Zooming off

The biggest of my regular hawks was back again last night, this magnificent Privet Hawk which was so sleepily co-operative that you can examine it from above and below. We've had the Convolvulus in the next village, and also at a cousin's wedding in Cornwall; and, unforgettably, a couple of Death's Head Hawks three miles away on a friend's potato patch. They're both bigger than the Privet, pushing it into third place in the UK moths' size stakes, but I would be delightedly surprised if  they ever came to call.

The Privet is good value anyway; a moth big and intimidating enough to frighten away most birds.  Even to the human eye, it has an alarming resemblance to Darth Vader - see left - or something vaguely diabolical - see right. And this one gave me an extra treat when I went back to check the trap in the late morning. I had up-ended it in long grass and scrub in such a way that no bird could get in; but as the sun came out unexpectedly, I thought that I had better check in case the moths inside were getting overheated. They were fine, but I disturbed the Privet which was by now feeling lively and ready to scram. After a very brief warm-up, it zoomed away across the lawn, zig-zagged sideways and almost landed on my wife's thigh, and then powered up into the sky.

I didn't have my camera handy; but, later in the afternoon, I went back again to the trap and this time found the Elephant Hawk which had been in there along with an Eyed Hawk - above with a Light Emerald - also getting ready to depart.  This time I was better prepared. Here are two short film clips: one of the moth warming up and the second showing it whizzing off, after its launch was helped by a magic blow from me.

Elsewhere in the trap, there was a nice selection of smaller visitors: a Scorched Carpet, a well-patterned Heart and Club,  a Marbled Minor spp, a Snout, a Poplar Grey, the micro Celypha striana, a pretty little Clouded Border, one of those brown moths which frustrate me in ID terms and finally a neat pair of Straw Dots. Not a bad line-up. Thank you moths.