorn, cherry, and plum, the latter two which we have in our yard.
Source: Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America by David Beadle & Seabrooke Leckie
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DeRonda, I wish I saw them with more frequency because they are quite fascinating. Keep watching!
Posted by: The Zen Birdfeeder | August 09, 2012 at 10:32 AM
Had one of those a few years ago in our yard here in Argyle & don't think I've seen one since. Was in the evening, & it was going at the petunias in our whiskey barrels... fascinating thing, had to research it to find out what it was as we had never seen anything with a flight pattern like the hummers...
Posted by: DeRonda | August 09, 2012 at 08:27 AM
Melinda, I live in a pretty rural location and have seen them at my house, though not frequently. Keep watching and thanks for commenting!
Posted by: The Zen Birdfeeder | August 08, 2012 at 08:50 PM
I live in Wisconsin and have seen them before, but now I live in the woods and have never seen one at this house. My daughter, who lives in town, saw one for the first time ever this year in her yard.
Posted by: Melinda S | August 08, 2012 at 06:24 PM
Ellen, this is the first one I've seen in a long time, and unfortunately none since. It has been a good butterfly and moth summer it seems.
Posted by: The Zen Birdfeeder | July 14, 2012 at 06:11 PM
We used to see hummingbird moths in the garden at our old house. They are really cool. Great close-ups!
Posted by: Ellen | July 12, 2012 at 05:34 PM
Rick, I'd like to see them more in upstate NY!
Margaret, I've seen them here before, but it's been years.
Maria, It's so cool to share nature with the kids, isn't it?
Posted by: The Zen Birdfeeder | July 10, 2012 at 03:37 PM
We saw one on our deck yesterday too! My kids were fascinated!!
Posted by: Maria | July 10, 2012 at 08:21 AM
I've recently seen one as well; the first time here, though I have seen a similar type in west Texas.
Posted by: Margaret | July 10, 2012 at 07:02 AM
A beautiful animal; they're just now becoming common and conspicuous here in northern New Jersey, too.
Posted by: Rick Wright | July 09, 2012 at 10:31 AM