Clifden nonpareil

A notable morning in the moth trap! Rob got up rather late, and after breakfast we wandered up to look in the moth traps. There was a nice variety to start with including frosted orange.
As Rob picked up the next piece of egg box, which we use for the moths to settle on, I looked down into the trap and said “oh what’s that big one?”. “What big one?” said Rob, swiftly followed by “That’s it!! The one I wanted!! Clifden nonpareil!!!”
Apparently there’s been quite an influx of these huge moths, up to 4” wingspan, coming over from Europe. Also known as Blue Underwing. One of Rob’s moth colleagues had one last week, and remarkably we now have one too! It’s the first Rob’s ever seen (obviously me too), although they were present in Kent when we lived there until wiped out by the Forestry Commission.
They have recently been making a bit of a comeback with breeding in the south of the country. Rob planted our Aspen trees for them, so he says! Maybe it will lay some eggs?
Anyway it flew off into a nearby tree and we hope it may show up again tomorrow, as the only photo was taken in haste before it made its escape !