A Striped Hawk-moth lands in my garden!

Monday 8th August 2022.

Simply WOW! To see one is superb enough but to get one by in your garden is like winning the lottery. This Striped Hawk Moth had me stunned first thing this morning when I went out to check the moth box.

The day started off with a bang when I discovered my first ever Striped Hawk-moth, a rare immigrant moth from Spain and the Mediterranean, perched nicely on my white sheet at 5.45am this morning.It has been an exceptional year for this species of moth, which is probably due to the consistent southerly winds blowing over from the Continent. To say I was in shock was an understatement, for I never thought I would ever attract one of these beautiful moths to my garden. 

Above and below, some of the many photos I took of the beautiful Striped Hawk-moth.

Without hesitation, I quickly took several photos of the moth before potting it in my largest pot. It went in without a fuss and later, after I had finished checking the moth box and the surrounding area, I let it rest on the palm of my hand and watched it vibrate its wings and eventually, when it was warmed up enough, the moth then flew off heading south at some speed. A fantastic moment I shall never forget. It really is up there in discovering a major rare bird.

The Striped Hawk-moth eventually took off from my hand and headed south. What an experience feeling it vibrate on my palm and then taking off.

There were 67 moths of 25 species recorded this morning with Garden Tigers now increasing to a year record of 17 individuals (the ones I found anyway!) and 11 Common Plume moths to make up a lot of the numbers. Other notable moths this morning included my first Acrobasis advenella micro moth and my second Cochylis molliculana of the year. Among the macro moths, I was lucky to find a Blair’s Mocha (my second of the year) hiding under a fence post cap above the white sheet. I quickly then put the photos of the Striped Hawk-moth out on the Hants Moths & Migrant Lepidoptera Facebook pages to share my superb find. I think the legendary John Langmaid would have been pleased for me.

Above, my second Blair's Mocha of the year and below, my first Acrobasis advenella of the year.

'Lazee Birder' James Cutting sent me a message that his moth box attracted White-point, Langmaid's Yellow Underwing, Grey Dagger, Scalloped Oak and a Dusky Thorn this morning. On the birding front, the UK's first Cape Gull has got the 'twitcher's' scrambling to Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire on grabbing this South African sub-species for their life lists. It does look like an odd Great Black-backed Gull with a strange beak. 

The moths present this morning were the following:

• 1 Striped Hawk-moth (NFY + LIFER)
• 17 Garden Tiger
• 1 Willow Beauty
• 3 Pale Mottled Willow
• 1 Marbled Beauty
• 2 Common Rustic
• 4 Double-striped Pug
• 4 Lime-speck Pug
• 2 Small Dusty Wave
• 2 Brimstone Moth
• 1 Blair’s Mocha
• 2 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 1 Vines Rustic
• 1 Cochylis molliculana
• 1 Acrobasis advenella (NFY)
• 2 Garden Pebble
• 11 Common Plume
• 3 Blastobasis adustella
• 1 Chestnut Tortrix
• 1 Apple Leaf Miner
• 1 Tachystola acroxantha
• 2 Pyrausta aurata
• 1 Swammerdamia pyrella
• 1 Clepsis consimilana
• 1 Light Brown Apple Moth