We don’t have Hummingbirds in the UK but I used to see them quite regularly when I lived in Peru so, when I see the creature in today’s images, my mind always goes back to my time living in South America.

Of course, this creature is smaller than even the smallest hummingbird, but not by as much as you might think. A Google search tells me that the Bee hummingbird, the world’s smallest, ranges in length from 5.5cms for a male to 6.1cms for a female, whereas a Humming-bird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) is between 3 to 5cms.

I don’t know about you but I’ve seen a lot of Humming-bird hawk-moths this summer, more than I remember seeing in previous years and, as this moth migrates to the UK from southern Europe and North Africa, I presume the increased sightings are yet another effect of the hot south-easterly winds blowing from the Continent and our continuing record-breaking heatwaves.

Though they are super to watch when they’re hovering to feed, these moths can be tricky to photograph. They rarely stay still for long so sharp images are almost impossible to capture though, actually, I don’t mind that too much as it does give a sense of their movement.