this is a female long horn moth (species Nemophora degeerella). I only know this because there is a wonderful site full of British moths at this link. What I like is that you can type in colours and a feature (eg brown yellow bar) and up pops some likely candidates. Common in the South of England apparently. And below (so I can give the equivalent butterfly link) one of the many speckled wood butterflies flying around today.
It was a very clear day, and this photo shows the Tamar valley (very flattened by the perspective), and in view are the villages of Luckett, Sydenham Damerel, Milton Abbot, Horsebridge, Townlake and Tutwell, and in the far distance the hills of Dartmoor looking towards Okehampton.
nearby and for the first time on Kit Hill, we found some orchids. They look like southern marsh orchids (having no spots on the leaves and two sepals that look like bird's wings) but these orchids often hybridise with heath spotted and common spotted orchid. However, they were by a marsh!
and a much less gaudy moth extremely well disguised as a leaf.It is very difficult to identify but it could be a common rustic or a pale mottled willow moth (on the grounds that common things are common).
a rather faded painted lady ... apparently they have been arriving in great clouds blown in from North Africa on warm winds from the South. No wonder they look a bit jaded. Once again they have arrived at the same time as ragged robin is out (see link from 2006). There are hundreds of them around. How do they get back to Africa?
the fourth orchid of the day, the southern marsh orchid, and below, a close up of the very small but very beautiful eyebright. We are working hard on these close ups to keep up with our friends in the USA.
who, following introductions,
clambered over each other; it is not clear who is going to be whose breakfast. I think the coloured spider in the top photo may be the male of the white species (which may be a crab spider (see link)) and he is taking avoiding action before he is eaten.
the lesser butterfly orchid, iridescent in the morning sun. There were also some greater butterfly orchids in the meadow but they are not yet in flower.
in one of the last markers of the full arrival of Spring the martins are back, and nesting under the eaves of our house, and whizzing about in the field next door which is covered in buttercups. It is always a great relief to see them, and feel the blood pumping through the veins of Nature.
the bluebells in the banks by the road into our village make even the drive into work a pleasure!
at long last, despite the arctic cold, our wisteria is out. Please note that no one takes any note of the admonition on the doormat. Why is this?
this little path through the wood wends its way along the crest of the valley and is surrounded on each side by acres of wild garlic. The hillside faces south east but is very shaded, except at the top where the light is very dappled.
well we very nearly didn't, we have done enough bluebells and spring stuff for one year, but Spot insisted so we went back to the house to pick it up, and lo we came across a kingfisher nest, and were treated in a few minutes to a display of fishing and flying. We didn't stay long because we did not want to disturb the kingfisher, but what a wonderful treat.
It is really difficult to convey to you either in words or pictures the sheer beauty of the woodland floor at the moment. This year everything has come together to flower at the same time. The woods by the mouth of the Inny are an ocean of blue. It is the most wonderful, peaceful, English sight. (ps I haven't altered the colour of this picture of Spot in the bluebells in any way).
first a rook, and then this jackdaw, settled on the stump of an old apple tree, and tore off small strips of wood. What for?
tipless Harriet, her beauty forever spoilt, hiding her sorrows in a bluebell glade near Carthamartha. And no, the colours aren't quite right but we will keep trying. The lower photograph is fairly close to what the eye perceives.
