Sunday, August 12, 2007

Moths and Meteors

I need hardly tell blog regulars that last night was National Moth Night - a commendable attempt to whip up enthusiasm for these unloved creatures of the night (and day), which I marked in the usual way - having a few drinks and forgetting it was National Moth Night. Earlier in the day, a bemused Jim Naughtie, interviewing a human representative of the moth community, began by accusing moths of eating clothes, then thoroughly muddied the waters by mentioning this beauty, much to the mothman's bemusement (it's not a target species, not often seen and unlikely to be flying at this time of year). Moths - and their human representatives - seem destined never to be understood and appreciated.
Tonight, of course, we are to be treated to a spectacular display of shooting stars. I shall celebrate by having a few drinks and forgetting all about them.
Nature - it's so hard to keep up...

4 comments:

  1. the only moth worth mentioning is the hummingbird moth which, fortunately, comes out during the day. worth mentioning because I'd like to know what it was called before they discovered the americas (the europeans not the moths).

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  2. be careful when watching those shooting stars, nige. if you keep wishing for one more there'll be no end to them.

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  3. Good point about the hummingbird's name Ian. It also has the rare distinction of being happy flying in rain, which must be why it's doing so well over here. This is another attractive day-flying moth you might have, er, spotted. As for the shooting stars I did, in the end, see one - an early one - but had the presence of mind not to make a wish.

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  4. yes, and not forgetting the scarlet tiger with its teasing glimpse of red petticoat.

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