​Plume Moths are a group of small moths with modified wings.  The front wings of plume moths usually consist of two curved spars with more or less bedraggled bristles trailing behind. The hindwings are similarly constructed, but have three spars. When resting the wings are rolled up and extended out to the sides creating a capital “T” shaped moth, as can be seen in the photo. 
 
Many plume moths are brown or other cryptic colours and can be hard to detect. Hellinsia pectodactylus however is an almost pure white plume moth and despite its small size was highly visible when it landed on the side of the house under the porch light.  The species name is presumably from the comb-like teeth on the legs of this species.  This moth is known from both the both Europe and North America.  Its larvae have been recorded feeding on a variety of plants in the Aster Family.   There 11 Hellinsia moths listed for British Columbia in Pohl et al. 2015. 

This handsome moth was photographed on Canada Day, as part of our participation in a challenge to each post 150 species on iNaturalist for Canada's 150th  birthday. Panthea virginarius is a widespread moth in the west, associated with conifers.  On the coast they are pale moths with dark markings, and, in a reversal of the usual pattern of things, they are darker in the interior of the province.  The larvae feed on Douglas-fir, Ponderosa Pine, and likely Sitka Spruce.  This specimen was attracted to the deck lights we left on that night to attract nocturnal insects in order to bolster our species tally for the challenge.

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There was great excitement in April (2017) when the first elegant, fine tailed Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura)  arrived at Leaning Oaks. We'd whisper and peer out the window as they cooed softly and fed below the feeders. The whistling of their wing feathers would make us grin with delight. We now get at least a couple daily and have had up to 11 Mourning Doves at a time. We still do smile at the whistling wing feathers. This noise is created by the air travelling over the wing tips and is used to warn the others of danger. Their voice is too quiet to do this job!

I think that we were sure that if a dove were to become common here it would have been the Eurasian Collared Dove with an increasing trend throughout the province that has been meteoric. 
 
The Breeding Bird Survey trend in Canada shows a general increasing trend for Mourning Doves, whereas the BBS trend for BC is a significant decline. The Christmas Bird Count data for Victoria however, shows a steady dramatic increase since the 1950's.  The colonization of Leaning Oaks in this last year is part of that increase.