Mariton: Bergamot and Hummingbird Moths

by Tim Burris, Preserve Manager.  Photos by Carole Mebus.

It is the time of year when the Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) are blooming in  the meadows at Mariton.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly and Hummingbird Moth on Wild Bergamot

When the Bergamot blooms, you can find hummingbird moths.  These small insects are fun to watch.  This is a good time to mention that binoculars are a great aid in watching butterflies, moths, and other small insects.  Think about it, we are Godzilla-sized to these creatures.  They sense our presence from great distances, but we can easily watch them from a distance with binoculars.  We can study them better because we disturb them less.  Did you know that binoculars have a close distance range?  For butterfly viewing it is nice to have binoculars that will focus on things within ten feet.  Most binoculars don’t list their close focus range, but it is a nice feature for view nature.