Courtesy of Butterfly Conservation
Standing in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil for that all important first cup of the day, I noticed an insect buzzing round my buddleia which didn't move in the same manner as a bee, wasp or butterfly.
Reaching for the binoculars (who doesn't have a pair on the kitchen window sill?) and focusing down I realised; a hummingbird hawk moth.
Excited by what I saw, the tea continued to brew unabated as I watched this large insect drift on beating wings from one flower to the next. I felt special, elated, vindicated, my experiment was beginning to show results. The garden, which would be deemed far from conventional was beginning to balance.
I returned to my tea, satisfied and grinning. Yep, the autumn will bring further naturalisation and hopefully more life next year.
