What on earth?!

This was a surprise visitor to our work party today at the nature reserve. A bit like a hairy catkin or a miniature loo-brush, it crawled over one of the volunteers while she was having lunch...and was able to move quite fast. It's the caterpillar of a Muslin Moth and should be pupating in a cocoon of silk at this time of year. I hope it manages to pupate before the really cold weather hits us. See the extra photo for a male Muslin Moth trapped last May.