Terry O'Connor

@osteoconnor

Old bloke in Yorkshire, interested in wildlife, gardening, books, classical music, archaeology, cats. Often muddy. Born at 313ppm. Opinions my own.

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Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· 6d

In other news, the 2nd hand bookshop in Harewood obviously heard I was coming and circulated a description.

Section of bookshelf with a sign, white letters on blue background reading 'Old, Tatty + Interesting'.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· 6d

A rather haunting portrait. Henry, 6th Earl of Harewood, on leave from the Great War. A face that has seen too much. John St Helier Lander, 1916.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· 10d

?????

A pair of dark brown leather mules, i.e. footwear.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· 11d

She's memorable on this one, too.

CD cover. Soile Isokoski, orchestral songs by Sibelius.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· 13d

Careful now, it can become a bit of an obsession! Though if you're of the nocturnal persuasion, that may not matter. Here's a Mint Moth from last night.

On a white fabtic surface rests a markedly triangular brown moth with yellow spots on its wings. Pyrausta aurata.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· 15d

This one, from a car park in Aotearoa-New Zealand.

White letter on red sign 'STOP'. Below, in black on white, 'YOU'VE ALREADY DONE ENOUGH DAMAGE'.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· 16d

Aubergine season is off to a good start. Hubris?

A hand holding a large purple aubergine. Hedge in background.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· 18d

Ripon cathedral also has some excellent personal names on grave slabs.

Dark grey 18th century grave slab showing the names Fairfax Norcliffe and Callisthenes Brook.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· 19d

From the latest Private Eye. A touch of nostalgia.

Cartoon of an exam hall with regularly-spaced desks. A long line of people snakes up and down the aisles. A sign reads 'Invigilator Training School'.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· 19d

New book purchase. Disgraceful self-indulgence.

Book front cover. Title on green band
'Slugs of Britain and Ireland'; photo of large black slug Arion ater.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· 20d

Some nice moths last night, including this pair of Dusky Thorns. #teammoth

Two yellow-brown moths with scalloped wing margins resting on the fingers of a left hand.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· 22d

Taphonomy! Residents of this bit of wall in our garden have been scoffing Morello cherry stones. From the position and size of hole, and v narrow incisor marks, we reckon it's bank voles.

Five cherry stones in the palm of a hand. Each has a gnawed hole in the side of the stone, towards one end.

Section of drystone wall above concrete slabs. A small patch of disturbed soil at the base of the wall includes many cherry stones.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· 25d

Despite the drought, this spring in Wharfedale is still flowing well.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· 25d

Up the Dales with YNU. Found a good spot for lunch.

A view over undulating grassy pastures to a broad valley beyond which rise grassy hills. Cloudy sky, just a streak of blue.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· 26d

Cooler night, so modest moth numbers. I photographed this chap 3 times with different light and background, and Obs gave 3 identifications: Rufous Minor, Tawny Marbled Minor and Oligia sp. I'll settle for the last one! #teammoth.

A small brown moth rests on the palm of a hand. The wings are mottled grey-brown with a broad red-brown cross band, and red-brown at the 'shoulders'.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· 27d

Allotment hollyhock is having a good year. Up to about 2.5m.

Three stems of hollyhock with pale pink flowers. Tree in background.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· 27d

I have had several this year - they are quite something.

A large green moth, its wings widely spread, rests on a white UPVC windowframe.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· Jul 11

Like this one?

A pink mould for ice cubes, to make 4 cubes shaped like small brains.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· Jul 11

I was just down the road from it last Saturday!

A green hillside with scattered trees, above which rises a slender, tapering edifice.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· Jul 10

Mothing on the allotment tonight. An hour or so after sunset, the bats come out. Mostly pips, but I think one Natterers.

Dusk, a wooden garden shed against which a white sheet has been hung to reflect the blue-ish light from an LED moth-trap.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· Jul 10

Yup. Recommended.

An patch of exuberant grass and wildflower growth, with white ox-eye daisies and mauve knapweed. A greenhouse roof rises above the vegetation, with tall shrubs and trees beyond.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· Jul 9

You had Suspecteds; I had Uncertains.

A rather non-descript brown moth trying to hide in one corner of an egg box.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· Jul 9

Moth ID help, please! I think this is Ancylis achatana, from VC64 and therefore on the northern edge of its range. Anyone concur or disagree? #TeamMoth

A very small brown moth on the palm of a hand.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· Jul 8

John Singer Sargent; Lady Agnew of Lochnaw. Eyes that follow you round the room. Not necessarily with approval.

A dark-haired woman in a pale blue gown tied with a purple sash is seated in a high-backed chair with floral upholstery. She looks straight at the viewer.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· Jul 8

Bit of a hot day for working in the greenhouse. Our aubergine plants are nearly up to the greenhouse eaves. The sweet and chili peppers are being more restrained.

Upright stems bearing broad mid-green leaves. Aubergines.

Greenhouse staging with pots of leafy pepper and chili plants. White shading above them.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· Jul 7

Best trap of the year so far. A couple of NFGs, namely a palely loitering Muslin Footman and one of those troublesome Grey/Dark Daggers. A. tridens or A. psi? Dunno. #teammoth

A broadly triangular moth coloured translucent beige with faint darker cross-lines, on a white background.

A slender triangular moth, steel-grey with black hachure marks, rests on the fingers of a hand.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· Jul 6

Yup.

A slender bodied beetle, with red head, thorax and legs, and red-brown elytra, on a dense head of 5-petalled white flowers.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· Jul 5

Encouraging view from the shed window. #allotment

View looking slightly obliquely out of a window in a wooden shed. Beyond are vegetable beds, a small greenhouse and fruit bushes, then house roofs and trees. Sky mostly blue.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· Jul 1

Here's a splash of colour. A Large Emerald moth has taken up residence on our back door. #teammoth

A large green moth with wings outstretched rests on a white door frame.

Terry O'Connor@osteoconnor· Jun 29

Cast up in Tunbridge Wells after a couple of intense family days, we have found a proper pub. No gastro-, no fancy cocktails. Just the essentials.