This is the closest we get to humming birds, a Humming bird Hawk Moth. Not the easiest thing to try and capture at 800mm from about 3 meters away! What a beautiful insect they are, so fluffy! #Invert 🦋 - ThreadSky

davebspain.bsky.social • 21 days ago

This is the closest we get to humming birds, a Humming bird Hawk Moth. Not the easiest thing to try and capture at 800mm from about 3 meters away!
What a beautiful insect they are, so fluffy!
#Invert 🦋

Comments

drtwillett.medsky.social•21 days ago

Wowza!!!

davebspain.bsky.social•20 days ago

Thanks!

marinamueller935.bsky.social•20 days ago

Awesome capture, Dave!

davebspain.bsky.social•20 days ago

Thanks Marina! Had a fun time with it.

gettoknownature.bsky.social•21 days ago

You got the proboscis spiral!! That’s awesome 🤩

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Yes! I was pleased one picture had it curled up. 🙌

glengrambo.bsky.social•21 days ago

That’s wonderful Dave!

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Thanks Glen! I need that hashtag of Janet's for this thing. 😂

glengrambo.bsky.social•21 days ago

🤣 I believe it! They are pretty zippy!

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Ja, they don't hang for long! 🤣

glengrambo.bsky.social•21 days ago

They don’t!

alan678.bsky.social•21 days ago

I missed this Dave. That’s superb. 800mm 😳 Well that was a needle in a haystack shot. 👏👏👏

davebspain.bsky.social•20 days ago

You're not kidding! Fortunately it was concentrating in one area of flowers.

alan678.bsky.social•20 days ago

Even so Dave. Fantastic capture. Can’t play this one down with me. I know how difficult it is. 👌📸

davebspain.bsky.social•20 days ago

Cheers Alan.

helenbennett.bsky.social•21 days ago

Great shot Dave 👏 I love seeing these beautiful moths, I haven't managed to get a good photograph of one though!

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Thanks Helen! It did take some effort to catch it, lots of pictures with no one in it. 😂

helenbennett.bsky.social•21 days ago

Yep... that's what mine are like! 😅

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

😂 Just keep at it, watch its flight pattern and how long it stays at each flower. Same with all creatures really.

logicaphotography.bsky.social•20 days ago

Nice work Dave

davebspain.bsky.social•20 days ago

Thanks, it was a challenge!

drartanalytics.bsky.social•21 days ago

We get those when ot is very hot. They love the Jasmine.

davebspain.bsky.social•20 days ago

That's brilliant, small flowers are their thing it seems. These tiny blue flowers on the succulent, seemed to really make it happy.

drartanalytics.bsky.social•20 days ago

Great capture btw. I was so blown away by seeing one at all that I didn't even try!

davebspain.bsky.social•20 days ago

I was exactly the same the first time! 😆 Thanks Chris.

thegardenjungle.bsky.social•21 days ago

Great shot you got there, this is the closest I’ve got to these amazing moths 🙂

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Well done! Try with a higher shutter speed, say 1/4000!

clinto.bsky.social•21 days ago

Pardon my French, but holy &@#%$& what a capture, Dave!!!

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Thank you Bob! 😂

esischeso.bsky.social•20 days ago

This is fab! They‘re my favourite insect. I make sure I have Verbena Bonariensis in a pot or two on my balcony, as it seems to be a magnet for them, so I‘ve been lucky to have Hawk Moths visit me every year. Never managed to get a proper photo, though…

davebspain.bsky.social•20 days ago

They love Verbena! That's where I first saw them, we had masses of it in our one garden. I'm so pleased you see them!

kultivazy.bsky.social•20 days ago

look at the quotes of this wonderful post/photo for more #hummingbirds 🤓😉✌🏼

janiceroisl.bsky.social•21 days ago

They are so difficult to capture, well done!

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Aren't they just! Thanks Janice.

art-n-dogs.bsky.social•21 days ago

Oh wow! You get a fantastic shot. Check out that proboscis. Well done. 👏

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Thanks so much! 🙌

teti-ukraine.bsky.social•21 days ago

Wonderful shot Dave 🤩📸. Have a great new week 😊

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Thanks Tetiana! Enjoy your week as well. 🤗

2wsphotography.bsky.social•21 days ago

Stunning Dave 👌

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Thanks amigo! 🙏

bhallapple.bsky.social•21 days ago

what a great shot. One of my favorites to try and capture. I have never had success anywhere near this. Thanks for the goal.

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Thanks Bob, now you know you can do it. Share when you've caught one.

carolpopegordon.bsky.social•21 days ago

Great capture! One of these days I hope to spot one.

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Thanks Carol! I really hope you do one day, they are quite special.

thebluemango.in•21 days ago

He looks... fluffy? So adorable😍

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Yes, I think so too, it's fluffy for sure! Lovely insects.

ok2panic.bsky.social•21 days ago

Flying shrimp!

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

That's it! 😂🦐

lovemustwin.bsky.social•21 days ago

Gotta love an insect through an 800 😀 Nice work.

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

If you can catch it! Appreciate that Steven. 👍

dawnkelly.bsky.social•21 days ago

Saw these in Las Vegas a few years ago for the first time. I had no idea it was a thing! They are really cool though. It’s funny how my brain interpreted them as bird even though I know it was a moth.

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

I understand that, they are like little birds but not! 😂

sergiospototo.com•21 days ago

They move sooo fast!! And won't let you to go too close, they're shy ☺️ great shot Dave!

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

They don't stay long in one place do they! And that's why I was shooting from a distance, to not disturb it.
Thanks Sergio 🙏

sergiospototo.com•15 days ago

Yeah, as soon as they geel something pointing them will fly away.. it's amazing how well they see 😅

davebspain.bsky.social•15 days ago

Everything sees better than we do it appears! 😁

thebirdsnest.bsky.social•21 days ago

They are beautiful #MothsMatter

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Love them Cynthia! Thanks for the # tag. 👍

stantaylor.us•20 days ago

I got to photograph one last year. https://flickr.com/search/?user_id=198206866%40N02&sort=date-taken-desc&text=hummingbird+moth&view_all=1

davebspain.bsky.social•20 days ago

Nice Stan! Presumably with the right length lens and not at 800mm!

stantaylor.us•20 days ago

Yeah, it was my 100-400mm lens

davebspain.bsky.social•20 days ago

Perfect!

shinycowbird.bsky.social•21 days ago

Saw one of these on a hike in Spain almost 20 years ago and was deeply confused by it for at least a decade.

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Yeah, they do that the first time, like some mythical creature. 😆 Thanks for sharing, it adds to the mystery of them. 🙏

pathwaymoments.bsky.social•18 days ago

Great capture Dave! We have a few varieties here but I find these intriguing!! 📷🪶😎

davebspain.bsky.social•18 days ago

It's totally confusing for everyone the first time but they are fascinating beasts! Thanks Marg 😆

pathwaymoments.bsky.social•18 days ago

It’s true!! I actually rescued one from a skylight. Standing on a table with a broom and a cloth grocery tote! It was not graceful but at least successful! 😂🤣 My friend kept saying it doesn’t look right… till we went online and figured it out 😅

davebspain.bsky.social•18 days ago

I've got that picture in my head now! 911 what's your emergency? 🤣
They are like some mystical beast! 😆

pathwaymoments.bsky.social•17 days ago

Hahaha! They are!

gwen4braves.bsky.social•21 days ago

A couple of years ago one fool me on a flower next to my chair on the porch. It was lovely.

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Not seen one since Gwen? They aren't like birds I'm finding out, random appearances, maybe for a few years. Great to see one, I was delighted! 🙌

gwen4braves.bsky.social•21 days ago

I don't think I knew what it was until I found the bug friends here.

davebspain.bsky.social•20 days ago

Everyone is confused the first time they see one!

gridflay.bsky.social•20 days ago

Perfect timing, perfect little creature ♥️

davebspain.bsky.social•20 days ago

They are amazing creatures, thanks!

rdpphoto.bsky.social•21 days ago

Well done Dave, I've seen them, but not tried photographing them. Yet!

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Looking forward to seeing your pictures then! 😂 Cheers Rhys.

rdpphoto.bsky.social•21 days ago

Don't hold your breath! 😄

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

😂

rowanauthor.bsky.social•21 days ago

📌

realdaveedwards.bsky.social•21 days ago

Spectacular photo

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Thanks Dave 👍

realdaveedwards.bsky.social•21 days ago

I was astonished to see one of these at Portofino Italy - I never knew they existed until that day. Wonderful creatures.

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

Once you've seen one, there's no going back. I was amazed to see this one at the sea, right on the beach. Amazing insects indeed!

realdaveedwards.bsky.social•21 days ago

I’ve only ever seen the one - but remain hopeful 😀

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

We used to get them in Glos as they came for the Buddleia.

mandeepsihota.bsky.social•21 days ago

That’s a great shot Dave!

davebspain.bsky.social•20 days ago

Thanks Mandeep, a few missed images as you can imagine! 😂

mandeepsihota.bsky.social•20 days ago

Ha ha that’s part of the deal😂

davebspain.bsky.social•20 days ago

In this case, a big part! 😂

jesika5555.bsky.social•21 days ago

One year we had 3 visit every day for a week at highly predicatable times. Made stills from video. You got a super shot of these fast flying beauties.

davebspain.bsky.social•21 days ago

It's brilliant to see them and that must have been great to see them regularly like that! Thanks Jesika. 🙏

jesika5555.bsky.social•21 days ago

It truly was but nothing really compares with the visit from Mrs HBHM who left eggs on my wall. Sadly they were predated but that's insect life, isn't it?