Letter from Flight Season

Dear Subscriber,

Here in New England, we’re into the “Season of Maximum Flight.” That’s what I call the period from late June into early July, when lots of birds feed fledglings and charismatic insects fly in abundance. I’ve been in the thick of it.

Which is why this solstice letter to paying subscribers is coming to you a bit late. (The Season of Maximum Flight — it’s a legit excuse, right?) Regardless, as gratitude for supporting my work, I bring you those two ornate moths above, a bonus podcast segment about birdwatching, an obscure and ancient animal, some “personal injury” news, and a preview of my ambitious essay now in the works about humanity’s estrangement from nature. All of it in only about five minutes of reading because, hey, it’s the Season of Maximum Flight — we’re busy.

Their names alone evoke diversity and whimsy: Pink-shaded Fern Moth (Callopistria mollissima) and Wavy Chestnut Y Moth (Autographa mappa) — photographed (above) on the same night in June here in Vermont. Although only somewhat related, each species has converged on a tapestry of camouflage. Sure, against wooden clapboards, those two moths stand out. Most anywhere else in the wild, they resemble a patch of lichen, a decaying leaf, or some other curly, decomposing vegetation — the stuff predators (and most of us) overlook. Not me. I like looking at these two moths; they make me happy. So do these: