Straphanger

Steady on! Things are getting hectic. FOUR moths in the trap this morning, though (I think) three of them are the same species. It's an old familiar, the Common Quaker, but these are my first for 2014 so my modest little list is growing.

It's not really light enough to take photographs outside at the moment, during my brief opportunity between falling out of bed with a yawn and taking Penny the tea. So I brought a couple of eggboxes indoors and that may account for the straphanging expertise shown by the Common Quaker in the top picture. He or she'd be OK on the London Underground.

The various Quaker moths are named for the simplicity of their garb, a Quaker attribute in the movement's early days when Friends also preferred to 'count themselves among the silent of the world'. This didn't mean that they weren't setting a shining example in the way they conducted their lives, but they thought it better not to join the ranting and evangelism which leads to so many problems involving religion.  Maybe we could do with more of that restraint in these noisy times - not that I am one to comment, what with blogging, Twitter etc.

The fourth visitor was this somewhat worn Pale Brindled Beauty whose bristly leading edge of the forewing caught my attention. Sorry the focus isn't 20:20 but here are the tooth-like bristles close up. I think it's the right antenna, peeping out from beneath the wing.