Thankfully, the moth trap at The Firs contained a number of moth species this morning, though not the Hawkmoths - with their 'wow' factor - that I had been hoping for. But the 'wow' factor was definitely there, nevertheless. I had planned to spend an hour or so at the school to show the catch to any children who happened to be around, but Sue, the Assistant Head, asked if I'd mind all the classes coming to see them. So I set up in one of the empty classrooms and spent the next 4 hours or so entertaining one group after another. They all loved the Buff-tip perched on the end of my finger ("It's a stick with legs!"), and I was really encouraged by how easily they picked up the significance of the patterning of Peppered Moths, both now and in the grimy days of the Industrial Revolution.
After doing a few visits this afternoon I crashed out - teachers have my total respect for doing this day after day...but it was great to witness the fascinated faces as they passed the pots around containing the various species, and I can't wait to do it again!
Species List: Riband Wave (5); Common Footman (2) ("It looks like a seed"); Silver Y; Buff-tip (2); The Flame (2); Pug (1); Grass Veneer (5); Peppered (2); Grey Dagger; Heart & Dart (3); Dot ("It looks like a bird has pooed on the wing!"); Mottled Beauty; Emmelina monodactyla; Miller; Dark Arches (3); Uncertain (2); Large Yellow Underwing; Coxcomb Prominent; Dunbar.
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