White Admirals, Black Arches & Bop

I've cut back on some of my volunteer activities. Partly from a feeling of being squished by them, and partly to enable me to focus my energies better. In September, I'll be starting the third year of my Ecology degree and beginning my new job as a study support coach to the new intake of first years, both of which will require more time than I have previously needed to set aside, so some things have had to go.

It's good to periodically look at and assess what brings value and what contributes to or creates stress. I think most of us have the capacity to amass layers of duties and responsibilities that after a while can become too much or be no longer relevant, and relieving oneself of some of them does have a renewing and re-invigorating effect.

I've enjoyed looking at all the things I've done during the past two years and deciding what to keep and what to reduce or step away from. As a result, I've ended up with a portfolio of activities that has a good balance to it (or so I hope, anyway).

I've decided not to study moths as my dissertation subject. There is a lot of truth in the old adage about not making your hobby your life's work. For the first time in over a year therefore the box went out last night purely for pleasure. Going through the resulting moths was a far more enjoyable experience as a result!

The box was lighter as the temperatures have dropped, with 26 species recorded of 45 individuals (as opposed to over 400 a couple of weeks ago). The species have shifted now that the earth energy is heading towards autumn with Scalloped Oaks, Black Arches and a Purple Thorn all present for the first time this year. 

I like the changing seasons: I've always found the turn of the earth and the way the wild things respond to it reassuring, as if everything is in its rightful place. For example, I always look forward to the first sallow moths of Autumn, which are reminiscent of fallen leaves, and the arrival in September of the beautiful marbled green of the Merveille du Jour.

Scalloped Oak

Lesser Broad-Bordered Yellow Underwing (waving and beady-eyed) :o)

Silver Y

Pebble Hooktip

Purple Thorn

Black Arches

Black Arches

 Brussels Lace

I felt The Land's seal of approval today on these decisions to cut back and refocus. First, I came across a White Admiral sitting quietly on a patch of Bramble...

 
They are rare enough for any sight of them to be a special occurrence, and this one remained within touching distance for a good ten minutes. During which time I was, of course, spell-bound, unable to move.

Females are slightly larger than males and have more rounded wings. They tend to nectar on bramble blossom but this can mean that their wings become tatty because of catching on thorns, which I suspect is what's happened to this one. 

This is only the second White Admiral I've seen this summer, despite spending a lot of my time in White-Admiral perfect woodlands. Nature sends these things when you aren't looking for them, eh? By way of encouragement, like a Simple Blessing when one is needed.

 
A little further on a bunny hopped out of some undergrowth and just sat quietly watching me. There was something in her eyes that made me feel a message was being passed, some kind of reminder of what brought me to this degree in the first place, perhaps.

Other flutters came along, and a Great Pied Hoverfly...

And then, as I was heading for home, the sound of hooves running through the trees on my right signalled a small herd of roe deer fleeing at my approach. 

All except one. She stood quietly by the trees and watched me for ages, and I felt another message being passed over.

I made my way home with a sense that the balance that had gone awry has returned, and that The Wild has been there guiding me through it all along.

On a similar vein, Bop is coming home tonight.

Hope you are all well, my dears?

CT :o)