Around this time of year, it’s so easy to get distracted when outside. There is no better time to observe nature’s diversity in flora and fauna. Providing so many options for subjects to take pictures of. And I am a person who can be easily distracted by nature. I remember coming across a large adult moose when, from the side of my eyes, I saw something in the air. I had to take a break from the moose to have a better look to identify the ducks flying over my head.
The other week I was out birding and kept getting distracted by all the insects I was seeing, particularly the butterflies. With variety and quantity. I came across several meters of wolf willow shrubs, with various insects and several western tiger swallowtail butterflies attracted to their flowers. Birding came to a quick stop as I started taking pictures of the large butterflies. About 15 to 20 minutes in, I noticed another large insect was moving among the flowers. Not one but two hummingbird clearwing moths. Last year I thought I had one in front of me, only to later learn it was a beautiful, white-lined sphinx moth.
These clearwing moths have a wingspan that’s up to 5.5 cm long. From a distance, they move around the flowers like hummingbirds do and part of their wings are clear. That’s how they got their name. Unlike many other species of moths, these are active during the day. Making it a lot easier for me to spot them and get all the pictures I needed.
