As oppressive as these current heatwave conditions are to us, within the UK populous, it would appear that Humming-bird Hawk-moths are having a blast? I'd actually seen one as Sye and I were walking besides RAF Halton airfield, yesterday morning, but nothing compared to what I've witnessed today within the garden boundaries. Quite obviously, my supply of Red Valerian plays a massive part in attracting these fantastic moths to visit. It would be impossible to know the exact numbers involved, yet I've seen them on at least twenty occasions today with a maximum of three together. With the sun shining and nothing better to do I've been playing around with the camera kit, shutter speed at 1/5000 th sec, just to see what I could capture.
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| I grabbed this shot well before mid-day. Quite a tatty individual and the angle of the sun, overhead, did little to assist my cause |
Their endless energy, combined with a gentle easterly breeze, did pose me some very testing problems, yet, because the Canon kit is far more capable than the clown pointing it, there were still a few very pleasing images obtained. Even at 1/5000 th sec I couldn't "freeze" the action, but did come bloody close!
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| These two shots were captured at some time between 16.00 - 17.00 hrs with the sun in a much better position. |
If the forecast is to be trusted? Tomorrow will be much the same as today, so it would seem silly not to start July as June has ended, playing around with my camera kit.
Great stuff I'm still waiting to see one this year.
ReplyDeleteThank-you. Obviously the weather played a major role in this large scale arrival of these fascinating moths, yet I'm still seeing the odd individual, on a daily basis, nectaring on the remaining patch of Red Valerian I have in the garden. No doubt you'll see one soon, as they continue to move northwards, weather permitting?
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