It’s time to move up a gear. I’ve been idling for a few weeks and time is pressing. I have one deadline on the 25th and three at the end of the month, with very little to offer at the moment. It’s the same old problem, I can’t work until a deadline threatens.
Poplar Hawk Moth – scale is in inches
However, life can’t be all rush, and this is what I found in the vestibule of the shop this morning. The light was not quite so cool and blue, but I had the camera set up for silver coins. It’s a Poplar Hawk Moth and is quite a size, as you can see from the scale in one of the photos. I put it outside and it flew away to seek cover.
I tried restoring the colour, but the available filters didn’t really work so in the end I left it.
Wollaton Park is close by, and there are quite a few poplars, so I suspect if you had a moth trap out there would be plenty about.
Poplar Hawk Moth
They aren’t the best of shots, but it was early for thinking, and I was half in and half out of the shop. I should have done better, but at least I got some interesting shots. It’s amazing what you see, even in town.
I was tempted to make this my contribution to the Big Butterfly Count, but I don’t think they would be impressed. Julia has already submitted her count from the Gardens, though she found it disappointing – just Gatekeepers, Whites and a Brimstone. It all depends on the day, the weather and the fifteen minute slot you select. It’s like the Bird Count – we always used to count at my Mum and Dad’s when the kids did it, as they had a better selection. We got down one morning and they beckoned us through to the kitchen window – three Jays. They very rarely had one, so we started the count immediately.
Most of the day consisted of packing parcels and loading coins onto eBay.
We had a parcel go missing recently. It was shown as having been delivered, but the recipient said he hadn’t had it. It’s an awkward situation. I don’t want to see the customer lose £50, but I don’t want us to lose £50 either, and if the Post Office says it was delivered what do we do?
As it turns out, we wait for it to be returned as “Not at this address”, which begs the question as to how it can have been marked as delivered and signed for. It arrived back this morning. I’d written the flat number incorrectly. Sometimes these lapses of concentration occur and these days the Post Office doesn’t make the effort it used to do to find addressees. It’s readdressed and back in the post now. Hopefully it will be delivered this time.
Fascinating moth. If the computer says it has been delivered it must have been
You would think so, but it still ended up back on my desk. Posted again on Friday and he got it this morning. 🙂
Well done.
That’s some moth.
It was quite a surprise to find it when I unlocked the outer door! 🙂
The moth is beautiful, and large! We are seeing yellow swallowtail butterflies now, not many, but they are liking the butterfly bush blooms. The butterfly bush is blooming about a month late, and has fewer blooms. The heatwave affected many plantings.
I am glad the parcel problem was resolved. 🙂
Yes, missing parcels can be unpleasant.. One customer actually said “are you calling me a thief?”. As the Post Office showed that he had the parcel, it was a difficult question to answer without causing offence.
Under pressure from the customer the PO eventually said that they must have delivered it to the wrong address. eBay refunded him from our account and we were left with the loss as it was only a few pounsd and not worth the time spent filling in claim forms. If it had been moe expensive I’m not sure how we would have gone on as the PO can be tricky when it comes to insurance.
The postal system is not what it was pre-Covid, and we have actually had to start refusing orders from some countries because their delivery services have broken down.
Postal services are not what they were here either, between covid and politics.
Yes, the USPS pulling out of the international pricing structure caused us a few problems, as did leaving the EU, even without covid. US sales went down as postage went up and European sales went down as the tax cut in and documentation increased. All in all, not a good time for small business.
I ma glad that the parcel problem was resolved. These things can generate a lot of heat if both sides are convinced that they are telling the truth.
I like your moth shots. I can’t count any butterflies at the moment as we have none at all.
The lack of butterflies is a worry. We are quite deficient in butterflies and pollinators.
We saw one butterfly today and it was promptly eaten by a blackbird.
The life of a butterfly has little to recommend it . . .
That is probably very true.