I found what I believe was a Convolvulus Hawk Moth on the golf course in
North Cornwall this morning.  A beautiful little creature that was
resting on a patch of grass waiting for the sun to gather strength, or
so I thought.  How common are they in the UK.  Last year i found a dead
Oleander Hawk Moth in the road  outside the house, and we are often
lucky enough to see Humming Bird Hawk Moths in our garden.

In article <1i48iht.1au2bx01vqmhioN%pfjames2000@googlemail.com>, Peter 
James  writes
>I found what I believe was a Convolvulus Hawk Moth on the golf course in
>North Cornwall this morning.  A beautiful little creature that was
>resting on a patch of grass waiting for the sun to gather strength, or
>so I thought.  How common are they in the UK.  Last year i found a dead
>Oleander Hawk Moth in the road  outside the house, and we are often
>lucky enough to see Humming Bird Hawk Moths in our garden.

The Convovulus Hawk Moth is a summer visitor, just like the Hummingbird 
and Oleander. The first two occur in variable numbers pretty much every 
year, but the Oleander is not, I think, annual. Their numbers, and how 
far north they get, depend to a large extent of the strength and 
duration of southerly winds at the right time. They originate in 
southern Europe and North Africa, like the migrant Red Admiral, Painted 
Lady and Clouded Yellow butterflies. We've had Convolvulus and 
Hummingbird here in western Scotland in a number of recent years.

-- 
Malcolm