28th August - You Get So Dizzy Even Walkin' in a Straight Line

The away blog continues to be updated, we are now up to day three of the Yellowstone adventure, details are here.  Here at home though there has been little change although the sun has come out this morning, only to quickly be shrouded in cloud once again.  While the sun was out, the House Martins were going crazy around the trees, hawking insects, it was as if they were as pleased to see the sun as I was.  

The garden has been busy with juvenile Goldfinches.  It is amazing how quickly they learn to use the feeders, behaving just like the adults and dropping bits everywhere.  A Robin was also singing in the garden, the melancholy song signalling the start of autumn, and the Robin's quest to ensure it keeps its winter territory.  

Despite the threat of showers I did put the moth trap out overnight, and it of course did rain.  However it did manage to produce a new moth for the garden, a Canary-shouldered Thorn, along with a couple of Brimstone moths, many Lesser and Large Yellow Underwings (its that time of year), and the first Spectacle of the year

This aptly named moth due to the canary-yellow thorax, or 'shoulders', and despite the fact I have not seen one here in the garden before is a fairly common species all over Britain.

It has a single generation which flies from July to October, and is regularly attracted to artificial light.  It frequents woodland, gardens and a range of other habitats, and the larvae feed on a variety of deciduous trees.

The Spectacle was the first this year, surprisingly after catching many last year.

It gets its name from the light patches on the raised forehead, these look like a pair of spectacles.  It has one or two generations, flying between May and September.  The larvae feed on nettles and the species passes the winter as a pupa.

There has been no further sign of the Hummingbird Hawkmoth, but I live in hope, the holiday weekend looks indifferent but there may be one or two opportunities to get out.