Early Saturday Morning...

...a something flew in as I was reading. I did have the door open. It was night outside. Meg (dog) had just woken me up 'cos she wanted to go outside. So, I read while she did her wander...
Suddenly, something as big as a small bird flew in and was flying frantically at ceiling level and the shadows its wings cast were enormous.
All I knew was it had to go back out side. No chance of me catching it. Also I hadn't a clue at this point what it was.
Then it settled on a ceiling lampshade. Now it's wings were in, it looks nowhere near the size it did. I am curious because it looked like double wings each side when it was flying.
So I take a photo...the top one.
You can't see them very well, but it has eyes on its lower wings, partly hidden by the upper wings.
I want it outside now so I look for a jam jar, but its smaller size was deceptive. It was far too big...too wide for me to put the jam jar over it.
Suddenly, it dropped like a stone to the floor. I stepped back. Unknown to me cat Popeye was right behind me and leapt on top of it with his claws and body. Instantly I grabbed the cat, threw him on my bed and grabbed the dog's fleece I had just washed and dried and threw it on top of the moth. Popeye couldn't see anything of interest so wandered off now.
I scooped the blanket up and hoped it wasn't dead after having a full grown heffalump land on it. I shook the blanket outside in the dark but couldn't see if it had flown off. It was pitch black.
I came in and got my camera phone and put the torch on and I could see it was still clinging on to the blanket. It was disturbed because it was flashing its hind wings (showing the eyes), but all I had time to do was take a photo of its head with my phone. I couldn't see a thing. Just darkness. But hoped it would be in line with the lens when my phone flashed. It was. I was lucky. Then it took off swirling against the night sky.

So when I got up I looked at what it was. I already had an idea by now it was a hawk-moth because I have loads of these enormous creatures flying in my garden at night. This one's wing-span, when flying, was wider than the palm of my hand.
Here is a link http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/smerinthus-ocellata/adult-2/
It's an Eyed Hawk-Moth.
I have loads of willow and a huge curly willow tree which they love, as well as several apple trees.