Garden Visitors

[orchidsarefun]

had these visitors today. It had just stopped raining.
I was panicking a bit because I also have pray-mantis in the garden, huge ones......and they catch and consume just about anything that moves.

first up - a hummingbird. Couldn't get closer at all....




Next.....a hummingbird moth. Yep - its a moth. If you look closely you will see the proboscis in the petunia flower. Its really a lovely moth.

[WhiteRabbit]

Nice!

Very cool moth! I don't think I have ever seen one of those - I'll have to see if we have those here ...

[TOMMYMIAMI]

love hummingbirds! so cute!

[orchidsarefun]

she didn't want me to get too close...

BTW, I happened to meet up with an entomologist at a nature preserve and he told me that these Chinese Mantis are an invasive species. Said that they had virtually wiped out the "banana spider". I have never seen this spider. Anyway he said that he collects over 100 egg cases of the mantis every year and donates them to schools.

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[desertanimal]

Chinese mantids are certainly naturalized all over the US, but we had our own species of mantids before they arrived. I'm surprised to hear that they have supposedly put pressure on Nephila. Nephila are a BIG spider, are still common in the SE US, where there's no impediment to the Chinese mantis.

[jaut]

These must be the days of the hawk moth in Chicago! I saw one (for the first time) in my yard yesterday, and this morning the Chicago Botanic Garden posted a picture of one on their Facebook page.

[RosieC]

Really cool, especially that moth.

[RJSquirrel]

I planted some cypress vine, firecracker bushes and cape honeysuckle outside my hothouse and this is the 1st time I ever had hummingbirds. .
They are too fast for my camera . I tried to take pictures but they wont stay still. They fight and dive bomb each other off the best flowers. I have the tiny green ones mostly but there is one Big Brown Bully around. I tell everyone hey come look come look hurry hurry and they never hurry fast enough to see them.They seem to really like the red flowers of the cypress vine best.

[orchidsarefun]

Originally Posted by RJSquirrel

I planted some cypress vine, firecracker bushes and cape honeysuckle outside my hothouse and this is the 1st time I ever had hummingbirds. .
They are too fast for my camera . I tried to take pictures but they wont stay still. They fight and dive bomb each other off the best flowers. I have the tiny green ones mostly but there is one Big Brown Bully around. I tell everyone hey come look come look hurry hurry and they never hurry fast enough to see them.They seem to really like the red flowers of the cypress vine best.

I know - my photo looks like I cut and pasted a bird into it. It was at a dahlia....and then the cosmos. Not the buddleias at all as I would have thought.

[NYCorchidman]

cute hummingbirds! that second one has interesting pattern on its back.

The praying mantis creeps me out! lol