Aside from the hummingbird hawk moth, my most interesting visitor to my garden buddleia has been the absolute unit that is the hornet mimic hoverfly.
A gold black and yellow chunk, they are either impossible to photograph, or happy to sit there scoffing away while you get the shots. These, like the hummies, are a recently arrived species that are steadily moving north with the warming climate.
Even as we hit the autumnal equinox, there's still plenty of colour and life out there on the warmer days, and with ivy coming into flower, the ivy cellophane bees have appeared with their gleaming gold hoops on the abdomen and manic nature. My sister found a colony of them on a client's lawn, and they were an incredible sight.
Plenty of eristialis family drone flies are also around, and also honey bees and a few bumblebees too. Butterfly-wise, red admirals and painted ladies are still around. Small tortoieshells however have had a terrible year, I've seen maybe a couple flutter by in passing.
I hope you are all finding plenty of things to take joy in.
Si
All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 22.09.26
Great photos as always. You get some fabulous shots. I saw a very large bumble bee a couple of days ago nearly completely black. By the time I got my phone out to take a photo it had flown away. Not sure what it was. Still seeing Hummingbird Hawk moths but not many butterflies. Regards Sue H
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