GeoGraph - photograph every grid square

Silver Y moth (Autographa gamma) on buddleia

A regular early summer migrant from Europe which often comes north in enormous swarms and multiplies rapidly. Named for the silvery white Y shaped marking on the upper forewings. Both day and night flying, and abundant in Britain in the autumn, but cannot overwinter here. The picture was taken at dusk and there were between 20 and 30 of these moths hovering at the buddleia flowers. They seldom settled and behaved like tiny humming birds sucking out the nectar. Flash had to be used to provide sufficient light and to freeze the action!