Labradors, moths, and you.

Yes, you!

I was puppy-sitting over the weekend for my in-laws. She’s a fresh-faced, big-pawed, glossy-coated black labrador and it would have been a relaxing couple of days if it wasn’t for the occasional ankle nibble.

“Occasional?” questions my partner, reading this over my shoulder. The puppy in question is busy tearing up some newspaper while I write, giving my toes some much needed respite.

The weather pretended to be summer for at least a day, lifting the butterflies from their hiding places. I watched them float around the garden like petals on a breeze.

Something on the patio caught my attention.

What looked like an enormous butterfly had settled on a pot nearby, basking in the warmth. Golden yellow, shot through with creamy stripes, it looked like something that belonged in the tropics, visting from the heart of somewhere much more exotic than Buckinghamshire.

The Jersey Tiger.

The Jersey Tiger is actually a moth, comfortable flying in the day as well the night.

Personally I think moths are highly underrated. They have a reputation for mindlessly flying into lamps and getting stuck, and most of my interactions with them involve releasing them again - but that’s because artificial light throws off their senses, confusing and exhausting them, and light pollution is increasing year by year¹.

Moths are vital pollinators, picking up the night shift when the day-flying insects settle down past the sun. They work hard pollinating our crops and flowers, so do your local moths a favour tonight and shut off all the lights you’re not using - particularly the outdoor ones.

I’ll do a deeper dive on reducing light pollution in the coming weeks, but if you’re out and about in the sunshine this week keep your eyes peeled for a Jersey Tiger - king of the urban jungle.

I started writing Urban Nature Diary back in March last year, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned is that it is a place for you, dear reader, not just me. So what I’d love to know is… what do you want to see more of?

Deep dives into specific topics? Step by step guides on how to bring your urban spaces back to life? Maybe some other voices, through interviews with experts or podcasts?

Vote in the poll below or let me know in the comments. This is a space for you to have your say.

1. Butterfly Conservation