The frequency of PP

Another chilly night between pleasant days meant sparse moths: two Hebrew Characters, a Muslin, a Lesser Swallow Prominent - and this, which looks to my notoriously hopeless eyes like a Pale Pinion.

I'm a bit hesitant, because this moth is categorised as 'local', ie halfway between 'common' and 'rare' or 'scarce' (before you get to the mysterious realms of 'Red Data Book', 'suspect' or 'doubtfully British'. Anyway, it will be interesting to have expert views in due course.

It's the third PP in the last week, following the Pebble Prominent and the Pale Prominent; and there are plenty more in the category such as the Pretty Pinion, Pine Processionary and Plain Pug. I like the initials because they were and are used affectionately of my first editor who gave me my Guardian job, Peter Preston.

Yesterday's sunshine brought Brimstone, Holly Blue, Green-veined White and Orange Tip butterflies to see us, and here is a female Orange Tip (the colour is sadly reserved for the male). Finally, I took a rather pointless picture of the trap last night, but finished up quite enjoying its image of a kindly light in the Oxfordshire dark. So here it is. It would appear much brighter to a moth,mind you, according to this interesting link.