There were only five moths in the moth trap this morning, but two of them were new to the garden and Andy & Melissa, our moth recorders, reckon that they're both good records:
This Frosted Green had settled down on the outside of the trap.
This is the May Highflyer, the larvae of which feed on Alder.
It's great when you can combine work with a walk in the countryside. Liz and I explored a few gravel pits this afternoon in a search for damselflies. At one spot we found large numbers of Large Red Damselflies....and a single Blue-tailed Damselfly! On the track to Rookery Pit we came across this young Bank Vole - it spent most of the time with its eyes closed, though they seemed to be ok when they were open.
When this moth flies past your line of vision it's like an avant garde fashion icon, flashing its garish colours! It's a Cinnabar Moth and is the adult version of the caterpillars mentioned in a previous post
here. It's pumped full of poisonous pyrrolidizine alkaloids imbibed from the Ragwort plants it feeds on. Those colours are like a big neon sign to any potential predators: "I don't taste good!!"
This Frosted Green had settled down on the outside of the trap.
This is the May Highflyer, the larvae of which feed on Alder. 
It's great when you can combine work with a walk in the countryside. Liz and I explored a few gravel pits this afternoon in a search for damselflies. At one spot we found large numbers of Large Red Damselflies....and a single Blue-tailed Damselfly! On the track to Rookery Pit we came across this young Bank Vole - it spent most of the time with its eyes closed, though they seemed to be ok when they were open.
When this moth flies past your line of vision it's like an avant garde fashion icon, flashing its garish colours! It's a Cinnabar Moth and is the adult version of the caterpillars mentioned in a previous post here. It's pumped full of poisonous pyrrolidizine alkaloids imbibed from the Ragwort plants it feeds on. Those colours are like a big neon sign to any potential predators: "I don't taste good!!"
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