I was carrying out one of our weekly butterfly transects on Friday afternoon and was walking along the most southerly face of the meadow when something unusual whizzed past me. I knew it was an insect and I knew it was not a butterfly. It was a blur of grey with a hint of orange. Surely not...was it....? I stopped, saw the blur turn and make its way back to the footpath and then land. I cautiously approached and from a distance I could see it on the path. I got my bins out and sure enough, there was its little mothy face pointing my way.
I crept round through the nettles to get the next photo as it sat perfectly still on the path and this confirmed my suspicion, a hummingbird hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum.) It is only the second I have seen and is the only one I know of from Saltholme (if you know otherwise please let us know.)
These moths are usually immigrants from southern Europe and north Africa and in certain years there can be large influxes as in 2011 and 2006. They do breed in the UK but usually do not survive the winter. In milder winters though, adults have been found hibernating in outbuildings and outdoor crevices.
They get their name from the way they fly between plants, feeding at tubular shaped flowers such as Viper's bugloss and honeysuckle, hovering like a hummingbird as they do.
Keep an eye out this summer for this charismatic creature around your buddleias and honeysuckles and if you are lucky enough to see one do report it on the Butterfly Conservation's 'Migrant watch' page.