Fbg 6.7
Last night it was dark and I needed something from the potting shed. Well...it was all go...first I thought I saw a lactating vixen (never seen her before) and she melted back into the shadows.
Got my thing from the potting shed, locked up, and I am aware of a big beastie landing on my back. I am trying to get it off but I can't reach it. Jade is demanding supper. Midnight is watching from the bungalow doorway coming to the conclusion I have gone doolally. Finally I get this beastie off my back. It lands on the ground. It is panicking. Jade is already wriggling her bottom ready to pounce.. I scoop the thing up in my hand, not knowing what I am scooping up. It is dark.
It is the biggest moth I have ever set eyes on. Its wingspan was wider than my hand width. It was still panicking and couldn't get on its little feet. I put it on the garden table, but it appears to panic more, and was rolling over and over.
I was fearing at this point that I had hurt it trying to get it off my back. I sat down on the garden chair and held it with both hands to try and examine if I had hurt it. Its wings were fluttering so fast it was a blur, but it appeared unable to fly at this minute, and had no balance.
I wondered if I had knocked it off a branch while it was still sleeping. Finally it got a grip with its little feet on the palm of my hand and looked at me for a good minute, but its wings were a total blur. I got my phone out of my pocket, and put it on nightsight, but by this time the moth is marching determinedly up my arm.
Quickly I picked it off and placed it on some comfrey next to me.
It had obviously got its bearings by now, and was able to grab a stick, and still looked at me. I managed one photo, before it determinedly grabbed my fingers again, marching up my arm to my shoulder, and then took flight. It was just a complete blur in flight...
And Jade was still asking for her supper...
It was about 11pm by now.
Google tells me it is a Poplar Hawkmoth.
Here is my photo in the thumbnail, click and it will enlarge, all you will see is a cute hairy face, the wings are a total blur but you can just make out the wing on the right in the photo. If you don't like flying beasties then don't click on it!