A trio of migrant Moths new for the year.

 Friday 21^st August 2026.

My first Scarce Bordered Straw of the year which completes the trio of Bordered Straw moth species.

A bright, almost cloudless morning marked a noticeable change in the weather. At around 6am, when I began checking the moth box, the temperature in the garden was only about 10°C. I had also hoped for some bird passage overhead, and I was rewarded with a pair of Tree Pipits flying north, calling as they went.

The moths were the real highlight of the morning. I added three excellent autumnal species to my year list, alongside a strong supporting cast of other notable moths.

 

My Moth Box:

My first Pearly Underwing of the year.

The standout moth of the morning was my second-ever Scarce Bordered Straw. With Bordered Straw and Eastern Bordered Straw already recorded in the garden this year, this completed an excellent Bordered Straw trio.

My first Delicate moth of the year.

The sequence felt remarkable and was perhaps one of the upsides of the five heatwaves the UK has experienced this year, which appear to have helped bring an impressive number of migrant moths into the country.

The Poplar Hawk-moth was back for a second day.

Two further migrant moths were added to the year list: Pearly Underwing and Delicate. Both are virtually annual visitors to the garden, but they remain highly sought-after species and were very welcome additions. Other notable migrant Moths include four Golden Twin-spots, 4 Rush Veneer and 2 Rusty-dot Pearl.

One of three Small Ranunculus moths this today.

Yesterday’s Poplar Hawk-moth was most likely back in the moth box this morning, while up to three Small Ranunculus were also notable. A Yellow-barred Brindle was found resting on the fence panel, and yesterday’s Dusky Thorn was still settled near the light bulb. The most numerous moth of the morning was Pale Mottled Beauty, with at least eleven individuals recorded. There is some speculation that this species may be migratory, so it is possible that some of these individuals were migrants. The Moths recorded this morning were as follows:

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Scarce Bordered Straw * x1	Box Tree Moth x6
Pearly Underwing * x1	Common Plume x2
Delicate * x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x2
Poplar Hawk-moth x1	Rush Veneer x4
Small Ranunculus x3	Rusty-dot Pearl x2
Pale Mottled Willow x11	Brown House Moth x1
L-album Wainscot x5	Chevron Grass-moth x3
Common Rustic x1	Apple Leaf Miner x5
Square-spot Rustic x1	Gold Triangle x1
Vine’s Rustic x4	Rusty-dot Pearl x3
Cabbage Moth x7	Mint Moth x1
Double-striped Pug x1	Chestnut Tortrix x1
Golden Twin-spot x4
Dusky Thorn x1
Yellow-barred Brindle x1
Bright-line Brown-eye x1
Small Dusty Wave x2
Garden Carpet x1
Lime-speck Pug x1
Willow Beauty x1

Fresher conditions with a reduced Moth count.

 Thursday 20^th August 2026.

The weather has certainly changed this week, with rain finally arriving along the south coast and across much of the UK. As a result, I had been reluctant to switch on the Moth Box for the past few evenings. However, I did run it last night, especially as migrant moths are still arriving in force.

Last night I read the Portland Bill website, which reported an amazing variety and number of migrant moths with the likes of The Passenger, Striped Hawk-moths, Pale Shoulder, Mugwort Pearl, Purple and Small Marbled to name but of few very rare moths. The scale of the movement was simply stunning.

There must have been a few showers overnight, as there were several damp areas in the back garden this morning. The egg trays, however, were relatively dry despite receiving a good soaking yesterday morning during the heavy rain.

The Garganey that was found on the River Meon yesterday and still present this morning. Photo by Mark Francis.

There has also been a notable arrival of migrant birds around the south coast, with plenty of warblers, chats and flycatchers being found. The first returning Garganey was also recorded yesterday on the River Meon and at Titchfield Haven.

 

My Moth Box:

It has been a good year for Poplar Hawk-moths to my garden this year. This one was inside my Moth Box today.

With a big change in the weather, I didn’t really expect many Moths this morning, with just 44 moths of 24 species recorded this morning. There was nothing new for the year today, but a Poplar Hawk-moth is always welcome to my garden. It was inside the Moth Box and so carefully lifted it out and placed it gently in one of the nearby garden plants.

Dusky Thorn.

My first Square-spot Rustic in my garden for the year was present on one of the egg trays (already had a few at Cowplain Marsh this month) and a Dusky Thorn was perched near the light bulb. Migrant moths this morning included a Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing, Turnip Moth and up to 5 Rusty-dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis).

Above, my first Buff Ermine moth this month and below, another migrant moth, the Langmaid's Yellow Underwing.

Among the micro moths, Chevron Grass-moths are becoming regular now with up to three individuals recorded this morning, however, the Apple Leaf Miners, where recently they were in huge numbers, there was just the one present this morning! The following Moths were recorded this morning:

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Poplar Hawk-moth x1	Common Plume x1
Dusky Thorn x1	Box Tree Moth x4
Willow Beauty x3	Chevron Grass-moth x3
Buff Ermine x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x2
Double-striped Pug x1	Apple Leaf Miner x1
Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x5
Setaceous Hebrew Character x1	Blushed Knot-horn x1
Square-spot Rustic x1	Mint Moth x1
Pale Mottled Willow x6
Small Dusty Wave x1
Garden Carpet x2
Cabbage Moth x1
Turnip Moth x1
L-album Wainscot x1
Shuttle-shaped Dart x3
Bright-line Brown-eye x1

 

The first Square-spot Rustic moth for my garden this year.

 In Hampshire today:

There was a couple of Spotted Flycatchers in Crofton Cemetery today. Photo by Dolly Hawkes.

Two Pied Flycatchers, along with two Spotted Flycatchers were still in Crofton Cemetery today, while over at Blashford Lakes, up to five Green Sandpipers and four Common Sandpipers were on the Reserve, but no sign of any Wood Sandpipers today. Testwood Lakes also had a good number of Sandpipers with four each of Green and Common present and a Dunlin, which is a good record for this site. A Glossy Ibis was with the Cattle Egret on Titchfield Haven.

This Fox was snoozing by a car in the sunshine late morning.

Personally, I saw a Fox sleeping by a car within Henderson Park, Eastney and also a Hummingbird Hawk-moth there too.

The Hummingbird Hawk-moth at Henderson Park, Eastney.

 

An afternoon walk around the Cemy.

 

Tuesday 18^th August 2026.

 

Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea:

The dried yellow grass clearly was visible along the footpath.

With some free time this afternoon, I took the dogs over to Highland Road Cemetery so we could stretch our legs and check whether anything interesting had dropped in—perhaps a Warbler or Flycatcher. A Pied Flycatcher had been reported again along the Titchfield Canal Path this morning, so there was at least a chance that one might turn up on my local patch.

Above and below, a young Wood Pigeon being tended by its parent.

Southsea actually had some rain this morning: one sharp shower lasting around ten minutes. It was never going to do much to replenish the parched grass here in the south, but it was welcome nonetheless. More rain is forecast for tomorrow, though I will not be holding my breath. The morning stayed overcast for a while, but eventually the clouds parted and warm sunshine broke through on a breezy westerly.

A male Blackbird near the footpath.

The birdlife within the Cemy was limited again and certainly no interesting Warblers or Flycatchers to be found. A Coal Tit was probably the highlight here though they are a scarce species to be found here. There were several parties of both Blue and Great Tits flying about within the vegetation and a lone Blackbird was seen briefly sitting on the dead grass.

One of several Meadow Brown butterflies seen this afternoon.

Butterflies were still plentiful, though they were all Meadow Browns and Holly Blues. Bees and hoverflies, however, were almost absent, which was worrying. I know the birds are struggling with the lack of water, but are the insects suffering too? None of the flowering Buddleia I checked had any insects on them.

Hopefully, more rain is on the way.

There were very few plants on show either, but I did find a carpet of Bird’s-foot Trefoil and Lady Bedstraw near some graves. There were a few spikes of Ragwort around and probably the most abundant flowering plant seen in the Cemy was the Yarrow.

Above, the Yarrow was the most numerous plant seen and below, there were a few areas of Birds-foot Trefoil dotted around.

On the way home, while walking back up my road with the dogs, a Hummingbird Hawk-moth flew south high over my head and simply just carried on its way.

 

 

Another large haul of Moths this morning.

 Monday 17th August 2026.

One of two Ni Moths were new for the year.

This morning, it was a cloudy start here in Southsea, though it is getting darker each morning, it wasn’t till around 6am I started recording the Moths and yet another large catch today with a few ‘year-ticks’ among them too.

A cloudy start but not a drop of rain fell today here in Southsea.

There was talk of possible rain showers some time today, but by midday, it was still blazing sunshine at times and at least 23 degrees plus when the sun came our from behind some very high patchy cloud.

My Moth Box:

Little & large. The Oak Stilt micro moth (top left) next to a Garden Tiger moth.

A good total of 123 moths of 46 species were recorded this morning which included three more Moths new for the year. This included a couple of Ni Moths, a species that I have only encountered twice before and that was many years ago. They really do look a lot like Silver Y’s but greyer and flatter in appearance.

I found this Skin Moth on the fence panel near the Moth Box. A new moth species for the year. Below, the diminutive Horse-chestnut Leafminer.

The other two moths new for the year were the micro moths Skin Moth and Oak Stilt. The former is very uncommon in my garden, and the Oak Stilt was only my second ever. In fact, I did not notice it until I checked my photos and found it perched next to a Garden Tiger moth.

This Blood-vein looked a fresh specimen.

Migrant moths this morning included a single Portland Ribbon Wave, Turnip Moth, 5 Golden Twin-spots, 3 Silver Y and White-point. Migrant micro moths recorded were 11 Rusty-dot Pearl, Rush Veneer and an Olive-tree Pearl.

A Knot Grass was unexpected.

Among the more notable Moths were a Blood-vein, Knot Grass and a Blair’s Mocha. The Moths recorded this morning were as follows:

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Marbled Beauty 2	Box Tree Moth x12
Portland Ribbon Wave x1	Tree-mallow Tortrix x1
Brimstone Moth x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x11
Small Dusty Wave x4	Gold Triangle x1
Blood-vein x1	Common Plume x1
Golden Twin-spot x5	Chestnut Tortrix x2
Willow Beauty x1	Mint Moth x3
Knot Grass x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x2
Silver Y x3	Apple Leaf Miner x1
Ni Moth * x1	Skin Moth * x1
Blair’s Mocha x2	Common Grass-veneer x1
Pale Mottled Willow x15	Horse-chestnut Leafminer x1
Turnip Moth x1	Rush Veneer x1
Cabbage Moth x4	Oak Stilt * x1
Bright-line Brown-eye x4	Olive-tree Pearl x1
Shuttle-shaped Dart x6	Chevron Grass-moth x1
Grey Dagger x1	Pale-streaked Grass-moth x2
Large Yellow Underwing x3
L-album Wainscot x4
Setaceous Hebrew Character x1
Heart & Dart x1
Double-striped Pug x2
Lime-speck Pug x1
Nutmeg x2
Garden Tiger x5
Vine’s Rustic x1
White-point x1
Common Rustic x5
Small Mottled Willow x1

 

Other garden sightings:

This Holly Blue butterfly was inside the Moth Box.

Alongside the usual Lacewings, a Holly Blue butterfly was found perched on one of the egg trays inside the moth box. I carefully released it afterwards. A Willow Warbler was calling from the tree at the back of the garden and was seen briefly, flitting among the leaves.

 

In Hampshire today:

This Whinchat was on Farlington Marshes yesterday. Photo by Rob Porter.

News came in this morning of a Wryneck seen near the car park at Martin Down. The first of many, hopefully. Two Wood Sandpipers were at Blashford Lakes today by Ibsley Water along with 6 Common Sandpipers and a Green Sandpiper. Four Spoonbills and two Cattle Egret were on Titchfield Haven and a male Goosander and up to 24 Sanderling were off Hill Head.

Birding pal, Geoff Farwell, paid a visit to Farlington Marshes yesterday and recorded the following sightings: 10 Cattle Egret, Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, 35 Gadwall, 3 Avocet, 11 Greenshank, Knot, 2 Common Sandpiper, Sanderling, 6 Swifts, 7+ Yellow Wagtail, 4 Wheatear, Stonechat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat and up to 6 Common Whitethroats.

Late this afternoon, I watered the back garden and as per usual, I flushed up several Moths that were hidden in the plants that included a Single-dotted Wave; a species that I did not see this morning which goes to show how many more Moths could be hidden.

 

The Single-dotted Wave that I accidentally flushed this afternoon.