A butterfly feast on Old Winchester Hill.

 Saturday 1^st August 2026.

Andy overlooking the countryside from Old Winchester Hill. 

August began very nicely, with a good variety of butterflies and moths, along with several notable insects. After checking my Moth Box and Andy Fisher’s Moth Box, as Geoff’s MV Moth Box is currently being repaired,  we took the short drive to Old Winchester Hill this morning and enjoyed the remarkable variety of butterflies across this magnificent area. Quite simply, the whole place was alive with butterflies, especially Chalkhill Blues, our first of the year, and Clouded Yellows.

The weather certainly helped, and despite much of England being in drought, the insects here seemed unaffected today. The birdlife was quieter than expected, though a few notable birds were seen. The plant life was also impressive, with the slopes around the hill awash with flowers. Yet again, the weather was same as usual. Very warm sunshine and the occasional breeze coming in from the north-west.

 

My Moth Box:

Another Poplar Hawk-moth graced my Moth Box.

Another excellent morning for Moths in my garden where there were 95 moths of 26 species recorded this morning before I headed off to Cowplain. I was in the garden by 5.45am and carefully checked in and around the Box. At this time of the morning, it is relatively cool, but I knew it was going to heat up later in the morning.

Two Golden Twin-spots were by the Moth Box again.

There were a respectable number of migrant moths to go through and that included my second Portland Ribbon Wave of the year, sat on the white board behind the Box. A Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing, 2 Golden Twin-spots, 2 Rusty Acorn Piercers (Cydia amplana) and 3 Rusty-dot Pearls (Udea ferrugalis) were the rest of the migrant Moths.

Portland Ribbon Wave.

Other notable moths included a Poplar Hawk-moth on one of the outside egg trays, a Plumed Fan-foot, and a frustrating Blood-vein. The latter was upside down in one of the egg trays, so I tipped the tray over to catch it and found it was still alive. It perched on my finger, but just as I was about to focus my mobile phone camera on it, the blighter flew off!

One of two Rusty Acorn Piercer moths present this morning.

Once again, there was another explosion in numbers of Apple Leaf Miners with a massive 53+ individuals recorded. My second Common Fern Moth of the year was also present at the bottom of the Moth Box. The Moths recorded here this morning included the following:

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Portland Ribbon Wave x1	Apple Leaf Miner x53
Poplar Hawk-moth x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x6
Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing x1	Box Tree Moth x1
Double-striped Pug x3	Common Masoner x2
Plumed Fan-foot x1	Coleophora species x2
Golden Twin-spot x2	Rusty Acorn Piercer x2
Blood-vein x1	Common Fern Moth x1
Willow Beauty x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x3
Heart & Dart x1	Chestnut Tortrix x1
Bright-line Brown-eye x3	Mint Moth x1
Small Dusty Wave x1	Hawthorn Moth x2
Cloaked Minor x1	Bird-cherry Ermine x2
Common Rustic x1
Garden Carpet x1

 

The Small White butterfly on the white board next to the Portland Ribbon Wave moth.

While I was checking the Moth Box, a Small White butterfly landed on the white board behind it, and I heard Canada Geese honking overhead, although I did not see them. Later, while walking the dogs after breakfast, I saw at least eight Common Swifts swirling above the houses at the bottom of my road. Their numbers are now declining here in Southsea as they begin their return to warmer regions.

Andy Fishers Moth Box, Cowplain Marsh:

This Southern Oak Bush-cricket was near the back door above the Moth Box.

(I arrived at Andy’s house at approximately 7.45am and, after making coffee, began checking the moth box. Geoff explained that his own moth box was being repaired because the electrical fitting securing the bulb had become loose; consequently, Andy’s moth box had been used overnight.

The trap produced up to 25 moths representing 18 species, including several migrants. These comprised two Small Mottled Willows, a single Turnip Moth, and the micro-moths Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella) and Rusty-dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis). A fresh Maiden’s Blush was also present on one of the egg trays, which was pleasing to observe. The moths recorded at this location during the morning were as follows:

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Turnip Moth x1	Brown House Moth x2
Willow Beauty x2	Common Plume x1
Double-striped Pug x1	Rush Veneer x2
Small Mottled Willow x2	Common Masoner x1
Small Dusty Wave x2	Garden Grass-veneer x2
Maiden’s Blush x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x1
Brimstone Moth x1	Hampshire Dowd x1
	Ruddy Streak x1
	Grey Knot-horn x1
	Mother of Pearl x1
	Rosy Tabby x2

 

While checking the Moth Box, I recorded a calling Great Spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch in nearby gardens. A Chiffchaff was also calling nearby and later flew from a tree. Two Coal Tits were seen and heard in the garden, while a flock of ten Starlings and a Linnet flew over.

Earlier this week, Geoff heard a Dunlin flying over the garden late in the evening and Andy had a Hummingbird Hawk-moth in the garden on Wednesday.

 

Old Winchester Hill, Meon Valley:

One of many Clouded Yellow butterflies seen today.

We arrived at the site at around 9am to find the car park almost empty. Conditions were favourable, with clear blue skies and a light breeze. Although I had hoped for migrant birds such as Wheatear or Whinchat, neither was recorded during our five-hour visit. Instead, the abundance of plants and insects in the sunshine was particularly striking.

Above, a Meadow Brown butterfly and below, Rosebay Willowherb growing near the main entrance. This plant was well over 8 feet tall in places!

Above, a female Common Blue butterfly on the main footpath and a Red-tailed Bumblebee close by.

Bird activity was relatively limited, with few signs of migration. Several Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers were present, though in lower numbers than expected. I have still not seen a Wheatear this year. A few Common Whitethroats were also briefly observed along the hilltop.

One of the magnificent views from Old Winchester Hill and below, the slopes were awash with flowering plants that attracted so many butterflies.

Above, one of many Small White butterflies. This individual was on Ragwort. Below, a Small Tortoiseshell on Wild Marjoram. This species has declined severely over the years.

Above, a specialist on chalk downland, the Dwarf Thistle was growing abundantly on the south slope.

Raptors recorded today included Common Buzzard, Red Kite and a male Kestrel hunting over the valley. Geoff heard a Bullfinch calling from the bushes, although it was not seen, and no flycatchers were encountered on the route to the fort. A few Swallows passed overhead, with a brief possible sighting of two Sand Martins heading south. Yellowhammers were present in small numbers, including one carrying food, suggesting possible nearby nesting. While we were seated near the fort entrance, a pair of Ravens flew over before heading east.

Above, a male Kestrel hunting over the valley and below, a Red Admiral butterfly on Hemp Agrimony.

One of many Hummingbird Hawk-moths here on Old Winchester Hill. This one was feeding on Honeysuckle near the Fort entrance. Below, a few Red Kites were soaring over the site.

Above, a Chalkhill Blue butterfly and below, one of several Painted Lady butterflies on the site.

The plant life was exceptional. Yellow Wild Parsnip, purple Knapweed and Wild Marjoram, and great white drifts of Wild Carrot drew in butterflies everywhere we looked. It was not long before we found our first Chalkhill Blues butterflies of the year, and the south slope below the fort was alive with them. At one point, as we paused for lunch, Geoff’s sandwiches, in fact, I watched six males chasing a female low across the slope. Having found my first Clouded Yellows earlier in the week, I was delighted to see Old Winchester Hill teeming with them; even an estimate of 30 individuals may well have been conservative.

Above, a female Yellowhammer on the Hill and below, Andy and Geoff taking in the superb views from the Hill.

Above, Geoff found my first Brown Argus butterfly of the year and below, a Chalkhill Blue butterfly sharing some Wild Marjoram with a Honey Bee.

Andy checking out the butterflies near the South Slope.

The Chalkhill Blues were not the only firsts of the year. We also recorded our first Silver-spotted Skippers here, with two individuals seen, and Geoff found my first Brown Argus of the year near the fort entrance. The butterflies recorded during the visit were as follows:

·       Chalkhill Blue

·       Common Blue

·       Brown Argus

·       Clouded Yellow

·       Small Heath

·       Meadow Brown

·       Gatekeeper

·       Red Admiral

·       Small White

·       Large White

·       Dark-green Fritillary

·       Small Tortoiseshell

·       Speckled Wood

·       Comma

Insects were everywhere. Four grasshopper species were seen or heard, including Common Field, Common Green and Meadow Grasshoppers, while Roesel’s and Dark Bush-crickets remained hidden but called from the vegetation. Hummingbird Hawk-moths were especially numerous, with at least ten seen well across the site. Up to two Silver Y moths were also noted, but the highlight was undoubtedly a superb Hornet Robberfly resting on the footpath near the top of the hill, close to the car park. It was my first ever sighting of this remarkable insect, and what a striking creature it was. Two dragonflies were seen: one was certainly an Emperor Dragonfly, while the other proved difficult to identify, though the closest possibility appeared to be a dark Migrant Hawker.

Above, another Red Kite soaring over the Hill and below, one of two Ravens also flying over the same area from the Fort entrance.

Above, while chilling on the South Slope, Geoff saw a Roe Deer walking over the dry, brown fields in the distance. Below, this female Yellowhammer had food in its bill to prove suspected breeding.

Above and below, my first ever Hornet Robberfly on the main footpath.

The mammal sightings added a quieter charm to the day. A distant Roe Deer was seen crossing a field on the farm west of the fort’s south slope, searching patiently for a way over the fence before eventually succeeding. Later, Geoff and I heard rustling beneath the vegetation and watched the stems twitch as a probable Shrew species moved unseen below. It refused to show itself, but the mystery held our attention completely, one of those simple wildlife moments that can be unexpectedly absorbing. Although bird activity was rather subdued, Old Winchester Hill still delivered a superb and memorable day.

 

Geoff and myself on the South Slope below the Fort. Although there was a strong resemblance to Bill and Ben!

Two more Moths for the year list.

 Friday 31^st  July 2026.

This was my second ever Miller moth I have seen and both within my Southsea garden.

The Moth Box was back on last night, and the continuing warm weather again brought a good variety of moths, although numbers remain unpredictable. This morning’s total was just under 100 moths.

Two more species were added to my year list, taking the July total to 142 species. That is an exceptional result for both my garden and Andy Fisher’s garden in Cowplain.

Sadly, as I mentioned yesterday in relation to wildfires, the UK has not escaped this awful situation. Dunwich Heath and Minsmere RSPB Reserve have both been badly affected over the past few days, and the fires are only just being brought under control by the Fire Brigade. What caused them? Most likely irresponsible people who failed to put out a campfire properly—or perhaps arson. I have also found discarded glass bottles on heathland in the New Forest, so that could be another possible cause. Whatever the reason, the potential loss of wildlife is beyond comprehension. It will take many years for the heath to return to its former state. Hopefully, we will learn from this and put measures in place to help prevent it from happening again. The planet is heating up, and our summers are becoming hotter and drier.

 

My Moth Box:

Plumed Fan-foot. This is starting to become a regular species to my garden.

It felt much cooler late this morning, with a breezy north-westerly blowing across the garden, although the temperature rose to around 23 degrees by lunchtime. Yesterday afternoon, I gave the Moth Box a thorough clean, clearing away dead flies and cobwebs. Hopefully, this will help attract more moths to the garden.

Two more moth species were added to my year list:

·        Miller moth — only my second-ever record, following one seen in my garden last year.

·     Common Ridgeback (Epermenia chaerophyllela) — a micro moth and, I believe, only the second I have ever seen.

The catch included 91 moths of 25 species. Highlights included a Jersey Tiger, seen by the Moth Box last night and this morning, along with Golden Twin-spot, Lychnis and Plumed Fan-foot.

Above, new for the year was my second ever Common Ridgeback micro moth and below, a different angle of a Jersey Tiger perched on the Moth Box.

There must also have been a large overnight dispersal of Apple Leaf Miners, as the Moth Box attracted no fewer than 38 of these tiny moths, with probably many more present around the garden. The Moths recorded this morning were as follows:

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Jersey Tiger x1	Apple Leaf Miner x38
Miller * x1	Copper-fringed Drab x1
Golden Twin-spot x1	Common Plume x2
Double-striped Pug x5	Garden Mompha x1
Silver Y x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x5
Common Rustic x3	Box Tree Moth x3
Lychnis x1	Common Masoner x2
Bright-line Brown-eye x2	Light Brown Apple Moth x9
Lime-speck Pug x2	Mint Moth x1
Plumed Fan-foot x1	Tree-mallow Tortrix x1
Brimstone Moth x1	Bird-cherry Ermine x1
	White-shouldered House Moth x2
	Common Ridgeback * x1
	Meal Moth x1

 

While checking the Moth Box, I was sure I heard a Green Sandpiper calling somewhere in the distance, but I only heard it just the once. If it was, then this would be an excellent ‘garden tick’. Other insects attracted to my Moth Box was up to three Leafhoppers,  and a Broad Centurian Soldier Fly .