Another huge number of Moths in the heatwave.

 Tuesday 23rd June 2026.

My second Elephant Hawk-moth for the week in my trap this morning.

Yet another boiling hot day here in Southsea with wall to wall sunshine and a scorching temperature of around 35 degrees (95 degrees fahrenheit). Last night was nearly unbearable with overnight temperatures around 23 degrees and thankfully, we have a fan in our bedroom, but how many times I woke up is anyone's guess! In fact, I ended up getting up around 4.30am this morning and after making a coffee, I headed out to check the Moth Box again. I was hoping that the Druid moth would return overnight, but, unfortunately, there was no sign of it this morning. It caused a bit of chatter on the Facebook Hants Moths site saying I should put a tent up over the Box when checking it out! Really!?

It was actually pleasant within Pembroke Road this morning, with a comfortable easterly blowing down the road and keeping me nice and cool. A few notable birds were seen or heard and it was certainly quiet with less kids going to school this morning due to the heatwave. Bloody lightweights. Some of us have to work in this weather.

My Moth Box:

My first Cream-bordered Green Pea moth of the year with a Blackfly next to it.

There were not quite as many as yesterday's huge Moth total, but 176 moths of 58 species is nothing to be sniffed at. This included EIGHT new moths for the year that included the macro moths: Slender Pug (only my second ever sighting of one), Cloaked Minor, Cream-bordered Sweet Pea, Common Footman and a beautiful fresh Swallow-tail Moth. New micros for the year included Thistle Marble (Lobesia abscisana), Maple Stilt (Caloptilia semifascia) and a Hedge Hook-wing (Ancylis achatana). Three micro moths could only be ID’d by dissection and as I don't take part in that, they shall remain in their family group name.

Above, only my second ever Slender Pug and below, Common Footman; a more regular moth to my garden during the summer.

Another superb Elephant Hawk-moth was present and this time, it allowed me to safely pick it up and put it in the Lavender plant nearby. Riband Waves clearly were the most numerous again with at least 38 individuals present and up to three Brown-tail moths were recorded. Two Light Emeralds and a Dwarf Cream Wave were also notable among the macro moths.

Above, the tiny micro moth Maple Stilt and below, the large, but beautiful Swallow-tail Moth with a micro moth beside it.

Above, my first Hedge Hook-wing micro moth of the year.

Another excellent selection of micro moths yet again with 27 species recorded. Two Diamondback Moths were among them as was a Rufous Pearl, Mint Moth and Rosy Tabby. Garden Grass-veneers were the most numerous micro moths with 13 present. I still have 5 more micro moths I need to ID, which I will do later on this evening when it gets a bit cooler. The following Moths were recorded this morning:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Heart & Dart x7	Apple Leaf Miner x4
Riband Wave x38	Large Pale Masoner x3
Cabbage Moth x1	Blushed Knot-horn x9
Silver Y x2	Light Brown Apple Moth x1
Lackey x1	Diamondback Moth x2
Marbled Beauty x1	Common Masoner x1
Garden Carpet x1	Grey Knot-horn x2
Bloxworth Snout x1	Thistle Marble * x1
Slender Pug * x1	Bird-cherry Ermine x2
White Ermine x6	Maple Stilt * x1
Cloaked Minor * x1	Garden Grass-veneer x13
Marbled Minor agg. x1	Ruddy Streak x2
Dark Arches x2	Bud Moth x3
Brown-tail x3	Common Plume 3
Elephant Hawk-moth x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x5
Cream-bordered Green Pea * x1	Rufous Pearl x1
Double-striped Pug x1	Hedge Hook-wing * x1
Lime-speck Pug x4	Golden-brown Tubic x2
Willow Beauty x7	Codling Moth x1
Pale Mottled Willow x2	Bee Moth x2
Common Emerald x5	Garden Grey x5
Light Emerald x2	Brown House Moth x1
Common Footman * x1	Mint Moth x1
Dwarf Cream Wave x1	Garden Mompha x3
Bright-line Brown-eye x2	Rosy Tabby x1
Large Yellow Underwing x1	Coelophora species x2
Swallow-tail Moth * x1	Dichrprampha species x1
	European Corn-borer x1

 

Two insects that were attracted to my Moth Box overnight included (above) this Two-spined Grass-bug and below, a Strawberry Seed Beetle.

Insects that were drawn into the Moth Box overnight included about a dozen Lacewing, a Harlequin Ladybird, 3 Strawberry Seed Beetles, Two-spined Grass-bug, the Soldier Beetle Cantharus rufa, Broad Centurion Soldier Fly and at least two Marmalade Hoverflies.

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

A very long ship was making its way into Portsmouth Harbour with the Royal Garrison Church in the foreground.

 

Similar to yesterday, there was a lovely breeze going down Pembroke Road as I stood in the shade during my first and only shift today in Pembroke Road. Almost immediately after I arrived here, I found a Carnation Tortrix moth sitting in one of the bushes; my first of the year and a good start to the shift too!

The Carnation Tortrix moth in one of the Bushes at Pembroke Road.

Up to 13 bird species were either seen or heard this morning and I was surprised to hear and probably see the Coal Tits calling today. One bird flew from one of the Holm Oaks over to the nearby Sycamores. I could hear young Blue Tits calling in one of the Sycamore’s, that went on for some time; so a second brood here in Pembroke Road after one I heard fledge a few weeks ago. The Swifts have really built up in numbers here with at least a dozen screaming high overhead, while some skimmed low over the Holm Oaks in search of aerial prey.

A Painted Lady flew west briefly down the road and a Large White flew low over my head and headed off north. It was certainly getting warmer as I left Pembroke Road around 9am and by midday, my god it was hot! Whether it was hotter than yesterday is up for debate, but my car temperature gauge said 35 degrees centigrade around midday! 

Another mega hit from the past from the Funky Wardens.

200+ Moths & the one that got away on the hottest day of the year.

Tuesday 23rd June 2026.

This GREY MOTTLED TORTRIX was a 'Lifer' for me.

It was staggeringly hot today as my car temperature gauge said 37 degrees centigrade (nearly 100 degrees fahrenheit!!!) and seriously, while checking the Moths this morning at 5am, I was actually sweating just standing there! It was an uncomfortable night with a lot of waking up during the early hours due to the humid conditions. Eventually, I gave up and so got up around 4.45am to get dressed and make a coffee before the huge challenge set before me! I will say, that was one seriously superb array of Moths I had this morning and it could have been a lot better!

I still did my morning shift at Pembroke Road and though in shorts and polo shirt, I was thankfully in the shade and a fairly nice light breeze sailed down the road to make it bearable. I was in for a nice surprise there too with a bird I did not expect to see.

My Moth Box:

My first Thorn of the year. An August Thorn.

I thought yesterday’s Moth total was something else, but this morning simply blew that away! An unbelievable 200+ Moths of 55 species were recorded this morning and it took me the best part of 90 minutes to go through them. I also had a ‘Lifer’ in the form of the micro moth, MOTTLED GREY TORTRIX (Gypsonoma oppressana) and probably over shadowing that was my second ever The Druid moth! Sadly, though I recognised it almost immediately, I went to take a photo of the Moth that was sitting on one of my outside egg trays, but when I was about to take the photo, it flew off and never to be seen again! AAAAAAAGGHH! It seriously would have been the ‘Cherry on the Cake’ should it have stayed. The only other Druid I have seen was in the late, great John Langmaid’s house when he trapped one. Hopefully, it is still around in the garden somewhere.

Above, a Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and below, a V-Pug. Both new for the year.

An incredible SEVEN more ‘year-ticks were present in my garden and that included the macro Moths: V-Pug, Haworth’s Pug, August Thorn and Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and the micro Moths: Pearl Grass-moth (Catoptria pinella), Rosy Tabby (Endotricha flammealis) and the Mint Moth (Pyrausta aurata). Yesterday, there were 34 Riband Waves present, but even this morning, that number was eclipsed by an enormous 47 of this species! Up to 20 Blushed Knot-horns were recorded!

Four more Moths that were also new for the year. From top to bottom: Mint Moth, Haworth's Pug, Pearl Grass-moth and Rosy Tabby.

Other excellent Moths recorded this morning included an Elephant Hawk-moth that flew out of the Moth Box as soon as I took off the lid and disappeared into the garden. Clancy’s Rustic, Mottled Rustic, Grey Dagger, Golden Twin-spot, Light Emerald, Brown-tail, Dun-bar, Least Carpet and my first White-banded Grass-moth (Crambus pescuella) for the garden this year was among these amazing Moths. The following Moths were recorded this morning:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
The Druid * x1	Bird-cherry Ermine x6
Riband Wave x 47	Pearl Grass-moth * x1
Dark Arches x4	Mother of Pearl x2
Bright-line Brown-eye x1	Large Pale Masoner x2
V-Pug * x1	Barred Marble x1
Clancy’s Rustic x1	Golden-brown Tubic x3
Willow Beauty x3	Box Tree Moth x1
Treble Brown Spot x1	Common Plume x5
Heart  & Dart x5	Blushed Knot-horn x20
Mottled Rustic x1	Common Masoner x1
Common Emerald x2	Garden Grass-veneer x5
Double-striped Pug x5	Rusty-dot Pearl x1
Grey Dagger agg. x1	Ruddy Streak x5
White Ermine x7	Garden Grey x9
Elephant Hawk-moth x1	MOTTLED GREY TORTRIX  * x1
Uncertain x1	Brown House Moth x1
Marbled Beauty x2	Bee Moth x5
Golden Twin-spot x1	Rufous Pearl x2
August Thorn * x1	Bud Moth x3
Lacky x4	Light Brown Apple Moth x4
Garden Carpet x1	White-banded Grass-moth x1
Haworth’s Pug * x1	Rosy Tabby * x1
Lime-speck Pug x7	Mint Moth * x1
Light Emerald x1
Brown-tail x2
Dun-bar x2
Least Carpet x2
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing * x1
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing x1
Large Yellow Underwing x1
L-album Wainscot x2

With so many Moths present, I wasnt surprised to see a lot of other insects present this morning within my Moth Box and these included a Marmalade Hoverfly, Lagira hirta Beetle, Deraeocoris flavilinea bug (Miridae), 2 Strawberry Seed Beetles , 6 Lacewing and a Harlequin Ladybird.

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

It was already very warm at the start of my shift in Pembroke Road.

Though only a measly total of 12 bird species were seen this morning, easily the highlight in Pembroke Road on my 1st and only shift today here was a singing Common Whitethroat! I first heard the bird singing just south of the Bowling Green, probably in the scrub that had only just recently been strimmed and then it was singing in the back garden of the Bungalow opposite before returning back by the main footpath where I had seen the Hairstreak butterflies earlier this week! Only the second time ever I have heard one here and a damn good record for the place.

Yet again, there were good numbers of Swifts overhead, but apart from the usual three species of Gull flying over, it was pretty quiet here. There were plenty of butterflies on the wing again and making the most of this most unusual heat wave with up to 4 Painted Ladies seen and two Small Whites. A Meadow Brown was taking interest in a Lavender plant just inside Pembroke Close.

It only got hotter as the day wore on and around 2pm today, as mentioned, the temperatures zoomed up to 37 degrees centigrade according to my car and when I stepped out of the car, the heat just whacked you! Phew! And tomorrow is supposed to get hotter too!!!!!!

In Hampshire today:

A Squacco Heron, here with a couple of Canada Geese, was an amazing find on Sturt Pond. Photo by Simon King.

A stunning Squacco Heron was found at Sturt Pond, near New Milton, on Monday and only now that photos have come to light of the bird and was seen very early this morning by one lucky birder. A Wood Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover was at Farlington Marshes this morning; the reserve is having a good run of interesting waders over the past week with Curlew Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank seen recently.