Hummingbird hawk-moth - anyone seen one this summer?

This afternoon whilst repairing the shed, I noticed an amazing bee/moth insect that looked like a small hummingbird. It's wings were beating so fast and made an audible hum, as it fed on our large flower urns.

Really fantastic to watch, so just had to check on the web and try to identify it. Turns out to be a Hummingbird Hawk-moth from North Africa. Stunning creature.

We live in the South of England (Kent) - anyone else seen one this summer?

 

I've seen plenty of normal hawk moths in the garden but the hummingbird - not to my knowledge anyway :D

 

There are lots here. The flowers are full of them. But then I'm in France.
I used to see the occasional one when I lived in Dorset.

 

Not since last summer. They are lovely.

 

Brilliant Pics BTW

 

I used to see a fair few on the Isle of Wight but not here in West Sussex

 

They look gorgeous, i wouldn't have a hope in seeing one up North here, but perhaps in Italy one day.,as it is a lot hotter there. Did you notice the type of plants are they attracted to?

 

Strangely it was geraniums and trailing surfinia. Hope to see them again !

 

Those are so pretty. Really interesting. We have maybe similar --- called a Fur Bee, it flys around like a humming bird on flowers. Don't have pics.

 

We have those too


Source:U-G-L-Y, you ain't got no alibi, you UGLY! - Was IST das?

 

You beat me to it.

 

Is this the same insect Redstar?

Greater bee fly:


They're very cute. There's an even smaller version but I haven't managed to photograph one of them.

 

That reminds me of something.....

Monty Python - Eric the Half-a-Bee (1972) - YouTube

 

We have the Hummingbird Hawk Moths here in Algarve. I had one on my kitchen patio this summer. They are such cute little critters but too quick for me to photograph sadly ... it is at such times when you wish you had photographic lenses in your eyes ...