The low moth counts continued right into June and unfortunately there are many species which may now not appear at all this year,
notable amongst which is the Puss Moth. This is such a truly glorious moth and one which surely should be a firm favourite of all the cat owners in the village. I have it on authority that this has been the worst spring for insects since records began. Reports have come in from all over the country of Blue Tit broods failing due to lack of food. Oak trees came into leaf at least a month late and this meant that there were no caterpillars for the tits to feed their young and what few were on the trees were washed away by all that rain we endured in the spring. Then to cap it all we even suffered a late frost and freezing fog on 27 May.
I have been asked on numerous occasions what the difference is between a moth and a butterfly. The answer is, not very much at all. They all form part of the order Lepidoptera with butterflies nestling as a group within the moths. Now, why is it that butterflies are usually loved by all and yet moths are disliked, even at times to the point of
fear? It is true that some lay eggs in clothing, but they account for literally just a mere handful of species. This year I aim to show you some of our local specialities so that you can gauge for yourselves just how beautiful they are. So, let us start with a Poplar Hawk-moth and an Elephant hawk-moth – now aren’t they just as beautiful as a butterfly, and believe me they are just as large?
One of our ponds has undergone a transformation. Vegetation has been cut back to allow in more light 
and many less invasive native pond plants are already establishing themselves. It took very little time for our frogs and newts to return and breed and now numerous beetles and other invertebrate species have re-established themselves and an adult Grass Snake has put in an appearance. I have always known that they could swim on the surface of water – what I didn’t know was that they can also swim underwater. Imagine my surprise when this one popped its head out of the water to eye-ball me from just a few feet away.
Paul 841696
