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A tiny orange ,grey and white bird like moth hovering and nectaring at Verbena flowers

Hummingbird Hawkmoth. Photo: Lynda Lambert

This Hummingbird Hawkmoth, or one very much like it, has been visiting my garden over the last three weeks but always when I didn’t have a camera to hand. I finally caught up with this one while sitting out in my garden in Corfe Mullen on the evening of 27/08/19 when it paid a very brief visit.

It is nectaring on Verbena Bonariensis, a favourite flower of many pollinators, but seems to like any flowers with tubular petals such as Salvias, Honeysuckle among many others.

Keep an eye out for them throughout the Summer and into the Autumn, they are active even in light rain!

Large brown moth showing yellow underwings when in flight

Large Yellow Underwing Moth. Photo: George McCabe

George’s dogs looked up and became alert when this Large Yellow Underwing landed on the kitchen floor in their Weymouth home on 24.07/19. George said it was one of a number that had gained their attention that week.

These moths have one protracted generation June- Oct and sometimes November, peaking in August. and is long lived.

It comes readily to light sometimes in huge numbers.

White butterfly with a fly on it's under-wing

Large White with Fly. Photo: Mark Pike

 

Orange Butterfly with tails and white diagonal lines on forewings

Brown Hairstreak > Photo: Mark Pike

Mark sent us this photo of a Large White from Alner’s Gorse on 1/08/19, wondering how it didn’t notice the fly on its wing. No answer to that  unless anyone else has any idea?

The Brown Hairstreak was a surprise too, as it was very low down on Ragwort rather than high in trees as is their usual practice.

Branch AGM elections and raffle prizes

Three people, tow sitting at a table and one standing
Left to right: Georgie (Treasurer), Adrian (Secretary) and Nigel (Chair)
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Our Branch AGM is not far away. Would you like to join our Committee? If so, let us know, and we can arrange to suggest you for election at the meeting, or you Continue reading →

Help needed from transect walkers in East Dorset

view of an Essex Skipper peering opver a thistle showing the diagnostic black tips to the antennae
Essex Skipper. Photo: James Gould
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We are delighted that, at the eleventh hour, we have a volunteer to run the results meeting at Wimborne: huge thanks to Stephen Brown for stepping forward. We do, however need help from those who undertake the butterfly monitoring walks in the east Continue reading →