Incredible puss...

My walk along the river started off in dense mist and ended up in bright sunshine. Everthing was coated with webs, each one providing the support for perfect strings of crystal droplets. I thought my blip was done.

But then Pete returned form his fieldwork with a present, one whichmade me laugh with joy. Not flowers or chocolates, but the nearly fully grown caterpillar of a Puss Moth. This stunning creature feeds on willows and poplars. When alarmed it adopts a characteristic stance with its head raised, and waving the two reddish flagellae at its rear. These are supposed to look enticingly like worms and to attract a predatory bird away from more important parts of the body. It may have used them to good effect, as one of the red flagellae was missing. If all else fails it can spray formic acid from its head.

This one was remarkably implacable, and the only way I could get any response was by blowing gently into its face. Food is the only thing on its mind....within a couple of days it will pupate and eventually a soft, furry, delicately patterned greyish moth will emerge.