Not a tatty owl

This is a moth of the family Noctuidae.  It is called a Pine Beauty (Panolis flammea) and is found almost anywhere in the UK where there are pine trees.  The larvae feed on pine needles, and the moths like nectar from sallow blossom.  We have a large Grey Willow (Salix cinerea) tree, often called Common Sallow in the garden.

I caught only 9 moths in the trap last night - this one, a Muslin Moth, a Twin-spotted Quaker, 5 Hebrew Character moths and an unidentified micro that escaped before I had a chance to look at it.  It had been a chilly night and the moon was quite bright (catches are often poor when there is bright moonlight).