Narcissus

Trying to photograph an insect on a window is always tricky in my experience because the focus struggles to centre on the small creature rather than the vast background beyond. That was happening with this unusual wasp until I had the idea of trying to get it from one side. Bingo! And what an interesting, if misleading, image of an insect fascinated like Narcissus in Ancient Greece by its own reflection.

Mind you, it may have been able to detect and be scared or aroused by the reverse image. That happened to us years ago in Leeds when a Goldcrest bird was outraged at its reflection in one of our bedroom windows and raised its crest in furious challenge, cheeping and beating its wings. Of course, its reflection matched it blow for blow and the battle between bird and phantom when on for quite a long time.

The moths are a little run-of-the-mill at the moment but were varied enough to entertain a great-niece, shown examining a Bulrush Wainscot below:

Other arrivals have included the micros Apomyelois bistriatella and Blastobasis adustella below. Interestingly, for those of us who find the Linnaean combination of Latin and Greek tedious, such moths are increasingly also identified on iRecord by vernacular English names, in these cases the Heath Knot-horn and the Furness Dowd. I am trying to find out who is behind this excellent development. I appreciate that international scientists need a common language to avoid confusion but I am not an international scientist.

Both the above were clocked by my tremendously labour-saving Bug ID on my iPhone. I use it with due caution but it has a very high accuracy rate. The little chap below, however, defied its powers and I have no idea what it is. Lots of its kind are coming to the light at the moment.

A much more impressive moth is being sighted by many friends at the moment, the Jersey Tiger which is spreading happily through the UK. The one shown is temporarily living in a friend's shed in Essex - and attracting compnay. Yesterday he saw two. 

The Poplar Hawk moth is still appearing almost nightly in the trap, a terrific run going right back to late May.  But for the first time in quite a while, I have not had a Pine Hawk here. Yet.

The effect of a long season is clear on this very faded Nut-tree Tussock

And here's another member of the Prominent family which has been active lately: the Lesser Swallow Prominent with its racing car lines.

Among the butterflies, the Gatekeeper or Hedge Brown is a huge success story this year. They are everywhere.

And to finish with, here's an American Signal Crayfish in a friend's garden. These are pests and you are not only allowed to fish for them but encouraged to. We must have a go some time.