Mostly Moths 2019

You mean I've had an Elephant Hawk-moth in the garden - amazing for an area of terraced houses!!!
I don't think any of those plants are present in the garden even as weeds, so I don't know what it had been eating. Anyway, most of the weeds that I'd taken up are present on the waste ground so hopefully it will find something it likes
Thanks

Am sure some of your neighbours will have fuschia growing ... yours is approx 12-14 days old & has some serious feeding to do to reach 85mm in 30 days then pupate! You could rear it!

These are the old terraces of the industrial North. There are no gardens around here. The few newer houses that have a bit of space, like mine, just have small bare lawns (and those are seriously outnumbered by houses that only have concrete yards). Anyway, I'd already released it and chose an area with as many different plants growing next to each other as I could find so I hope something is to its taste and does well.

Well, it's survived & grown to a good size already so it must have found some decent food supply!
Fuschias grow very easily in pots ... food for thought & caterpillars next year maybe?

The weeds were fairly tall as I only take them out once or twice a year because I hate the pathetic lawn/garden and prefer the weeds! However, I can't change it as it is rented and when it comes to pot plants I couldn't even keep a dandelion alive. They'll have to survive on the wild flowers on the waste ground around the house, which I guess is what attracted the adult in the first place.

What a brilliant moth to have in your garden Nige and lovely photo of it too - wonder what else you will find !

Unknown said:

I couldn't even keep a dandelion alive

Trying to eradicate them is most difficult Nige ... you'd need a Horticultural degree! Lol  However, they are excellent caterpillar food plants for many & the most brilliant early bee food, I love 'em!

Well done on the caterpillar Nige & like your idea of weedy lawn. We let ours grow & nip the tops off in a different area each week to leave lots for the insects. In the summer it's only the weeds that keep the lawn green. A few weeks ago we had a french friend around & he had a poke around the garden & said he loved the way we left the weeds growing everywhere! Hmmm.

Diamond-back on my Sunflower? (courtesy of bird food waste!)