{"id":99259,"date":"2026-08-07T13:50:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T13:50:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/99259\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T13:50:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T13:50:14","slug":"a-bird-like-moth-is-making-uk-gardeners-gasp-this-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/99259\/","title":{"rendered":"A Bird-Like Moth Is Making UK Gardeners ‘Gasp’ This Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

You might have noticed that the UK is seeing fewer wasps than usual this summer<\/a>. And while that might sound like good news, experts think that this year\u2019s unpredictable weather (remember the flooding that followed one of our many heatwaves<\/a>?), which has been attributed to climate change<\/a>, could be to blame.<\/p>\n

Plus, it looks like our black-and-yellow-striped friends have been replaced by a new visitor. <\/p>\n

This year, the National Trust says<\/a>, we\u2019re in a \u201chummingbird hawk-moth summer\u201d.<\/p>\n

And on Reddit, a delighted gardener was one of many who said they\u2019d seen their first one in 2026: \u201cI gasped!\u201d they commented<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What is a hummingbird hawk moth? <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a moth (who\u2019d have guessed?) with a wingspan of 5cm to 5.8cm. And unlike many other species of moth, it\u2019s a \u201cday-flying\u201d species, meaning you might catch it flitting around in your garden in the afternoon.<\/p>\n

The hummingbird hawk-moth has grey forewings and orange hindwings. It\u2019s also got a grey body and a black and white \u201ctail,\u201d The Wildlife Trusts<\/a> explained.<\/p>\n

Some viewers<\/a> describe it as a \u201cgrey lump with orange wings\u201d; like hummingbirds, it flaps so rapidly that its wings create a buzz.<\/p>\n

Hummingbird hawk moths also have a large proboscis, which helps them to reach into flowers like honeysuckle, valerian and buddleia. <\/p>\n

And while it\u2019s not an especially massive species (a poplar hawk moth, the hulking presence of which once cleared my entire uni dorm, is about twice its size), ITVX said <\/a>it\u2019s often mistaken for a small bird thanks to its humming hover.<\/p>\n

Indeed, one Redditor wrote<\/a>: \u201cDidn\u2019t know what it was but thought it looked like a tiny hummingbird\u201d.<\/p>\n

Why are hummingbird hawk moths in the UK in 2026?<\/p>\n

They do usually make an appearance here from April to as late as December, when they fly up from Southern Europe and North Africa. <\/p>\n

But one of the differences here is in the numbers. <\/p>\n

In 2021, per the National Trust<\/a>, we only recorded eight sightings of the moth.<\/p>\n

However, we\u2019ve seen far more this year. Speaking to ITV,<\/a> the Wildlife Trust\u2019s Strategic lead on Agriculture, Vicki Hird, said this year\u2019s high figures are \u201creally unusual\u201d (however, other experts point<\/a> out it\u2019s too soon to compare numbers year-on-year for 2026).<\/p>\n

Then, there\u2019s location to consider. When the UK does get hummingbird hawk moths, they\u2019re usually along the southern coast, which is closer to Europe.<\/p>\n

This year, though, they\u2019ve been spotted <\/a>as high up and far inland as Stowe Gardens, near Buckingham. They could even be seen<\/a> in Northern Ireland and Scotland \u2013 under the Reddit post<\/a> we mentioned earlier, people said they saw them in the north-east and north-west of England and central Scotland.<\/p>\n

Experts think<\/a> that hot weather has driven them upwards into the UK, while extreme temperatures in mainland Europe could have depleted their food supply in their usual homes. <\/p>\n

Winds might have worked in their favour as well. And they might be expected to stay longer than usual: \u201cWarmer winters might… be allowing them to overwinter in greenhouses and sheltered locations,\u201d the National Trust writes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How can I spot one and what do I do if I see a hummingbird hawk moth? <\/p>\n

They love nectar-rich, tubular flowers like honeysuckle, buddleia, and valerian. And if you\u2019re hoping for a longer stay, climbing ivy<\/a> and shrubs (as well as greenhouses) can give them a safe space to overwinter.<\/p>\n

Seen a hummingbird hawk moth? Simply sit back and enjoy the view \u2013 and, if you like, report your sighting to bodies like Butterfly Conservation<\/a>, which has a National Moth Recording Scheme.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You might have noticed that the UK is seeing fewer wasps than usual this summer. And while that…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":99260,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4],"tags":[3434,334,5,6,2438],"class_list":["post-99259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-uk","tag-animals","tag-gardening","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-wildlife"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@UnitedKingdom\/117054552558759784","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99259"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99259\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}