Speed Of Flight

Hummingbird Hawk-moths , Macroglossum stellatarum, regularly get mistaken for humming birds despite the fact that humming birds are never found in the Old World.


The moths are quite unusual as they fly during the day, even in the rain and hover when feeding from flowers.


The moths migrate to northern Europe but only breed in the warm south.
Their wings beat fast enough to make a humming noise and this also makes them very difficult to photograph.

These are the best humming bird hawk moth photos i've managed to take so far. I'm pleased I managed to get the details of eyes and long tongue.