Small emerald

A day of dramatic weather and unwanted spending. The promised thunderstorms eventually arrived this morning, and there was a dramatic crack of thunder overhead just after seven thirty. It must have been loud because it woke Alex (no mean feat) who thought the world had ended (though for reasons of decency I can't really quote his exact words). Further thunderstorms followed later in the day, with absolutely torrential rain.

The first job of the day was to drop the car at the garage, and then I went into town to deal with some outstanding business. I noticed the sales were on, so dropped into Blacks' to see if I could find a bargain pair of walking boots as mine are definitely on their last legs and won't take much more patching. Unfortunately the only good deals available were for giants or fairies - nothing for a fairly standard pair of size 6 feet.

In the afternoon I took Alex and Ben over to Oundle to catch up with some of their home educated friends, and had a pleasant couple of hours myself, catching up with my friends. While I was there the garage rang to say that the car had passed it's MOT but had very little wear left in the front tyres and brake pads - estimated at about 1000 miles. As we're off to Orkney soon it seemed sensible to get these replaced. Fortunately the only other piece of work required was covered under the warranty!

I let my friend's house early for a dental appointment. I've had a sensitive tooth for the last couple of weeks and thought I'd better get it checked before going away. The dentist soon found that a former filling was leaking and said it needed replacement, which she offerd to do immediately. Unfortunately, once she removed the filling she realised that it had been like that for some time, and I actually needed a root canal filling - a bargain at just over £200! So major drilling, filing and probing ensued - and I realised that unlike many, I don't mind the sound or feel of dentistry, but dislike the taste and smell - especially that indefinable oodour of burning flesh!

Anyway, all this didn't leave much time for photography - and to be honest I didn't feel inspired to be creative when I got home. So tonight I bring you the prettiest moth to arrive in the trap last night, a Small Emerald Hemistola chrysoprasaria which is largely restricted to the southern parts of Britain, becoming scarcer north of the Midlands. It inhabits woodland edges and hedgerows mainly on chalk downs and limestone where trveller's joy Clematis vitalba grows, but the larvae also eat cultivated Clematis and it now occurs in gardens. We first recorded it last year and it seems to be established, probably on our large Clematis montana. The wings are a very subtle shade of bluish-green - quite difficult to record accurately.

There was another less welcome new record for the moth trap, a Brown-tail Euproctis chrysorrhoea. This species occurs mainly around the south and east coasts of England, and in some years can become locally abundant. The caterpillars are well-known for their urticating hairs; they cause extreme irritation if in contact with human skin. They feed in a communal web on the leaves of hawthorn and blackthorn, and may need to be controlled if they're close to human habitation.

I realise I'm lagging with comments, and things are likely to get worse before they get better, as I'm out fieldworking for the next couple of days, in Bedforshire and Kent. As ever, thanks to everyone that comments on my blips, and is patient even when I don't have time to reciprocate....