Did you know…?

There are ten species of hawkmoth that have been known to call Gibraltar Point their home.

When you think of a nature reserve, your thoughts probably go more toward birds, rabbits and possibly marine life like seals - but in fact there’s a lot more to Gibraltar Point in terms of wildlife than first meets the eye.

Hawkmoth species to be found there include the Poplar, Elephant, Small Elephant, Eyed, Privet, Pine, Lime, Convolvulous, Bedstraw and perhaps the most commonly known, the Hummingbird Hawkmoth.

Its sheer size and appearance make the Hummingbird Hawkmoth a wonderful sight to see, and of course its name comes from the common first-glance confusion that leads many people to think they’ve seen a hummingbird.

Unlike many species, the Hummingbird Hawkmoth can be seen in daylight - though most commonly around dusk. It will move rapidly between flowers until finding a good source of nectar, at which point it will begin its hovering hummingbird-like behaviour and feed through its proboscis.

More rare is the Bedstraw Hawkmoth - a European migrant only recorded at the reserve in 1973, 1993 and 1996.

Why not take a stroll through Gibraltar Point and see what you can spot…?