Centre-barred Sallow moth and a good movement of 'Mipits'.

Thursday 10th September 2026.

An orange sky first thing this morning over Southsea.

A cool start to the morning here in Southsea with some high cloud looking attractively pink due to the reflection of the sunrise. At 6.30am this morning, it was around 13 degrees, but I am assured it will get a bit warmer as the day goes on.

Thankfully, after yesterdays low turn out of Moths, this morning was much better though I must get a new white board to put behind the Moth Box as my old one is well bent out of shape. There was also a good movement of passerines overhead with several flocks of Meadow Pipits passing overhead. At least 30+ flew over in 4 separate flocks and also recorded were 2 single Grey Wagtails.

In my garden, there was a bit of bird activity with a Robin heard 'ticking' somewhere deep within the vegetation and both Blue and Great Tits in the big tree behind my garden.

 

My Moth Box:

Only my second ever Centre-barred Sallow moth.

Finally, a new Moth species for the year was added to my Year List, a Centre-barred Sallow. I have only ever seen one of this species and that was many years ago by a friend’s house in Bishop’s Waltham. So, yes, I was excited in seeing this Moth by my trap this morning.

My first Light Emerald moth this Autumn.

In fact, it was among a good total of 73 moths of 28 species of which there was a sprinkle of excellent Moths that included 2 Golden Twin-spots, Least Carpet, Pearly Underwing, Light Emerald and a very smart Maiden’s Blush.

A Buff Ermine moth by the Box.

Among the micro moths, a Bramble Shoot Moth was the first for about a month and a single Olive-tree Pearl was a good migrant species to have in your garden. There was also a single Rush Veneer micro moth, another migrant moth, that quickly flew off as I was trying to get a photo of it.

A very well marked Maiden's Blush moth.

Large Yellow Underwings won the race to be the most numerous Moth species this morning, with 11 individuals in total recorded. The following Moths were recorded this morning:

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Centre-barred Sallow *x1	Common Plume x1
Large Yellow Underwing x11	Rusty-dot Pearl x3
Lesser Yellow Underwing x5	Rush Veneer x1
Vine’s Rustic x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x6
Turnip Moth x3	Box Tree Moth x2
Garden Carpet x1	Olive-tree Pearl x1
Golden Twin-spot x2	Tree-mallow Tortrix x1
Pale Mottled Willow x2	Chevron Grass-moth
Least Carpet x1	Bramble Shoot Moth x1
Clancy’s Rustic x4
Flounced Rustic x1
Pearly Underwing x1
Light Emerald x1
Double-striped Pug x5
Maiden’s Blush x1
Willow Beauty x1

 

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

One of the big cross-channel Ferries making its way out of Portsmouth Harbour.

Visible migration was still going on this morning on my first shift in Pembroke Road where there were several flocks of Meadow Pipits passing over. Though it was hard at times to hear the birds calling overhead due to the traffic, I did pick out a few big flocks of these ‘Mipits’ going through.

Only ten bird species were noted this morning, which is still rather low, but a large commotion going on by the Garrison Church with all the birds in the area (Starlings, Gulls and Pigeons) taking off in panic; I can only assume a raptor was passing through, but sadly, I did not see it.

A much brighter day but low on Moths.

Wednesday 9th September 2026.

Up to 8 Lesser Yellow Underwing moths were recorded today. 

A very bright start to the day with a cloudless blue sky and blazing sunshine. However, the north-easterly wind kept the temperature down and I have to admit, I was a bit cold on my first shift in Pembroke Road this morning. I wore my fleece when I checked the Moth Box in my garden at 6.15am this morning, as the temperature was around 12 degrees.

My Moth Box:

With it being cold and clear overnight, I didn’t expect to find too many Moths in and around my Moth Box, and I was right. There was just 22 Moths of 8 species present this morning and once again, nothing new for the year to add to my year list.

Above, one of two Golden Twin-spots and below, one of four L-album Wainscot moths

The most numerous Moth species was the Lesser Yellow Underwing with at least 8 being recorded and again, Golden Twin-spots were present with just the two inside the Moth Box. It looks as though I shall have to replace the white board as the heavy rain yesterday has bowed it badly and the white paint has flaked off in places. It is a bright sunny day today and hopefully; the sun will dry it out.

The only Square-spot Rustic this morning.

Overhead, the only visible bird migration going on was a couple of calling Yellow Wagtails.

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Lesser Yellow Underwing x8	Apple Leaf Miner x2
Large Yellow Underwing x3	Common Plume x1
Pale Mottled Willow x1
Square-spot Rustic x1
L-album Wainscot x4
Golden Twin-spot x2

 

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

A much better morning here in Pembroke Road after yesterday.

A cold but bright start to the first shift in Pembroke Road, but I could only manage 8 bird species this morning and there was nothing that really warranted any headlines. I heard the House Sparrows ‘chirruping’ from their usual place within the hedgerow of the Bowling Green for the first time this week.

Above, another Firebug nymph was in the Hibiscus Bushes.

Yesterday’s weather was a tale of two halves. It was a horrible morning with heavy rain at times and boy did I get a good soaking. However, it finally stopped literally minutes before I started my second shift. Though only 10 species were seen, my first Jay of the week was seen flying into the nearby Sycamore trees.

This small micro moth Caterpillar species was also on the Hibiscus Bush.

Regarding the insects, another Firebug nymph was seen crawling about the vegetation within the Hibiscus Bushes. I also found a small Moth Caterpillar within the same Bush, but even Obsidentify could not ID it!

This afternoon, on my second shift, it was a lot warmer (thankfully!) and a few more birds were added to my day list here that included a noisy Jay that had just flown up into the Holm Oaks briefly before flying off east. A couple of Great Black-backed Gulls were seen distantly flying west over Curtain Moat to make it just 10 species for the day.

 

In Hampshire today:

The juvenile Red-backed Shrike at Farlington Marshes today. Photo by Steve Laycock.

I must congratulate birding pal Andy Fisher for notching up his 201^st Hampshire bird species today. A juvenile Red-backed Shrike turned up at Farlington Marshes this morning, which sparked a bit of a ‘twitch’ for all those Hampshire ‘listers’ (except for myself as I was working, sob!). Andy Fisher wasted no time as did many others in seeing the bird and he managed to grab a Wood Sandpiper there too and then a visit to Northney Paddocks to see the Pied Flycatcher for his hat-trick of ‘year-ticks’!

Above, the juvenile Red-backed Shrike at Farlington Marshes. Photo by Steve Laycock. Below, an Osprey over the Reserve. Photo by Andy Friend. 

An Osprey also graced Farlington Marshes and came close enough for a good photo by Andy Friend. It didn’t end there at Farlington Marshes as a Short-eared Owl was seen quartering the Point Fields to round off a real ‘red-letter day’ at this superb Reserve. 

A new release coming out around Xmas time. Order your copy of Umma-out-of-here!

Firecrest calling in Pembroke Road in the unsettled weather.

Monday 7th September 2026.

This stunning photo of a Little Stint on Farlington Marshes yesterday. Photo by Andrew Carey. 

A wet start to the working week with heavy drizzle that literally started as soon as I arrived at Pembroke Road to start my first shift of the day. A westerly wind didn’t help either as the wind picked up. There was no Moth Box on overnight and most likely it will not be on tonight either due to heavy rain coming in overnight and onto the following morning.

It looked like a good day was had down at Farlington Marshes with a number of potential ‘year-ticks’ being seen on and over the Reserve and my buddy Geoff Farwell got to see some of them too. The UK’s star bird currently is the Egyptian Nightjar, the UK’s third ever, which was found at the Pool of Virkie on Mainland Shetland over the weekend. Even a few ‘Lazee Birders’ took the very long trip to see the bird; however, there was no sign of the bird today. Other top rarities in the UK included the long staying Long-tailed Shrike at Eastleach Martin, Gloucestershire, the Hudsonian Godwit at Cattawade, Suffolk, the Black-winged Kite at Hampstead Marshes, Norfolk and the Solitary Sandpiper at Tresco, on the Isles of Scilly.

 

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

A grey start to the day with heavy drizzle on its way at Pembroke Road this morning.

Though the weather was poor this morning, a Firecrest was heard calling in the trees and bushes along the footpath between Governor’s Green and the Bowling Green. I might have seen the actual bird flying into the nearby Holm Oaks (it certainly was very small), but I wasn’t 100% certain.

Two large flocks of Swallows flew high south in the gloomy weather; the first being a flock of around 20+ birds and a little later, a much larger flock of around 60+ birds all heading south. Only 12 bird species were seen from both shifts, but the Swallows and the Firecrest were the best of a small bunch.

On my second shift in Pembroke Road, I found several of these Firebug nymphs on a fallen flower bud on the pavement.

The weather was poor again on my afternoon shift with more heavy drizzle driven on by the westerly wind, but very little birdlife was seen during my time there.

This evening, while taking my dogs for the evening walk, a Hummingbird Hawk-moth was seen nectaring on Salvia flowers in someone’s front porch, which was totally unexpected and a pair of Mute Swans were flying high eastbound over the houses as I was about to arrive at my house.

Above and below, the Caspian Gull on Farlington Marshes yesterday. Photos by Andy Friend.

Yesterday, birding pal Geoff Farwell was back down Farlington Marshes where he had the following sightings: Caspian Gull (he was with Jason Crook at the time in which Jason found the bird with Herring Gulls on the Stream area), 3 Cattle Egrets, 2 Avocets, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Raven, 4 Wheatears, 3 Whinchats, 15+ Yellow Wagtails, 2 Common Whitethroats, Chiffchaff, a poorly Reed Warbler, 2 Cetti’s Warbler, 150+ Linnet. Jason also saw 3 Glossy Ibis and 3 Ospreys from the North Shore!

 

In Hampshire today:

Spotted Flycatcher and Pied Flycatcher at Northney Paddocks today. Photo by John Manley.

Jason was in the headlines again today when he saw a Roseate Tern, Arctic Skua, Arctic Tern and 2 Black Terns all in Langstone Harbour off the Great Salterns Quay, by the Eastern Road! Another Arctic Skua was seen off Hill Head by Mark Francis this evening. Northney Paddocks held 2 Spotted Flycatchers and a Pied Flycatcher. The Wood Sandpiper was still on the Stream area at Farlington Marshes and a single Little Stint on the lake and over at Titchfield Haven, an Osprey caught a fish this morning.

Anyone go to the Wembley gig to see the Funky Wardens last weekend?

SHORT-EARED OWL over my house!

Sunday 6th September 2026.

The Short-eared Owl flying over my house early this morning. What an incredible start to the day!

Another dry and bright start early this morning as I was up at the crack of dawn again with a lot of very high patchy cloud and fairly mild too. A far better total of Moths in my garden this morning with double the number compared to yesterday. I was in for a dramatic surprise this morning when all the Gulls in the area went berserk! I could only assume it was a raptor flying over or a Grey Heron by the noise they were making.

There were at least 3 Yellow Wagtails heard flying over (never see the buggers!) and I was more than pleased with that, but when a Short-eared Owl lazily flapped overhead, I was in shock! Obviously a bird that was on migration and trying to suss out on which direction to go. The bird headed off west over the rooftops, but ten minutes later, the bird was seen heading back east and a little later, the Gulls and Pigeons all took off again and I could see it distantly heading towards Highland Road Cemetery.

Another lovely photo of the Short-eared Owl overhead.

I thought I had seen the last of it, but something told me to look up and sure enough, the Short-eared Owl was circling very high above and being accompanied by a Carrion Crow. Panic set in as I really wanted a photo for proof and so ran through the house, grabbed my camera and rushed back out into the garden and thankfully, the Owl was still circling high above my house. I managed a few half decent images and quickly put the details on the ‘Lazee Birders’ Whatsapp site. Not only was it a ‘year-tick’ but also a very, very good ‘Garden Tick’. It begs the question, how can you top that? The bird then flew off distantly south bound.

 

My Moth Box:

Flounced Rustic.

A total of 76 Moths of 28 species were recorded this morning, near double the number of Moths than yesterday and although there were no new Moths for the year, there was a good variety again.

Up to 4 Olive-tree Pearls were recorded this morning.

A garden record of 5 Clancy’s Rustics was recorded while other notable Moths included 3 Golden Twin-spots, Dusky Thorn, Plumed Fan-foot, Flounced Rustic, 4 Olive-tree Pearls (Palpita vitrealis) and both Beet Moth (Scrobipalpa ocellatella) and House Moss-moth (Bryotropha domestica) were my second individuals of the year.

Above, a Silver Y was one of the few migrants recorded and below, up to 3 Lesser Yellow Underwings were present.

Yes, the Short-eared Owl stole the show this morning, but I always enjoy checking out the Moths. The Moths recorded this morning included the following:

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Clancy’s Rustic x5	Common Plume x1
Golden Twin-spot x3	Rusty-dot Pearl x2
Silver Y x1	Mint Moth x2
Double-striped Pug x6	Tree-mallow Tortrix x2
Lime-speck Pug x1	Light Brown House Moth x4
Pale Mottled Willow x6	House Moss-moth x1
Willow Beauty x2	Ruddy Streak x3
Dusky Thorn x1	Chevron Grass-moth x2
L-album Wainscot x9	Olive-tree Pearl x4
Bright-line Brown-eye x1	Beet Moth x1
Vine’s Rustic x6	Apple Leaf Miner x3
Plumed Fan-foot x1
Large Yellow Underwing x3
Lesser Yellow Underwing x3
Brimstone Moth x1
Single-dotted Wave x1
Flounced Rustic x1