Pre-dawn drop in.

4:30 AM. The days are getting shorter again; sunrise wouldn't arrive for a couple more hours. But moths are on the night shift; this one dropped in to visit before she* went off to to find a sleeping spot for the day.

Nice hat.

Her camouflage works on tree trunks. Not on my bedside table.

She sat for a few photos, then flew away. I haven't seen her since, so she probably found her way out the open window.

*She's probably a female. Depending on the species, the males have more elaborate antennae. "The better to smell you by, my dear."

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Las 4 y media de la mañana. Los dias, ahora, se hacen más cortos y el sol no se asomaría por unas dos horas. Pero las palomillas son nocturnas; para la que me vino a visitar, ya llegaba al fin su dia y pronto tendría que buscar un sitio para dormir. Pero no en mi mesita de noche. Esperó a que le sacara unas fotos, y luego voló. No la he visto desde entonces; probablemente logró encontrar mi ventana abierta.

Foto #1: Cara a cara con la mariposa nocturna. ¡Bonito sombrero!

#2: Vista desde arriba. Su camuflage funciona muy bien en los troncos de los árboles, pero aquí no.

Gumweed beasties

In the meadow at Oyster Bay, I stopped to look at gumweed. And the critters it harbours.

Big bee, little fly. Gumweed, Grindelia sp.

And a tiny jumping spider, keeping her eye on the big round eye above.

Isn't she cute?

Unidentified moth

I've spent hours trying to find this moth. It looks so familiar, but I can't remember where I've seen it before. It looks sort of like a hawk moth.

*UPDATE: It's a woodland skipper, a butterfly. Thanks, Sara!

And not on the gumweed; on the path nearby:

Grasshopper, watching me closely. One step more, and he was gone.

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En la pradera de Oyster Bay, me detuve a mirar las flores de Grindelia (hierba goma) y los animalitos que las frecuentan.

Una abeja, y una mosca. Una araña saltarín (¡Tan curiosa; daba vueltas para siempre estar mirando ese ojo grande!) y una mariposa nocturna que no pude identificar. Muy activa; botaba de flor en flor y por fin la perdí.

Y un saltamontes en el camino entre las flores.

One silvery wing

A moth in a hurry to get someplace where there were no cameras allowed me to take a photo of one wing. No more. No time to waste!

All dressed up and somewhere to go.

Sleepyhead moth

Yesterday morning this little moth was sleeping on my kitchen wall.

Unidentified moth, 2 cm. wingtip to wingtip.

She slept all day, so I figured she was a night flier. But the kitchen is dark now, it's past midnight, and she's still sleeping.

It's catching; I've been yawning all evening. So, goodnight, all!