During the painful process of culling I’ve learned to look carefully at each image before pulling the plug on the shot because you never know what might be lurking somewhere in those pixels. Regular readers are aware that I’ve posted quite a few images of hummingbirds and White-lined Sphinx Moths (also known as hummingbird moths) lately so to avoid saturation it was my intention to refrain from posting any more of them for a while. But while culling yesterday I noticed something interesting that I thought was worth sharing.
The hummingbirds are slowing down now and it’s been some time since I’ve seen a sphinx moth so three days ago when I spotted this hummingbird hovering further away than I like for photos I fired off a single shot for ID purposes only. I almost deleted the photo from the thumbnail rather than looking at the entire image but I’m glad I didn’t…
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
because tucked away on one of the flowers was a sphinx moth right in front of the hovering hummingbird (a female Rufous I believe). I’ve seen each species chase the other one off the flower patch so from the posture of the bird I suspect it’s trying to decide how to react to the presence of the moth.
No, it’s not a great image because of the annoying sunflower twigs from last year and the relatively large crop. But I’m guessing there aren’t many photos out there that include both a hummingbird and a hummingbird moth in the same shot, especially with the bird in a nice flight pose and both species relatively sharp.
For that reason I think I’ll keep it.
Ron
Terrific image, Ron! I love to get an image showing different species in the same frame, but to get these two with the same “namesake” is over the top! Serendipity strikes again!
This image keeps popping up in my mind when I go to sleep. I find it quite magical.
Images do that to me occasionally too, Pam.
Very unique catch the sphinx moth! 😉
Thank you, Annie.
I am pretty sure that many of your discards would be treasured keepers for me anyway, but I love this.
And Patty is, as usual, right. The moth is playing ‘I’m the King of the Castle’ ‘I was here first’ games. I wonder who won…
Elephant’s Child, I wondered the same thing but I looked away right after the shot was taken and have no idea what happened next.
…AND, if you look really closely, you can see that the big, bad, moth is doing its darndest to look tough..with antennae and wings raised in an aggressive (for a moth) stance…the little bugger (pun intended) is saying. “Bring it on!”….
As usual, I’m visiting and revisiting your blog…each time I do, I find something new…either in the images or I’m lead to new discoveries by your, and others’, comments. The more I look at this one, the more I appteciate ALL the elements, just as they are…no deletions…that includes the vertical, dry stems…for one thing, they establish “planes”…foreground, midground, background, etc. as well as enhancing the tension…You’re smarter than you think you are!!!
“You’re smarter than you think you are” – I doubt that, Patty. I just blunder into serendipity occasionally…
Ron, you enable the worst in me… 🙂 Of course I wanted to know what the moth is, and I have now been through 325 pages of sphinx moths in BugGuide.net and found… NOTHING!! I have never seen this type of sphinx before and still don’t know what it is. I love the fact that you got both the moth and the hummer in the same shot. Even though the old sunflower stalks are annoying, and for me makes the moth more difficult to see, you still got the hummer very clearly. Glad you didn’t cull this one.
I wondered about the species of that sphinx too, Susan – especially because it doesn’t have the pink in the hindwings like the White-lined Sphinx Moth does.
I’ll keep looking. No guarantees, but I’ll try, because it’s annoying to not be able to find something that seems to be as distinctively patterned as this moth.
You’re like me, Susan – hardheaded and dogged! IMO, admirable qualities in circumstances like this…
🙂 !!
I think the moth may be a Phaeton Primrose Sphinx (Euproserpinus phaeton). Where I found the good image was in a Google search for day-flying sphinx moths of North America. It was at the top of the ‘more images’ section. The best image I saw was here: http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/ephaeton.htm (don’t know how to make this a live link. sorry.)
Could be, Susan (the link worked, BTW). The main question I have is the range – no mention that I could see of them being found this far north (northern Utah).
Maybe those vertical lines ( dried sunflower stems) aren’t so bad after all..I remember an instructor at RIT (ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY )telling us that horizontal line ( especially gently waving horizontal) implied a sense of serenity and tranquility…whereas vertical and zig-zag lines conveyed agression, confrontation and hostility…
Interesting, Patty…
Terrific shot. I also think the twigs in the shot are part of the natural setting both species thrive in so that would never be a problem for me.
Thank you, Ellen.
Interesting action shot…it would be nicer if the very light sunflower twig wasn’t there, or if it could be removed, but still a dramatic confrontation…much like the one I saw between a hummingbird and a tiger swallowtail butterfly–where the butterfly won the standoff.
Agreed, Patty – the bright one is particularly distracting.
Oh, yes, definitely a keeper!!!!!! Great shot .. nothing more fun than when the camera sees what the photographer did not!!!
I enjoy those surprises too, Lois.
Wonderful capture! I take wildflowers and often find critters in them, sometimes it’s okay but many times I have an out of focus distraction.
Flowers often have a bunch of critters in them, don’t they, Jo.
Two for the price of one! Great Labor Day sale. 😀
“Great Labor Day sale” – loved that, Arwen.
Great shot Ron!
Charlotte
Thanks, Charlotte.
I like this image even with the sunflower twigs, but I see what you mean. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Dick. Yeah, those twigs are a pain to try to shoot around, to the point that it’s tempting to pull some of them. But I don’t…