My First for 2012

Having failed three times to attract anything to my garden moth trap, I finally had my first moth of the year while out walking. Floating in a small puddle, but still very much alive, was a Mottled Grey, so with the tip of my knife, I gently fished it out, then did my best to relieve it of as much excess water as possible and separate its soggy wings before sitting it on a nearby heather stem. This one was a bit ahead of the main flight season for this species, but I've had other Mottled Greys in January and February before this, usually floating in puddles after a windy night.