gennepher

By gennepher

Sketch

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, or while it was emerging from its pupae, or something. 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 extra, 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!

Note to self...wait until morning next time. I haven't looked at last night's video yet to see if the vixen appeared on it...will do that today...

Nighttime wildlife video from a couple of nights ago.
Badger rocks swing a lot & Cat Midnight is very displeased and has no intention of letting that badger drive him off the swing!!!
55 secs
https://youtube.com/shorts/I463e0r2tUY?si=t8XPULkHvyDGPQeU

Creative...I keep putting my black drawing pens down in strange places that I cannot find my pen...so this morning I was using a black English fountain pen for this sketch with a fine nib. Immediately I started drawing in my English way of drawing , so to speak...oh well..I need to go on a black pen search today...

Time for a nap...been awake since 4:30 am...

And another cup of tea of course...

Have your best day...

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