Winter Moth

Took the dog for a short walk along the C & O Canal near Williamsport, Maryland, this afternoon. The temperature dipped to near 17 degrees Fahrenheit this morning but warmed up to near 40 this afternoon. At least that's what the weatherman on the radio said. It felt chillier than that, even with the sun shining. The Potomac River was high, the result of the rain and snow of the last two weeks, but just a few remnants of snow remaining on the ground. Still, I was surprised to see--at a distance--the brief fluttering of a moth's wings in the sunshine. As I approached the spot of the fluttering, I spied the brownish-colored moth clinging to the outermost tip of a small twig, as if trying to absorb as much warmth from the low-lying sun as possible. American Crows, Carolina Wrens, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers enlivened the winter woods with their calls.