Guess what I saw in my garden tonight?

[margecat]

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a hummingbird! Nope! It's a hummingbird moth:

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/hummingbird_moth.htm

I've read about these; they're often mistaken for hummingbirds, as they resemble them and drink from the same feeders and flowers.  I've never seen one before; mine is prettier than the photos; it's a bit darker olive green.  We watched it on the butterfly bush, drinking the nectar from the flowers. The wings beat and hum just like a hummingbird's, and the coloring is very similar; it even has the rounded tailfeather tips that female Ruby-Throats have.  From a distance, I could see how someone would mistake it for a hummingbird!

As it's classification name has the word "Thysbe" in it, and Thisbe is a Greek girl's name, I've named it Thisbe--even though I have no idea what its gender is!

 

[Draco]

wow, I've never seen those. You can clearly see how it got its name!

 

[spudsmom]

Oooo! I've had the pleasure of their company before. Always in the evening. They really like nightblooming flowers. (Nicotiana, four o'clocks and such!) Not a very common sight though, you're so lucky that you got to see it!

 

 

[natalie_ca]

Oh wow! I've never heard of them before!  Beautiful! And what an awesome site it must have been!

 

[calico2222]

We had a few here last year. I thought we had little baby hummingbirds at first until I saw the antennae. They loved MIL's Butterfly bush and three or four would be flying around it during the day. We couldn't figure out what they were, so I just googled "Hummingbirds with antenna" and found them. I just loved them but haven't seen them yet this year.

 

[stephanietx]

In the early spring when I had peas growing in my garden, I often saw one or more resting and feasting.  They are lovely!
 

 

[krazy kat2]

I saw one of those in my kitchen, and had no idea what it was. Pepper ate it before I could chase it out of the house.

 

[-_aj_-]

Wow what an amazing sight, I've never seen anything like it before

 

[Winchester]

How beautiful! Lucky you!

 

[coolcat]

aww so lovely!...:love:

 

[pushylady]

That's extraordinary! I've never heard of those before, and would be thrilled if one visited my little garden (hopefully I'd see it before the cats did!)

 

[margecat]

We have another one!  I haven't had a chance to see if Thisbee came back, as I've been very busy around the house, but just now, there's a more yellow-rust-colored moth on the butterfly bush! It's fun to watch them extract nectar; they move fast, like bees, but a much larger and easier to see.

You know, if I hadn't had the hummingbird experience last summer, after Mom died, I may never have seen one of these moths.  We moved the bird-feeding operation from the back of the house, to the front, in order to keep the hummingbirds coming back, and also so I could see them.  It was a smart move--the cats LOVE it, as the garden is under the bay window, and so do we.  There's constant activity.

 

[calico2222]

We had 3 or 4 of these on the butterfly bush yesterday:

http://www.birds-n-garden.com/snowberry_clearwing_hummingbird_moths.html