Oak Beauty

Despite a very painful arthritic left knee (the pain comes and goes in waves, and currently it's on a ouchy jag), went for a lovely walk in the sunshine. Suddenly, the butterflies have appeared. (I think they've been around for some time in other parts of the country.) Saw a tortoiseshell, too high and fast to photograph, an orange tip and a speckled wood as well as this pretty moth. I am pretty sure it's an Oak Beauty (Biston strataria), but am open to suggestion if anyone knows better. 

It appears in my Extra collage. Unfortunately none of my pics is in sharp focus. Perhaps my camera is giving me a nudge that it's time to learn how to use manual settings. The light was intensely bright, though I'd have thought that should have helped with clarity. Clearly it didn't. 

The blue sky doesn't half lift one's mood. Hope it lasts for more than one day. Not only the sun, but the little crescent moon followed me round. Ah, springtime ...