Another nice selection of Moths.

 Friday 7^th August 2026.

My first Yellow-barred Brindle for some time.

Sunny but cool this morning in my Southsea garden as I went about checking my Moth Box and what at first looked very quiet for Moths, it still produced a good total of 90 moths of 29 species. Yet again, there was nothing new for the year, but there was good variety present today and a sprinkling of migrant moths too.

The subject of Cats arose again on Facebook where someone had a night camera put up in his garden. A Cat chased a juvenile Robin around the garden that had been roosting in a bush and then killed it, despite wearing a bell around the Cat’s neck. Cats are responsible for killing millions of birds every year in our gardens and countryside and unlike Australia where they ban Cats being outside at night, the debate will always go on. I most certainly don’t agree in harming Cats in anyway, but they are a serious problem to our nature and the declining bird numbers in the UK, especially in our gardens.

 

My Moth Box:

One of three Garden Tiger moths today.

Though there were some nice moths present this morning, the fresh, Yellow-barred Brindle, my first for many weeks, was seen perched on my fence panel near the Moth Box. Up to three Garden Tigers were logged and carefully placed in the nearby vegetation and another lovely moth, the Small Ranunculus, was present again with two recorded.

Two very different looking Blair's Mocha moths.

Migrant moths this morning included a Small Mottled Willow, Turnip Moth, Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing and the micro moths Rusty Acorn Piercer and two Rusty-dot Pearls.

This Langmaid's Yellow Underwing gave up its tell-tale underwing.

Two completely different Blair’s Mocha moths were present, and you can see by the photos how they can vary in colour. Once all the moths have been recorded, I then carefully empty the Box with the help of one of my pots and carefully place all the moth back into the garden. Not all moths survive the night and there are quite a few Spiders present including one of the UK’s biggest, a Green-fanged Tube-web spider that was feeding on one of my moths! had one of my moths. The following moths were present this morning:

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Pale Mottled Willow x7	Blushed Knot-horn x1
Turnip Moth x1	Garden Pebble x2
Double-striped Pug x5	Apple Leaf Miner x26
Yellow-barred Brindle x1	Common Plume x1
Golden Twin-spot x1	Hawthorn Moth x5
Garden Carpet x1	Rusty Acorn Piercer x1
Common Rustic x3	Rusty-dot Pearl x2
L-album Wainscot x3	Coleophora sp. X2
Small Dusty Wave x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x4
Small Mottled Willow x1	Box Tree Moth x3
Shuttle-shaped Dart x3	Hampshire Dowd x1
Garden Tiger x3
Small Ranunculus x2
Bright-line Brown-eye x2
Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing x1
Blair’s Mocha x2
Vine’s Rustic x1

 

Another Willow Warbler was calling quietly in the gardens behind mine this morning and a calling Greenfinch flew over. However, it is sad to see a sky with no Swifts screaming overhead and I am missing them already. On the positive side, the migrant birds will be coming over the houses soon with Yellow Wagtails and Tree Pipits on their way soon.

Warblers are starting to arrive and a trip to the Cemy.

 Thursday 6th August 2026.

Two of the three Small Ranunculus moths.

As Autumn is officially due very soon, the end of Summer is now upon us, and it is noticeable with the arrival of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs in the back garden and over at Highland Road Cemetery this morning. While I was checking the Moth Box at 5.45am today, I could hear at least three birds calling around the gardens and even saw two of them flitting about in the trees behind my garden. One flew over my garden and westbound over the roof of my house. Yet again, not a single Swift hawking for insects over my house.

Even on the National News, Autumn has come very early to the UK due to the lack of rain, with ripen Blackberries and tree fruit being plentiful, though even the trees look as though their leaves are lacking the necessary water to plump them out. Many areas of the UK have now not had any rain for nearly two months and again there is no sign of any significant rain this week.

My Moth Box:

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing. 

A respectable 70 moths of 21 species were recorded this morning and although there were no new species for the year, there were plenty of migrants again including a Small Mottled Willow, 4 Golden Twin-spots (I am sure they must be breeding here?) and up to 7 Rusty-dot Pearls

Canary-shouldered Thorn.

Three Small Ranunculus moths is quite exceptional (as I normally only get singles of this species) and a smart Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing looked very fresh. As expected, the Apple Leaf Miner’s (Lyonetia  clerkella) were the most abundant moth species, but nothing unusual among the micro moths today.

Above, a Chestnut Tortrix micro moth and below, the remains of a Poplar Hawk-moth that I found in a Spider's web on the garden fence.

Due to the many Spiders around at this time of the year, some of the Moths are caught by them and this morning, I found the remains of a Poplar Hawk-moth on the garden fence that had succumbed by one such Spider. The following Moths were recorded this morning:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Garden Tiger x1	Apple Leaf Miner x20
Small Ranunculus x3	Box Tree Moth x2
Double-striped Pug x3	Rusty-dot Pearl x7
Small Dusty Wave x1	Ruddy Streak x1
Small Mottled Willow x1	Broom Shoot Moth x1
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x9
Golden Twin-spot x4	Hawthorn Moth x2
Pale Mottled Willow x7	Dark Moss-moth x1
Bright-line Brown-eye x2	Chestnut Tortrix x1
	Codling Moth x1
	Hampshire Dowd x1

I found this White Ermine moth Caterpillar in the garden yesterday.

While checking the Moth Box, as well as the Willow Warblers (one was heard sub-singing quietly in the trees), other birds noted included both Greenfinches and a Pied Wagtail flying high over. Yesterday, a White Ermine moth Caterpillar was found on one of the pot plants; the first one I have ever found in my garden and quite a big caterpillar too.

Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea:

The young Fox in the early morning sunshine.

After checking the moth box and having breakfast, I took the dogs for an early morning walk around Highland Road Cemetery, prompted in part by the good number of warblers moving through. Patchy high cloud lingered overhead and, with the recent cooler feel to the mornings, I wore my fleece just in case. The walk proved quite eventful. Alongside the birdlife, a young Fox showed beautifully in the sunshine near the Mausoleum.

Above, patchy high cloud over the Cemetery and below, a preening Blue Tit.

The visit began well when a Painted Lady butterfly flew past at speed before settling on the perimeter wall, where it remained for several minutes. I then continued towards the Lime trees, where the alarm calls of Starlings quickly caught my attention. Moments later, I watched a female Sparrowhawk fly up to the top of the Lime tree directly above me, although the branches prevented a clear view.

Under the shade of the Plane Tree on the east side of the Cemy and below, the juvenile Green Woodpecker.

On reaching the southern end of the cemetery, I checked the gravestones carefully for anything perched on them. Several Magpies were searching for food across the dry, brown grass, but there was little else to note at first. A little later, however, I picked up a distant Jay as it flew up into one of the Lime trees I had passed earlier.

Above and below, some of the Chiffchaffs in the Cemy. They rarely stood still for long and most kept in cover; there was a Sparrowhawk around!

I then followed the path towards the east side of the cemetery. It was quiet at first, until I heard the distinctive call of a Green Woodpecker. Soon afterwards, a juvenile Green Woodpecker flew over the cemetery and, fortunately, settled on a gravestone some distance away. It was still close enough to allow a few reasonable photographs of this lovely bird. This was my first Green Woodpecker here for at least a year, the previous sighting being an adult chased by a Sparrowhawk last spring.

Another photo of the gorgeous Fox and below, this Painted Lady butterfly kicked off proceedings here in the Cemy.

After seeing at least three Willow Warblers this morning by my garden, I wasn’t at all surprised to see several ‘Phylloscs’ here in the Cemetery and I believe most of at least six birds were Chiffchaffs, judging by their shorter call and plumage details and at one stage, there were at least four birds together. I hanged around for a while to check there wasn’t any other Warblers present, but apart from a few Robins, sadly, there were no other Warblers.

It was looking a bit straggly over in the centre of the Cemy, but a Green Woodpecker livened things up. Below, a Wood Pigeon took a liking for the Blackberries.

As I made my way towards the Mausoleum, something caught my attention to the south and there was a very young Fox sitting in a sunny area on the grass. It was not only giving its coat a good lick but also keeping an eye out for the dog walker along the footpath to the south. Squirrels here are abundant, with many seen this morning, but it is always special to see one of our most beautiful animals, especially when they are so close.

The young Fox in the Cemetery this morning.

A gorgeous walk this morning and what with the horrible humidity gone for now, a welcome change. True, we most definitely need a lot more rain here on the south coast to help the flora and fauna, but when will it arrive?

This gorgeous Queen of Spain Fritillary on Mottisfont Down, Isle of Wight. Photo by Andy Friend.

Several butterflies in my garden today.

 

Wednesday 5^th August 2026.

 

This Red Admiral was very confiding in my garden late this afternoon. Another one flew in and it got up and chased it breifly and then settled again close to where I sat. 

I left the moth box off overnight, as I needed a break from recording the same species repeatedly. Today was much cooler, with a blustery south-westerly wind throughout the day and no rain forecast. Most of the rainfall, including some heavy thunderstorms, appears to be north of the border. We could really do with some of that weather down here soon.

A lot of cloud and blustery winds throughout the day here in Southsea.

Little was added to the Hants Birding website today, but over at Woolmer Pond, a Peregrine was seen along with a Hobby by a regular to the site and he also found a male Red-veined Darter by the Pond; a species I have yet to catch up with: though this species is getting more common as the years go on.

The Red Admiral settling down on one of our garden tables.

Over at Titchfield Haven, up to four Spoonbills were present again on the South Scrape and a few waders too that included five Common Sandpipers and a Knot. Closer to home, I didn’t see one Swift today around my house and though I will expect to see some over the coming weeks, the vast majority are now on their way back to Africa.

My garden held a couple of Red Admiral butterflies this afternoon and during the day, both Holly Blue and Small White were seen. A smart Comma was present yesterday, but too quick for me to grab a photo. A Vapourer Moth was fluttering about at the back of the garden but would not settle.

It does make a refreshing change where the temperatures have returned to normal here in the south of England; though there is talk of yet another heatwave on the way. Grumble!

One of my friends sent me this photo of an Oak Eggar moth that was rescued by her husband in their Cowplain garden last week. Photo by Abbie Baker.

A possible 'Lifer' among the Moths.

 Tuesday 4^th August 2026.

A regular to my garden around this time of year, the Dark-bordered Pearl.

The Moth Box was active again last night. With so many migrant moths arriving in the UK now, it is always worth taking a chance on finding something extraordinary—just as I did yesterday with that Sulphur Pearl.

It also makes me smile when I post entries on the Hants Moths Facebook page and certain individuals feel the need to comment on the use of Latin names rather than vernacular names. I use both on my blog because I know some of the older readers prefer the Latin names. The Moth Box remains worth running while migrant moths are moving through. Yesterday’s Sulphur Pearl was a good reminder that something special can turn up. I will continue using both vernacular and Latin names to keep the blog accessible to different readers.

Another very warm day is ahead, with plenty of sunshine and high UV levels expected. The dogs had their usual early morning walk, although there were no moths to be seen along the way.

I am very pleased to see that the brutal Guga Hunt on Sula Sgeir in the Hebrides will not be taking place this year—and hopefully never again. NatureScot has refused permission for the Hebridean islanders to carry out this annual practice, which targets a beautiful species that is rapidly declining in the UK. It feels as though people power has finally won the day. Well done to everyone who signed the petition, and to NatureScot for listening and coming to its senses.

 

My Moth Box:

One of three Olive-tree Pearls this morning.

There were some very nice moths in the Moth Box this morning, with 111 individuals from 33 species recorded.

One possible new 'lifer' may also be on the cards: a suspected Norway Maple Dot (Etainia sericopiza) micro moth. I have posted a photo for confirmation, although it is very similar to another Etainia species, so dissection may be needed for a definite identification.

Above, Blood-vein and below, the micro moth Brassy Y.

Other migrant Moths this morning included a Turnip Moth, Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing and a Rusty Acorn Piercer (Cydia amplana). Once again, the Apple Leaf Miners were out in force with at least 43 individuals counted.

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Small Dusty Wave x3	Common Plume x7
Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing x1	Apple Leaf Miner x43
Blood-vein x1	Olive-tree Pearl x3
Lime-speck Pug x6	Dark-bordered Pearl * x1
Double-striped Pug x1	Blushed Knot-horn x2
Brimstone Moth x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x5
Common Rustic	Bird-cherry Ermine x3
Garden Tiger x2	Meal Moth x2
Jersey Tiger x1	Norway Maple Dot * x1
Blair’s Mocha x1	Ruddy Streak x3
Bright-line Brown-eye x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x9
Marbled Beauty x1	Common Masoner x1
Canary-shouldered Thorn x1	Garden Mompha x2
Turnip Moth x1	Coeleophora sp. X1
	Rusty Acorn Piercer x1
	Hampshire Dowd x1
	Brassy Y x1

 

A possible Norway Maple Dot micro moth.

While checking the Moth Box, overhead, at least three very high-flying Swallows flew past and a few Swifts still remained here flying low over the houses.

STOP PRESS: Southsea actually HAD some rain today, roughly around 1pm for an hour or so, but nowhere near enough to replenish the brown grass. But some is better than none!

The dogs got another walk this morning on the brown grassy field just east of the Bowling Green in Old Portsmouth. There were a few House Sparrows within the hedgerow.