Saturday, July 25, 2009

A Hummingbird Moth on a Phloxy Day

The Hummingbird Moth considers its plan of action.

Sticking its long tongue into a phlox flower, it discovers a pleasant nectar and slurps it up.


"This is tasty," said the moth. "I like it, I want some more."


The moth flies over the flowers and with eagle eye vision, looks for the mother lode.



Ah...sweet satisfaction is found in the smallest of things.

21 comments:

steveroni said...

..and God either IS or is NOT! Who could say "Not?"


There is nor "maybe"....
Peace, Cat

I still remember our lovely hour together, you, Prayer Girl, and me.

Marion said...

Beautiful pictures. That's my favorite moth. I usually capture them at night when they're flying drunkenly, full of my Moonflower's intoxicating nectar! Great post, Cat! Blessings!!

Sarah Hina said...

Yes, the small things. I love how you show the moth flitting from one reaction to the next, never looking too far ahead. Just sipping from the oldest joys of life. And, we imagine, completely satisfied.

And thank you so much for these new photos from your beautiful garden. I love seeing what new beauties you have coaxed into being. :) Those phloxes are gorgeous!!

Karen said...

Beautiful pictures, Cat! My father is enamoured of hummingbird moths - reads and talks about them and is always on the lookout. I wish he could have had the pleasure you had in observing this one.

JR's Thumbprints said...

Around here it's the fishfly that gets all the attention. There's even a Fishfly Festival for the little buggers. They're so short lived but it's funny watching them land on the entrance doors to the prison buildings. Most of the convicts are afraid of them. I'll bet the Hummingbird Moth would have the same effect.

Catherine Vibert said...

Steve- I admit that I can not argue with your logic. ;-)

Marion- Thank you! So you catch them? Perhaps you have petted them? They look so soft! I'm going to have to plant some moonflowers.

Sarah- We need to be more like that, yes? To be so easily satisfied would be so much easier.... Thanks for your words on the photos. I have more for you coming up!

Karen- Your dad has good taste! They are so interesting to watch, and pretty friendly too. I love them. I saw my first one last summer after I moved to North Carolina. They don't have them in California.

JR- That is too funny. Imagine a cold and calculated criminal being scared of an itty bitty moth.

Aine said...

Wonderful, Cat!! I especially like the third photo. I wonder how it would look with the background blackened.

I discovered hummingbird moths the year we planted a butterfly bush by our pond. Jason identified it for me. I had never seen one before that.

And, "Phloxy Day"-- I like that!
:)

Aniket Thakkar said...

Those are wonderful pics Catherine. Really great.

Haven't written poetry in ages. Come on, give us a nice good photo prompt.

I love writing poetry for your blog. :D

Catherine Vibert said...

Aine, thanks! Funny I thought about darkening that photo. Sadly, the wing is translucent, so I'm not sure if I could do it without some sort of unwanted effect. However, maybe I can capture him like Marion does, and get some professional posed shots. ;-) There is one picture I found online that has an awesome closeup of an HM eye. Amazing. I hope this is just the beginning of my hummingbird moth photography shots.

Aniket, thanks! Ok, since you asked so sweetly, I promise to do that very soon. Maybe next post! Although I'm thinking of doing something I just found recently in a box of memories. (Yes, I know I'm a tease ;-)

Calli said...

Lovely pics and to end in "sweet satisfaction"...who or what could ask for more?

Nice to see about...
~Calli

Margaret said...

Brilliant photos Cat! So clear and vivid.

Absolutely! Sweet satisfaction is found in the smallest of things - we can learn a lot from nature.

Vesper said...

Hummingbird moth... how wonderfully delightful! :-)

Anonymous said...

I love humming moths! They strike me as such mystical creatures.

RachelW said...

What glorious images!

the walking man said...

Ah...sweet satisfaction is found in the smallest of things.

ain't it the truth.

Catherine Vibert said...

Margaret, ain't it the truth?

Calli- In moment of stress such as this summer has been, those small things I cling to. :-)

Vesper- Aren't they? I love them so much.

Jason- I'm sure you're right, they are magical. Just they way they fly is amazing. I swore it was a bird until I got up close.

Rachel-Thanks!

Walking Man -It sure is, and I'm so glad.

Silver said...

Ooo.. these are very pretty close shots. Very well taken!

~Silver

Ed Meers said...

Amazing photos! What a wonderful creature!

Julie said...

Cat, your photos never cease to amaze me. What beautiful pictures! The pink of the flower is gorgeous. I saw one of those moths today. It was hanging around near the flowers by the hummingbird feeder. I wonder what the hummingbirds think of it? They're quite territorial. Well, enough of my blabber. Ha! Ha! Beautiful, lady. You always make my day brighter.

P.S. - In response to the last post with the peppers, YES! I'll come to dinner. HA! HA! I'm always begging to get fed. Have a good one, Cat:)

Mariana Soffer said...

Excelent the last sentence, it is beautifull, as is all the post, but anyway there aer big things that are great as well. It is just a cool saying, a very cool one dough, but a saying nothing more

Catherine Vibert said...

Silver, thanks!

Minister, aren't they cool?

Julie, thank you! Dinner at 7. ;-)

Mariana, welcome and thanks! Very true, your words.

Happy Easter, Pappy

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