The Daily Mail - predictably calls it an immigrant - the rest of us marvel at this incredibly beautiful visitor to Leabank Square.
A couple of these Hummingbird Hawk Moths were sucking nectar from the Verbena in the Purple Garden on the riverbank this morning. Please do yourself a favour and go up to have a look. They are absolutely stunning!!
You can see why they are named after the Hummingbird - they hover above each tiny flower sucking as much nectar from them as possible. The long proboscis even resembles the Hummingbirds beak!
According to the Butterfly Conservation website (http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/Moth/440/Moth.html?MothId=100) they come over from North Africa - and sometimes hibernate here over the winter. Thanks to the kids in the Gardening Club - there are plenty of hidy-holes for them do that this winter - here's hoping!!
A couple of these Hummingbird Hawk Moths were sucking nectar from the Verbena in the Purple Garden on the riverbank this morning. Please do yourself a favour and go up to have a look. They are absolutely stunning!!
You can see why they are named after the Hummingbird - they hover above each tiny flower sucking as much nectar from them as possible. The long proboscis even resembles the Hummingbirds beak!
According to the Butterfly Conservation website (http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/Moth/440/Moth.html?MothId=100) they come over from North Africa - and sometimes hibernate here over the winter. Thanks to the kids in the Gardening Club - there are plenty of hidy-holes for them do that this winter - here's hoping!!
I'm not too sure how long they're going to hang about - so get up to the Purple Garden as soon as you can to check them out!!
