Moths, mammals and a bird, but no beetles

Last week, I had planned to blog about a recent birthday, not a particularly significant birthday, but one with plenty of punning opportunities if one happened to be of a Beatles frame of mind. In fact, as part of the punning, I was going to post on the following day, thereby introducing a further song title. As I said, "I had planned", but somehow the muse struggled to leave the ground and the moment was lost. Anyhow, it was a lovely day, with a nice lunch at a gin distillery and a bit of wildlife watching afterwards (including my first Brambling of the year).

Instead, here's a round up of October's natural history happenings.

Parsnip Moth (on the bedroom wall, not in the vegetable patch)

Our first Blackcap of the Autumn, which instigated a search for an apple source

Whilst putting out the swiftly-purchased apples, we noticed that the recently-strimmed and mown lawn was riddled with Orkney Vole tunnels running through the grass. Unbeknownst to us, we had been sharing the front garden with them all Summer.

Work-wise, I have been helping out with a software upgrade, which has required trips to various islands and much scrabbling about in small dark recesses, looking for somewhere to shove a memory stick. Towards the end of the project, I found myself with a couple of hours' wait for a ferry, so reverted to type, first visiting a cafe and then a beach.

Meanwhile, at home, Megan had discovered yet another new moth species for the garden, with this Dark Sword-grass found on a wall, which she kindly potted until I returned to see it. The moth was then released at dusk, and what a dusk it was.

Today, we're hunkered down indoors, waiting for the last throes of Storm Benjamin to leave our shores. We may celebrate tonight's return to GMT with a G&T.