No Birding today, but two Moth Boxes to check.

 

Saturday 11th July 2026.

One of two Canary-shouldered Thorn moths this morning in my garden.

Saturday at last! There were two Moth Boxes to go through today as I paid my weekly visit to Cowplain Marsh to pick up both Geoff Farwell and Andy Fisher, however, there was a big change of plan. We all knew that it was going to be a very hot day and the guys enthusiasm to walk around in that heat disappeared fast. I suppose there was the potential to go for the Night Heron that was still showing on Miller’s Pond or to go for the Brown Hairstreak butterflies that were not too far away. But we decided to do neither.

Instead, a good look at the Moth Box and a good long chat in the comfort of Andy’s garden over Coffee and toast was a lazy but enjoyable option instead!

 

My Moth Box:

My first Marbled Green moth for the year.

Another 100+ haul of Moths within my garden this morning as I walked out into the garden at 5.15am this morning armed with a hot coffee, Moth Pots and plenty of enthusiasm. In fact, there were 126 Moths recorded this morning of 42 species and among them were another SIX more Moths that were new for the year.

Above, this August Thorn was in the plant by the Moth Box and below, the striking Comfrey Ermine micro moth.

This included both August and Canary-shouldered Thorn, Marbled Green and the micro moths, Satin Grass-moth (Crambus perlella), Comfrey Ermine (Ethmia quadrillella) and a  Coastal Buff (Agonopterix yeatiana); all good quality Moths for my garden.

Another moth new for the year was this Coastal Buff.

Migrant Moths included a Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing, Small Mottled Willow, Jersey Tiger and a Silver Y. A couple of Golden Twin-spot moths, which could be migrant Moths, were the first individuals for a few weeks and yesterdays aberrant Dark Arches was still present by my back kitchen door.

This Satin Grass-moth was also my first for the year.

Of the micro moths, both Bird-cherry and Willow Ermine moths were abundant and my second of the year Horse-chestnut Leafminer and Southern Apple Moth were also present. I have to say that the Comfrey Ermine moth was another stunning individual. The Moths recorded in my garden this morning were as follows:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
August Thorn * x1	Satin Grass-moth * x1
Canary-shouldered Thorn * x2	Comfrey Ermine * x1
Lime-speck Pug x5	Light Brown Apple Moth x11
Double-striped Pug x6	Coastal Buff * x1
Common Pug x1	Ruddy Streak x1
Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing x1	Rufous Pearl x1
Small Mottled Willow x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x4
Golden Twin-spot x2	Apple Leaf Miner x12
Cloaked Minor x2	Common Plume x6
Clay x1	Garden Grey x3
Small Ranunculus x1	Hampshire Dowd x7
Lackey x3	Mother of Pearl x1
Dark Arches x2	Golden-brown Tubic x1
Black Arches x1	Southern Apple Moth x1
Blair’s Mocha x1	Bird-cherry Ermine x7
Bright-line Brown-eye x1	Willow Ermine x15
Marbled Green * x1	Large Pale Masoner x3
Silver Y x1	Horse-chestnut Leafminer x1
Jersey Tiger x1	Garden Grass-veneer x5
Riband Wave x4	Rosy Tabby x2
Large Yellow Underwing x1
L-album Wainscot x1

Other insects attracted to the Moth Box this morning included several Lacewing, a Seven-spotted Ladybird, a Cinnamon Sedge Caddis Fly and yet another Green Immigrant Leaf Weevil. Apart from the many Swifts overhead, a Goldfinch was seen flying over heading northbound.

 

Geoff’s Moth Box, Cowplain Marsh (Andy’s garden):

An annual visitor to Cowplain Marsh, this Mocha is always an attractive moth.

A respectable 68 Moths of 35 species here in Andy’s garden this morning as Geoff’s MV Moth Box attracted an interesting array of Moths that included another two more ‘year-ticks’ that included the macro moths Straw Dot and a smart looking Mocha. The latter species has never been recorded in my garden yet I see them here most years at Cowplain Marsh.

Above, the Pale Prominent moth and below, a Rush Veneer.

Above, the Scalloped Oak by the Moth Box.

A Pale Prominent was seen here for the second Saturday running and I finally got up close and personal to a Vapourer Moth at last. They really are a smart little Moth. This one was sitting on top of the Moth Box. Two Elephant Hawk-moths were on the egg trays and a Small Blood-vein flew up from the floor and onto the window of the Conservatory. The Scalloped Oak flew from the Moth Box and into Andy’s kitchen of which I promptly potted the Moth and put it out into the garden.

 

Above, the Oak Longhorn micro moth and below, a resting Vapourer Moth.

Above, the Straw Dot.

Two Dusky Sallows was a good record and the micro Oak Loghorn was only my second for the year. The following Moths were recorded in Andy’s garden this morning:

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Pale Prominent x1	Rosy Tabby x9
Willow Beauty x3	Rush Veneer x1
Clay x1	White-banded Grass-moth x2
Small Blood-vein x1	Garden Grass-veneer x3
Mocha * x1	Garden Grey x3
Least Carpet x2	European Corn-borer x1
Scarce Footman x2	Elderberry Pearl x1
Single-dotted Wave x2	Ash-bark Knot-horn x1
Straw Dot * x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x5
Riband Wave x3	Ruddy Streak x2
Vapourer Moth x1	Mother of Pearl x1
Cloaked Minor x1	Common Plume 2
Elephant Hawk-moth x2	Bud Moth x2
Uncertain x2	Oak Longhorn x1
Dusky Sallow x2
Dun-bar x1
Scalloped Oak x1
Nut-tree Tussock x1
Common Rustic x5
Maiden’s Blush x1

 

After checking the Moth Box and recording the species seen, over a few cups of coffee, we had a few bird species were noted that included a Nuthatch in the nearby trees. A pair of Linnets flew over calling and a Coal Tit popped into the garden briefly. A juvenile Robin was taking a drink from Andy’s makeshift (upside down bin lid) birdbath. Geoff had a quick glimpse of a Sparrowhawk passing low over the houses which explained why a large squadron of panicking Starlings passed overhead!

A few butterflies flew through that included a Peacock, Gatekeeper and a pair of Speckled Wood’s were sparring with one another as they passed low over our heads. It was good to catch up with the guys and after a long chat and several cups of coffee, I headed home to get cracking on my blog that needed updating. I heard that the Night Heron was showing well briefly this morning until it flew deep into cover to roost.

The Night Heron on Miller's Pond. Photo by Steve Laycock. 

 

A stunning Black Arches moth steals the show.

 

Friday 10^th July 2026.

Possibly, the most stunning Black Arches moth I have ever seen!

Finally, the end of the working week and yet another very hot day. Again, just the one shift in Pembroke Road today and standing in my usual spot, it was fairly comfortable in the shade. Once again, I was up at the crack of dawn and stumbled out into the garden to see what goodies lie in wait for me in and around the Moth Box.

There has been some amazing birds seen already in Hampshire and among an array of wading birds returning here after breeding, the icing on the cake was when an adult Night Heron was discovered on a small pond in the middle of Southampton by one fortunate birder who was having his lunch at the time! Of course, this sparked a big rush for all those Hampshire 'Listers' to catch up with this superb bird (except me as I was too busy!).

My Moth Box:

My first Netted Tortrix of the year.

A blistering 186 moths of 52 species were recorded this morning and this didn’t include quite a few that flew off when I switched the light off to the Box! Possibly another 20+ more!  Incredibly, there was only one Moth that was new for the year, a Netted Tortrix (Acleris forsskaleana); a species that is a annual species to my garden and a pretty Moth too.

Above, a Blair's Mocha on the lid of the Moth Box and below, an Elephant Hawk-moth was one of four this morning and here sharing some space with a Lackey.

A Jersey Tiger was always pleasing to see, but I feel this was eclipsed by an unusually marked Black Arches; one of those aberration types. Up to FOUR Elephant Hawk-moths graced the Moth Box and a smart Blair’s Mocha was most appreciated, sitting on top of the Moth Box. The migrant Moth, Small Mottled Willow, was present again and though I did get four of these one morning, I was reading that someone had around 30+ by his Moth Trap!

My second Dark Spectacle moth for the garden this year.

My second Dark Spectacle of the year in my garden was nice and Plumed Fan-foot, Least Carpet and Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing were also present. By far, the most numerous Moth were the Willow Ermine’s (Yponomeuta rorrella) with 22 individuals recorded, closely followed by 19 Apple Leaf Miners (Lyonetia clerkella). My second Water Veneer (Acentria nivea) of the year was present at the bottom of the Box and an Ash-bark Knot-horn (Euzophera pinguis) was noteworthy. The following Moths were recorded this morning:

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Jersey Tiger x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x10
Black Arches x1	Elderberry Pearl x1
Elephant Hawk-moth x4	Box Tree Moth x1
Willow Beauty x2	Horse-chestnut Leafminer x1
Marbled Beauty x1	Willow Ermine x22
Riband Wave x8	Mint Moth x2
Blair’s Mocha x1	Hampshire Dowd x1
Common Emerald x4	Large Pale Masoner x3
Common Rustic x1	Water Veneer x1
Small Mottled Willow x1	Chestnut Tortrix x3
Dark Arches x3	Common Masoner x7
Lackey x3	Grey Knot-horn x2
Least Carpet x1	Blushed Knot-horn x4
Plumed Fan-foot x1	Rosy Tabby x2
Cloaked Minor x2	Rusty-dot Pearl x2
Double-striped Pug x5	Barred Yellowneck x2
Bright-line Brown-eye x4	Fulvous Pearl x1
Turnip Moth x1	Apple Leaf Miner x19
Lime-speck Pug x1	Golden-brown Tubic x2
Dark Spectacle x1	Ash-bark Knot-horn x1
Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing x1	Netted Tortrix * x1
Shuttle-shaped Dart x1	Beautiful Plume x2
Single-dotted Wave x1	Bird-cherry Ermine x13
	Garden Grass-veneer x10
	Ruddy Streak x2
	Garden Grey x4
	Common Plume x6

 

The Hornet-mimic Hoverfly on my garden fence.

After packing the Moth Box away and returning the outside trays, something caught my eye sat at the top of the fence behind the Moth Box was a Hornet-mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria), sitting quite comfortably in the very early morning sunshine.

 

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

Only 11 bird species were recorded this morning during my early shift and apart from the calling Coal Tit deep within the Holm Oaks and the Wren going back and forth to its nest close to where I stand, all was very quiet and still. Hardly any wind blew and I knew it was going to be a very hot day indeed. A few butterflies were on the wing that included a Painted Lady, a couple of Small Whites and a Large White. I was sure a Vapourer Moth flew high over and then over the rooftops judging by its flight pattern.

In Hampshire today:

The Night Heron at Miller's Pond. Photo by Andy Friend.

As mentioned, a Night Heron was found on Miller’s Pond in Scholing, Southampton, by one very fortunate Birder when he was having his lunch. This caused a bit of a stir in the 'Listing world' and a few birders managed to connect with the bird late yesterday evening and some of the ‘die hards’ were there at first light this morning to connect with the bird feeding from the Lilly pads. Having seen good numbers in Turkey this year, it does dampen the enthusiasm to take a drive there in this heat though I might go over the weekend.

The Temminck's Stint on Pennington Marshes earlier this week. Photo by Steve Laycock.

Yesterday, two Curlew Sandpipers were at Pennington Marshes along with a Temmincks Stint , which was quite possibly the Farlington Marshes bird seen a few days ago.  Common Sandpipers, Little Ringed Plovers and a Spotted Redshank were on the south scrape recently on Titchfield Haven. It is now that failed breeders and juvenile birds are now turning up on our reserves here in the south.