THESE wonderful images of a moth thought to have migrated from north Africa were captured by an amateur photographer near Tenbury.

Tony Verry said it was "pure luck" that he was able to snap the Humming-bird Hawk-moth as he was only in the garden of his Harpley home to try and photograph bees in flight.

He says the moths are not seen very often and that those who do catch a glimpse sometimes fail to realise what it is.

"I saw this blur and thought 'what's that'," he said.

"I thought it might have been a dragonfly but soon discounted that.

"Then I realised what it was and thought I wouldn't get another chance to photograph it."

Humming-bird Hawk-moths move around flowers quite quickly and hover about 40 millimetres from the flower, with an audible 'hum' from its wings.

Mr Verry said they are quite rare in this area, adding a friend in Martley, a few miles over the Worcestershire border, spotted one a couple of years back.

"I believe they are habitual and come back to flowers at the same time every day, but unfortunately this one didn't," said Mr Verry.

The RSPCA (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) says Humming-bird Hawk-moths can be spotted in the UK in the summer.

The group says adults drink nectar from flowers such as honeysuckle and buddleia.