When I first came here, that first summer, I saw a hummingbird in the garden. Being quite used to hummingbirds around the place I was happy to see it and scuttled off to find out which particular hummingbird it was.

Having Googled European Hummingbirds I found out rapidly that the little creature cheerfully slurping nectar in the garden was actually a moth, not a bird, although it is often mistaken for one and if I had rushed off to the Turkish equivalent of the RSPB gibbering about my discovery I’d have made a total prat of myself.

Thank you Google, it was just like the time I thought the cat was seriously ill due to terrible writhing and moaning and wisely Googled her symptoms before screaming for the vet, only to find out she was on heat! Google is good like that, stops you looking stupid.

Anyway, for the last six summers the hummingbird hawk moths have visited the garden every evening, always around the same time, flitting rapidly from flower to flower before heading off over the roof. I love to see them but I’ve never managed to take a decent photograph of one until tonight.

Here is this summer’s generation, following the pattern of previous generations, and visiting my flowers.

• hummingbird hawk moth,
• hummingbird Turkey