Identification problems . . .

I saw a moth on Barry’s hat this morning and of course I had to try and identify it – without success so far, I have to say.

side view

detail - so delicate

Anyway, in the course of my research I came across this note –‘passes winter as an egg’ and that made me laugh. I started thinking how difficult it would be trying to metamorphose backwards, as it were, and fit into a receptacle now patently far too small. In human terms that is a ghastly thought, not to mention eye-watering.

I also discovered that the Ghost moth, among others, has no tongue and cannot feed. What a sad life that must be. I suppose it’s akin to human parents raising their young and then popping their clogs. I know it feels like that sometimes and often we feel redundant. Let’s be honest, we are redundant once the bank of Mum and Dad serves no further purpose and our young people have flown the nest and are busily growing their own credit ratings and treating overdrafts as a challenge rather than a limit (or was that just me?)

It is sobering to realise that so many beautiful creatures live very short lives. Dragonflies spend more time as somewhat unattractive nymphs. They live in the murky depths of ponds for three or four years, terrorising the more peaceable inhabitants. Then they emerge from their hard cases as diaphanous beauties, bringing colour and pleasure to onlookers, though not to the unfortunate insects they hunt without mercy. 

Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa)

Not as great a beauty as the Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea)

What a stunner - but completely helpless on the ground for dragonflies cannot walk . . .

Laying eggs

So much beauty, such a little life

They mate, they lay eggs, they die. However, they have no thought for the future, no understanding of their ephemeral existence. What do I know, though? Maybe they have a very complex belief system and look forward to dragonfly heaven where food is plentiful and life never ends. Would I have found them so attractive had I lived/existed in prehistoric times when they had wingspans up to 75 cms? Nonetheless, they are fascinating beasts.

However, and I hate to repeat this cliché, it’s all relative . . . We live but a blink of an eye when compared to galaxies. Who knows what the Mars probe will reveal? (provided it lands safely, of course!)

The first full moon of 2010

Full Moon by Walter de la Mare

 One night as Dick lay fast asleep,
Into his drowsy eyes
A great still light began to creep
From out the silent skies.
It was the lovely moon's, for when
He raised his dreamy head,
Her surge of silver filled the pane
And streamed across his bed.
So, for a while, each gazed at each –
Dick and the solemn moon –
Till, climbing slowly on her way,
She vanished, and was gone.

Tonight, if the skies are clear, astronomers in UK will be able to see the January full moon. It is the biggest and brightest full moon of the year, known as a perigee moon. Perigee is the closest point in orbit to Earth. Apparently it will be as much as 14% wider and 30% brighter than moons later in 2010.
In addition, Mars has been shining ever brighter in the east since the middle of the month and tonight it will be at its brightest and in opposition to the sun, meaning that it is really close to Earth, as close as 61.7 million miles! The red planet will be most easily seen closest to the Moon around 9:00 pm.
The January full moon is called variously Moon After Yule, Wolf Moon, Old Moon or Winter Moon. If you are a gardener planting according to the phases of the moon, which method is thought to produce bigger, stronger plants and higher yields, you should be planting root crops, bulbs, biennials and perennials from now until the Last Quarter.
Hopefully, if the sky remains clear (and we remember!) we'll manage to capture Mars and Moon together later on.