Recent Reading
I loved this book and it was one of those non fiction books that really resonated with me. If you like ancient landscapes, stone circles and long barrows etc I think you would enjoy this book.
The latest and probably last Ruth Galloway book finally came down in price. Knowing it might be the last we read about Ruth I did put off reading it for a while. I know others are reading the series so if you haven't yet read it I won't say too much. I do hope Elly Griffiths writes another book with Nelson and Ruth at some stage in the future. Its been a brilliant series with Ruth being such a lovely character and I suspect I may re-read them all again one day.
I can't stop reading the Faith Martin books. In this one Hillary Greene returns in a different role. It took me a while to get used to her no longer being a DI but again it was a gripping book full of suspense especially the ending!
Having visited Wigmore Castle in Herefordshire - home of the Mortimers - I have become fascinated by the family. I've been reading this at the caravan for quite a while now but I finally finished it on the last visit.
I still can't stop reading these books! The ending of the previous book was such a cliff hanger I had to read the next! I will have to slow down a bit because I don't think there are that many left in the series.
I am still not sleeping well and with that and the hot weather I've been reading a lot. The trouble is that means the Kindle needs recharging every day so I re-read a story in a hardback book by Mary Wesley called The Vacillations of Poppy Carew. I do like her books and they make easy unputdownable reading. The author was a remarkable woman - she had her first novel published at the age of 70!
Moths and Caterpillars
B spotted this rather pretty moth inside the back room a few days ago. In all my years of moth trapping I had never caught this species. A bit of research revealed its a Box Tree Moth which is regarded as an invasive species as its caterpillars can decimate box trees and shrubs. B has box cuttings in the back room and outside on the patio!!! Anyway I can't bring myself to kill it so it will be released well away from here. Interestingly enough I heard of two other people on Twitter who had seen this species on the same day. One came from Yorkshire so the moths which only appeared in Kent, England in 2007 must be spreading north. The species tends to peak around this time of year.
I was thrilled when B spotted this Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar on the patio a week or so back. I used to trap Elephant Hawk Moths so I always thought we might have caterpillars on the fuschias or Rosebay Willow Herb but this was the first time one has been seen. I am not sure if it was looking for somewhere to pupate but I put it back on a fuschia. The caterpillar looks a bit like an elephant's trunk and the eyespots are to warn off predators. I know Bovey Belle found one in her garden too recently.
I hope everyone is staying safe and well.
All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one I would appreciate an email first - thanks).
15 comments:
I've not come across that Faith Marting book, last one I read was Murder in the Parish. I read a laod of Helen Durant books which I found rather good plus a box set of Detective Temple books.. I'll look out fo rthe book yuo showed
Just realised I have read that book Murder fo a lover.
Pippi and I found four - or Pippi found the same one four times and brought it back to me!! I am inclined to think they were different ones though as they soon disappeared when I put them amongst the Willowherb (their food plant). Glad it's in your garden too.
Lots of good books there. I struggle to find time to read unless I'm awake in the middle of the night! Have had a fairly ghastly weak (well, poor Keith, it was even worse for him) and I am hoping SO much to get to Tretower Court tomorrow and Meet the Marchers. Fingers x'd.
Billy Blue Eyes - Thanks so much. Glad you have read the book after all. I do thank you for mentioning this author as I am really loving the books. I have a Helen Durrant on my Kindle to read.
Bovey Belle - Thanks so much. I suspect we have more caterpillars too. So sorry about your week and poor Keith. I hope you can get to the Meet the Marchers event - a break would do you good and the Marchers are a fascinating subject.
My brother sent me a photo of a Box Tree Moth to identify a couple of days ago - there must be a lot of them about this year. Also had a Hummingbird Hawk Moth on my garden flowers this morning. That "Grounded" book has been on my radar for a while, maybe one day it'll be reduced to 99p if I wait!
I would have trouble too in despatching a moth. I believe I would relocate it to someone's garden if they had upset me. Lol. I haven't seen an elephant hawk moth caterpillar here for some considerable years now. maybe 5 or 6? I used to find them all the time. I was very disappointed this year. I allowed ragwort to grow in my lawn. now before anybody starts shouting, I don't live near livestock, and there's more ragwort along the public path leading up to the paddocks that gets left untouched Anyway, I allowed it to grow in the hopes of finding a cinnabar moth caterpillar but no joy.
John "By Stargoose and Handlands" - Thanks so much. It does sound as if there are a lot of those moths around this year. Sadly, I haven't seen a Hummingbird Hawkmoth anywhere this year. Great sighting :) I'll let you know if I see "Grounded" reduced :)
Rustic Pumpkin - Thanks so much. lol re the garden - sadly its too close to us and our box cuttings!! Such a shame about your Ragwort. We have had cinnabar moth caterpillars on ours but not this year so its worth persevering it really is. Good Luck :)
I meant to say, I have been to Trupp where Hilary lives on the canal boat to visit a couple of nearby Churches, the whole stretch full of them and people are living on them. I suspect Faith lives around the area. All the places she mentions exist I know right away the places that are fiction though I have to say she has not mentioned the area I live yet. My kindle has loads of her books on it now.
Billy Blue Eyes - Its always good to visit or know locations in books. I found that with the Merrily Watkins books set in Herefordshire. Faith Martin certainly seems to know the area she writes about well. I send fiction back to the cloud when I've read it although I still have loads of books actually on it. A long to be read list!!!!
We saw a Box Tree moth here a couple of years ago but not seen one this year. I must find some of those Faith Martin Books, the only series of her's I've read are those set in Oxford in the 1960s, which I enjoyed, also enjoyed the latest/last Ruth Galloway book by Elly Griffiths. I've just read the latest Wesley Peters book by Kate Ellis and also The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves. The caterpillar looks 'other wordly':)
Rosie - Thanks so much. Interesting how those Box Tree moths are spreading North. I really am enjoying Faith Martin - Hillary Greene the main character is I find a character I like. Hope you enjoy if you try the series. Ruth book was so good wasn't it? I am still working my way through the Wesley books but still have a few to read. I must check out the latest Ann Cleeves as I haven't read any of her books for a while. Caterpillar is very "other wordly" in real life :) If you have fuschias or Rosebay Willowherb worth checking them Rosie.
Of course I meant 'other worldly':) We have a hardy fuchsia in the front garden so will check it out. The Ruth book ended perfectly for me, I guess for you too. I hope those characters return one day:)
Rosie - To be honest I didn't notice the typo! I do it all the time! Good luck with the caterpillar hunt. Yes perfect ending :) Time wise the books seem bang up to date so one can but hope that yes there will be more in the future. Ruth probably my favourite character although I do like Merrily and Hillary Greene!
I recently learned what those moths were too and had seen them in the south of France thinking they were really pretty! Box grows wild here as a shrub so it's not surprising they are found here. Very envious of your Elephant Hawkmoth caterpillar - I've never seen one, despite searching through Rosebay Willowherb a number of times! On a fuchsia they would decimate them as they are huge!
Millymollymandy - Thanks so much. Something is nibbling the box cuttings outside :( They seem to be really spreading here - the moths that is. Its the first E Hawkmoth caterpillar I've seen and like you I've searched before.
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