mutant bee bird!

[nix-j-c]

i saw this thing in my garden. to start with i couldn't tell if it was a bee or a tiny bird.

i looked and i saw six tiny legs. but it was goldeny brown all over and wasnt the shape of a normal bee or wasp ect. and i watched it butit didnt buzz at all. i saw someting that looked like a beak but it might have been a stamen or stigma that got caught in it mouth.

[Kleiber]

Are you in the UK? If so, it could've been a type of fly. I think they're related to hoverflies, but are much bigger, with a long proboscis. There is another type, called a "bee-fly", which, I believe, prey on bees and lay their eggs on the pupa of mason bees. Hope this helps. K x

[ganesh]

sounds like a hummingbird moth but I've only ever seen them in the med. Are you in the UK?

[webbo3]

i agree with ganesh, my parents live in france and ive seen loads but they are creeping across the channel in to the south east area.
heres some pics.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=humming bird+hawk+moth&meta=&aq=1s&oq=humming+bird+h

Dave.

[dustypuss]

could be a humming bird hawk moth . I was amazed last year when I saw one in my garden I'm in york . apparently with the warmer climate thay do get to the UK .I will try to find a pic of one>

[dustypuss]

Try this

http://www.uksafari.com/hummingbird2.htm

[nix-j-c]

i don't think so. it was goldeny brown with almost black wings. and 6 legs

it didnt make a sound of any kind- buzzing or humming or twitter.

[nicbow]

Not sure without seeing it but perhaps a May fly? They are very similar to this...although when in flight they do make an awfully loud buzz!

[nix-j-c]

its body was chunky and furry like a bee.

[terambulan]

Ugh - a stag beetle?

http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=stag+beetl e&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&clie nt=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=gdzmSbafIoLG-AaZ wNjIBQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=4&ct= title

[nix-j-c]

no. it flew. but was silent. was kinda like the shape of a chunky bee with solid goldeny brown furryness. six legs with misterious mouth thing (could have been stigma/stamen caught in mouth). with long about length of bees wings but thinner, black wings.