Thursday 30 June 2011

Thursday.


Must just record that yesterday morning we were having coffee in the garden when I spotted the above photographed insect. It looked very like a small humming bird as it hovered in front of the lavender flowers and fed. I got a couple of photoes, neither of them good. This morning it turned up again, I got a better look at it; was still unable to get a good photograph, but when I looked it up found that it was a humming-bird hawk-moth. Beautifully marked and it's action when feeding was exactly like that of a humming bird. Apparently, because of the warm weather this year lots of them have flown up from North Africa.
Unless, of course, it was really a humming bird, which because of the warm weather had flown across from North America ????????

Ann's brother Mick came to lunch and stayed until about four p.m. After lunch we sat round the table and put the world to rights. Hope the world appreciates our concern and efforts.
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11 comments:

Four Dinners said...

Good grief!!!....I thought for a moment I had lost the capacity to hold my voddy!!!....either that or I desperately needed new glasses ...that's spectacles as opposed to voddy glasses I hasten to add...

I am - possibly unfortunately - visiting again old bean - ah well...such is life eh?

Love n hugs to you n yours

4D

Vagabonde said...

It’s hard to tell from the photograph but it looks like a hummingbird to me. They are very small.

Unknown said...

Hello 4Ds. No 'unfortunately' about it. It's good to have you back.
Hello Vagabonde. Have had a better look at it, and it's definitely a humming-bird hawk-moth. Pretty little thing, and so unexpected. Seen humming birds (victorian ones, that is, stuffed and in glass cases) and it's just the same size as the smaller ones. Also seen films of them, and, as I said the action is very similar, i.e. hovers, and feeds, in front of flowers.

Christopher said...

Yes, suddenly as from Thursday afternoon the world became a better place. Many thanks. Do I owe you anything?

On a lighter note, we have humming bird moths all summer. They particularly enjoy lavender, which is in flower at the moment.

Unknown said...

Hello Christopher. Thank you. Never known it work before. Problem is I can't remember which formula we were using. I remember we started the traditional way, i.e. "The world's on the verge of a new dark age." This opening has been used since the news of the Norman Conquest hit us. I don't think we went down the other traditional conversational route among the elderly english - you know :-the "Hang 'em and flog 'em, but not necessarily in that order" one. But if I do remember the incantations we were using, I'll let you know, then you can join us in making the world a better place.
P.s. Thanks for information re the humming bird hawk moths. We're not in the warmest part of England, but I suppose we're the nearest to France (bar Kent) in East Anglia so this is their easiest route in.

Unknown said...

P.s. Solemn warning to readers :-
Don not, we beg of you, fall into the dreadful error of taking the first paragraph of the preceding comment tooooo serious.

Unknown said...

Dearest Brother Mike,
Have you been sneaking peeks at my grimoir again? All kidding aside, the world does suddenly feel a better place. Well done indeed sir. I always knew you had the power, but I was never sure you'd find the inner authority to make it so.

Crowbard said...

Where you believe there is magic, you will find it ~ Anon or Amun


Come faeries, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the moutain like a flame ~ Yeats

Crowbard said...

Whoops, just seen my comment under your nom de blogue...
must be a hiccup from when I signed in to try to sort your comments out yesterday...
Hope nobody gets confused thinking you wrote that comment.
Silly Ickle Bruv C.
PS v-word is 'twerly'
and I think it may be too early for me to think straight.

Unknown said...

Tosh and Taradiddle!!! This comment applies to all three of the previous three comments.

Crowbard said...

Gosh Mike, I could hear your snort of derision from here.
Ah well, maybe it was a bit too good to expect it to work for long. But you could have left us in a better world for a bit longer....
Done with great conviction Christopher, I was completely persuaded. Nice try anyway, Thanks.

v-word is sudevity...
do I detect a little sudden levity in the world?