Merry Christmas all!

Hi everyone and I hope that you have a great Christmas and all warmest wishes for the New Year.

I'm giving the moths a seasonal bit of excitement by converting the trap into a Christmas illumination. No neighbours have yet complained; in fact those I've spoken to about it have been touchingly complimentary. And the moths are still taking an interest as well.  I'd pretty much given up on them for the year, but in the first two nights of the amazing new Star Trap, I've had firts a solitary Winter Moth and then last night a Mottled Umber and another Winter Moth - although the latter could be a Northern Winter as it's showing rather more petticoat than usual, which is one way to distinguish the NW from the plain W. Its pic is next, followed by the Mottled Umber.

It's interesting to see how much dew collected on the first Winter Moth, apparently without affecting its health or happiness (pic below). Moths' wings must have a similar effect to bird feathers and sheep wool, shrugging moisture off rather than absorbing it.

Finally, here is a Christmas message from my moths:

Sorry, I used did this
drawing for another
poetic effort on the
blog three Christmases
ago but I haven't time
to do a new one

Hello humans! Your Christmas is here
But you won't see many of us
It's not that we mind this time of the year
Or get fed up with the fuss.

No. The Creator with infinite skill
Has designed our lives this way:
We're eggs or pupae now and we will
Remain asleep 'til the day

When the morning sun brings warmth once more
And birdsong fills the skies
Then like the babe in the manger poor
We'll return, take wing and arise!

(William Shakespeare)

Have a great time!