Swift moths come to the Southern Tablelands also

Denis has posted a couple of times recently about the Swift Moths arriving in Robertson.  Tonight, following a little rain and a marked drop in temperature they arrived in Carwoola.

Before getting to the Swift Moths I also found this one, possibly a refugee from Valentines Day. on a window.  Apart from the shape made by the antennae, their pectinate character is really impressive.

 Again pectinate antennae and a very hairy thorax.
 A rather different colour form.
 Closer yet again with head and thorax.
 Yet another colour form.
 In the subject I refer to the Southern Tablelands rather than Carwoola as a couple of other observers in a wider area have reported interesting moth events.  The first, from about a week ago came from a property on the Lake George Escarpment where
  • a Boobook took a moth off the window; then
  • an Antechinus (marsupial mouse) had a snack; and finally 
  • an Owlet-nightjar took a moth.
Then a camera was positioned and off course everything stopped.

In the Wamboin area - about 10km in a straight line from the Escarpment) - Gabrielle has seen another Boobook doing this, and she was able to capture it pausing between feeds.
At our place the excitement began with a rat (nasty exotic species) ran along the deck and grabbed moths, disappearing to eat its prey.  As with the Lake George excitement, production of a camera stopped the rodent.  However while I was posing outside waiting for the rat to reappear, one of my friends flew in, within a metre of me and had a gobble!
Now that was exciting!

The next evening we had one moth all night!  No sightings of the rat, although the small dog is dong serious checks every time she goes out the door.

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