Hawkmoths!

Considering I don't really 'do' moths, its been a pretty interesting period lately! Firstly I had a female Eyed Hawkmoth doing a pretty good impression of a leaf in my garden on the 9th June!

Finding my Dactylorhiza orchids just as appealing as they are to me!

Didn't even think of trying to tickle the eyes into view? Oh well...

Finding my Dactylorhiza orchids just as appealing as they are to me!

Then today, Tom Lowe kindly tipped me off - he had trapped a Poplar and two Elephant the previous evening. Would I like to photograph them? WOULD I, not half??

Here's the Poplar Hawkmoth, sporting a little wear / damage sadly...

The Elephant Hawkmoths were pristine and I decided to create a bit of a studio, courtesy of some black card, a couple of sticks and the 100mm macro lens!

Time for one or two unusual angles?

Particularly lovin' the head on views :-)

A slippery slope but I haven't quite got smitten to start trapping (yet!) Let's hope some more turn up this summer? Oh and thanks a million Tom!!

And if you never checked out the Scilly 'beast' from October 2016? Here's an impressive Death's Head Hawkmoth courtesy of Mick and Will Scott's trap...

Scilly day 11 - Deaths-Head Hawkmoth

What a way to start the day, I even ignored the Subalpine Warbler for an hour or so as I made my way up to Longstone.....I've managed to evade the lure of being a 'mother' but I know many birders who love the daily ritual of the moth trap! Down here of course there's a much greater chance of something very special and they don't come more special than this! In fact I've been hoping to catch up with one of these since for longer than I can remember.......

Most describe it as the 'beast' or 'monster' - Death's-Head Hawkmoth.....

As freaky as they come!

A fence post is one thing but you get a sense of just how big they are when against a familiar object like an arm, hand or finger?

The colourful orange underside.....

A body fit to put a hornet to shame!

And in the open fingers - the  mother of all moths!!

I'm indebted to Mick and Will Scott for there hospitality and laying on a Cattle Egret too!!The moth was released later that evening ....