Wildlife Spotting

Hi Jena. This looks like a birch moth of some sort. (Aethalura punctulata or Ectropis crepuscularia) which are normally found in Europe and North America feeding on birch trees. We studied them in population genetics. During the industrial age, many birch trees in England were covered in soot. The gray moths that rested on them became visible to the birds and were quickly preyed upon leaving only the darker moths to survive. It was noted that after a few generations the moth population turned almost exclusively black due to selection pressure exerted by the birds. After the Industrial revolution, the birch trees lost the soot and turned grey again and so the birds started preying on the black moths. This caused the moth population to revert back to the original gray colour. Due to their short lives and fast reproductive rates, insects can exhibit some wonderful examples of evolution that cannot be observed in larger animals.

Great shot from a phone! :) Now you know how good the photos are, you can take more. :)

Definitely a moth. Not sure on American species, though, only European ones. If it was spotted where I am, I'd lean toward something like dark arches (apamea monoglypha) but the only thing I can be sure of is it's a moth. :) Good spotting, though!