Friday 26 September 2008

Can they read?

My eggboxes are coming to the end of their unnatural lives. As Christine Alvin says in one of the comments below, they are starting to look as hairy as sweaters in need of de-pilling. Another week and they will be in the bin and the trap will be cleaned and stored away til next April.
Meanwhile, here's a trio of moths apparently absorbed by the boxes' labelling and instructions. There are many of the latter. I wouldn't want to be an egg producer or retailer, having to remember and fill in where everything comes from and how old it is.
I've not got time to identify these three just now, but I can tell you that I thought that the animal in the middle picture was supposed to be a crocodile, a creature - like us - which enjoys an egg or two for breakfast. On closer inspection (click button) it is a rather odd and fierce-looking hen.

3 comments:

Sally LS6 said...

Hi Martin,
I've really enjoyed your blog over the last couple of months and hope there will be a few more reports before the trap goes away. We had a Silver Y in the garden today (in Headingley). Meant to say previously that we've seen the occasional Harlequin Ladybird here too.
Sally

MartinWainwright said...

Hi Sally - good to hear from you and I'm very grateful to you for enjoying the blog. We had a Silver Y out too - at least I'm more or less sure it was a Silver Y. I was too comatose in the sunshine (at last!) to tiptoe after it until it settled. There are also a LOT of Speckled Woods about. We saw them here for the first time only about eight years ago and I remember one of the experts being a bit dubious, until I managed to get a photo. But now they are probably our commonest butterfly. I think I'll stop trapping soon, though, at least for this year. Can't go on for ever...

Sally LS6 said...

Plenty of Speckled Woods here too: we first encountered the species in Cardiff in the early 80s, and similarly didn't see them here until around 10(?) years ago. Not seen any Small Tortoiseshells in the garden this year, though maybe there's still time if some of those on the east coast make it to Leeds before this weather breaks.