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A beautiful visitor

Karen Topliffe, a Friend, writes:

I was in my conservatory in Adder Hill when I spotted what I thought was a very large bee hovering around a pot of Bizzie Lizzies outside in my garden. On closer inspection, I saw what looked like a humming bird. It was about two inches in length and had mousey grey forewings and golden/ orange hind wings. It stayed for several minutes, hovering, humming and feeding on nectar from a long 'beak'.

I emailed the RSPB to enquire as to the identity of this beautiful creature. A very helpful wildlife advisor emailed me back very promptly and identified my visitor as a Hummingbird Hawk Moth (macroglossum stellatarum). It is so named because it can be easily mistaken for a hummingbird as it hovers, probing flowers for nectar with a long proboscis.

In fact, it is smaller than any hummingbird. The wings beat so fast they make an audible hum. Its body is hairy and can be mistaken for bird plumage. Its abdomen is dark with white spots. Apparently it cannot survive the British winter and so migrates to and from southern Europe in autumn and spring.

I feel very privileged to have been visited by such a beautiful and unusual creature. Has anyone else seen them in Chester?

[Ed: please let us know if you have had any experiences, and if you have any photos we would love to see them]

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