Probably my favourite insect, though not one I associate with Otley, more with holidays in France, but here we have a video to prove the recent presence of one in our town. Climate change is contributing to an increase in sightings north of their usual haunts, and it is believed that some now over-winter in southern England. The resemblance to hummingbirds is striking when you see them hovering by flowers and using their very lengthy proboscis to extract the nectar from the plants’ tubes. They beat their wings an incredible 80 times a second, and on a quiet day you might hear a humming sound. Sightings are supposed to be a good omen, with a swarm famously spotted over the Channel during D Day in 1944.
By Neil Griffin Video by a WFO supporter