These marvelous insects defy our expectations. Though they are moths (sphinx moths, to be precise), they resemble hummingbirds or bees, and they fly during the day, hovering to feed at flowers. They’re also a favorite subject of the photographers who enter our Photo Contest. Here are five images from previous years. Want to learn more? Read all about hummingbird moths.

2014 Photo Contest Entry © Jeffrey Dannay

2014 Photo Contest Entry © Randy Scott

2013 Photo Contest Entry © Pauliina Swartz

2011 Photo Contest Entry © Alyssa Mattei

2014 Photo Contest Entry © Jose Mendes

If you enjoy taking photos, enter our 2015 Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest!

With its loud rattling call and wild hairstyle, the belted kingfisher is an energetic fixture of our waterways. Both male and female have a blue band—the “belt”—across the breast, but only the female has a second rusty belt below it. Here are five portraits of belted kingfishers from past editions of our Photo Contest. Read more about this species’ status in our Breeding Bird Atlas 2.

2013 Photo Contest Entry © Larry Warfield

2012 Photo Contest Entry © Edmund Prescottano

2013 Photo Contest Entry © Neil O’Hara

2014 Photo Contest Entry © Donna Sullivan

2014 Photo Contest Entry © Susan Wellington

Want to send us your best shot? Enter our 2015 Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest!