A Beautiful Demoiselle in front of my house!

 Thursday 16th July 2026.

Three Golden Twin-spot Moths were in and around the Moth Box this morning.

A cool, breezy start to the morning which started with another look at the Moth Box. It looks as though it is going to be a repeat of yesterday regarding the weather with a cool start and then gradually getting very warm. Winds are still from the north-east and therefore a cool start to the day here in Southsea and Pembroke Road in Old Portsmouth.

Yesterday, though I never had the Moth Box on overnight, I still found a Jersey Tiger moth in Pembroke Road. I thought it was a butterfly at first by the way it fluttered around, but when it finally settled on someone’s front door, I could clearly see the pattern on the upperparts. I did try to get a photo, but it was too skittish and quickly flew off over the houses! 

My Moth Box:

A Bright-line Brown-eye and a Cabbage Moth from the Moth Box.

Another average Moth total this morning with 51 moths of 29 species recorded this morning. Most were in and around the Moth Box with very little elsewhere in the garden. There was nothing new for my Moth Year List this morning, but 3 Golden Twin-spots is always a very good record. My second Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing of the year was present at the base of the Moth Box and a pair of Elephant Hawk-moths were on the egg trays.

My second Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing of the year.

My second Rustic moth of the year was also on the egg trays along with a Cabbage Moth and a Knot Grass. Among the micros, my second Netted Tortrix (Acleris forsskaleana) & Cypress Gelechia (Gelechia senticetella) of the year was also in the Moth Box.

Knot Grass. I normally get a handful of these every year in my garden.

This time last year, I had a total of 39 moths of 25 species and in all honesty, virtually the same Moths as this year too! I did get my first ever Tawny Sycamore Piercer micro moth this time last year and this time in 2025, my first Jersey Tiger moth of the year was present in my back garden. The following Moths were recorded this morning.

 

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Golden Twin-spot x3	Rush Veneer x1
Elephant Hawk-moth x2	Common Plume x1
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing x1	Apple Leaf Miner x1
Large Yellow Underwing x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x9
Lesser Yellow Underwing x1	Hampshire Dowd x1
Bright-line Brown-eye x3	Netted Tortrix x1
Cabbage Moth x1	Fulvous Pearl x1
Knot Grass x1	Brown House Moth x1
Double-striped Pug x5	Bud Moth x1
Rustic x1	Grey Knot-horn x2
Clay x1	Common Masoner x1
Garden Carpet x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x4
Lime-speck Pug x1	Mother of Pearl x1
	Cypress Gelechia x1
	Dingy Concealer x1

The only other insects within the Moth Box were a few Lacewings and one very large Flesh Fly! Via ‘The Lazee’ Birders WhatsApp site, birding chum Andy Friend had a Gypsy Moth in his garden this morning. Jammy so and so! I have yet to add this species to my Life List! When I arrived back from my second job, I found a Beautiful Demoiselle damselfly fluttering about by my front door and window! After Andy Fisher had one in his garden recently, I didn’t expect one to be near my house! They obviously move around a lot and I can only assume there must be a big garden pond around?

This Gypsy Moth was a nice find for one lucky 'Lazee Birder'. Photo by Andy Friend.

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

A tad warm in Pembroke Road this afternoon. Pembroke Close is in the centre of this photo.

I got up to 13 bird species this morning here in Pembroke Road and although there was a nice breeze going down the road, it remained bright and sunny all morning. The usual three species of Gull flew over, and a Swift made a brief appearance flying low over the rooftops. A lot of the birds were mostly heard including the House Sparrows, a ‘ticking’ Robin and a Greenfinch was heard flying over. The Wren put in a brief appearance, but I have not heard the young Wrens in their nest this morning. Have they been abandoned or been predated upon?

I have noticed a good number of Carnation Tortrix moths flying around by the Hibiscus Bushes and nearby plants and after yesterday’s Jersey Tiger moth fluttering around, I shall be keeping a watchful eye for any more Moths in the area. A couple of Red Admiral butterflies were flying past at speed and over the Bowling Green, a pair of Small White butterflies could be seen.

This afternoon, on my second shift, it was hovering around 28 degrees, though it certainly felt a lot warmer than that. An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull flew low overhead and flew off east over the houses; not a bad species to add to my day total here. A few Swifts went over and another Red Admiral flew past at some great speed again. 

In Hampshire today:

This Beautiful Demoiselle damselfly was a real surprise flying around at the front of my house at lunchtime.

There was no news if the Night Heron was still present on its favourite pond in Southampton today. Over at Lower Test Marshes, a good count of at least 9 Common Sandpipers was present; I still have not seen one this year! On Titchfield Haven, a Roseate Tern was reported on one of the islands on the South Scrape. A few waders were on Hayling Oysterbeds early afternoon including a Whimbrel and up to 6 Dunlin.

Birding pal Dave Levy had a Light Crimson Underwing moth to his garden this morning.

Rustic moth added to year total.

 Monday 14th July 2026

My first Rustic moth of the year.

A breezy and cool start to the morning here in Southsea and it was back to the Moth Box first thing this morning. I wasn’t expecting too many Moths this morning and after last weeks 100 plus Moths most days, it was back to half that now. There was just the one new Moth for the year, but some nice Moths among the haul today.

Pembroke Road was quiet again with the birds, but there was a few interesting insects on show on my first shift here this morning. The Night Heron at Miller's Pond, Southampton, was showing well again this morning to at least 10.30am. My early morning walk with the dogs produced a couple of Moth sightings and perched on the shop windows along Highland Road were a Double-striped Pug and a Buff Ermine!

 

My Moth Box:

One of four Golden Twin-spot moths today.

As mentioned, the Moth numbers have dropped considerably from last week with only 56 moths of 24 species recorded this morning. A Rustic moth was my first of the year and if I didn’t check it on Obsidentify, I would of easily claimed it as a Vine’s Rustic; however, the more rectangular shape and blunt end to the wings was noticeable. A good Moth for the year.

One of two August Thorns.

Up to FOUR Golden Twin-spots were present of which I might add is a very uncommon Moth in the UK. Possibly, they are breeding here on the south coast, but these did coincide with an influx of 11 Silver Y moths! Other migrating moths from the Continent included a Small Mottled Willow and 5 Rusty-dot Pearls. It is always good to get a Hawk-moth in the trap and so an Elephant Hawk-moth is always most welcome. Two August Thorns added as splash of colour.

Comfrey Ermine. My second of the year.

Among the ‘micro moths’, my second Comfrey Ermine of the year was sat on top of the Rain guard as was my second Larch Bud Moth of the year.

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Golden Twin-spot x4	Blushed Knot-horn
Rustic * x1	Willow Ermine x1
Silver Y x11	Hampshire Dowd x6
Double-striped Pug x1	Common Plume x1
Elephant Hawk-moth x1	Brown House Moth x1
Small Mottled Willow x1	Comfrey Ermine x1
Shuttle-shaped Dart x1	Tawny Sycamore Piercer x1
Least Carpet x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x8
Riband Wave x1	Apple Leaf Miner x1
August Thorn x2	Italian Bark Moth x1
	Large Pale Masoner x2
	Rusty-dot Pearl x5
	Rosy Tabby x1
	Larch Bud Moth x1

 

Other insects attracted to my Moth Box overnight included several Lacewings, a Buff-tailed Bumblebee and at least 3 Harlequin Ladybirds. A Common Rustic moth was found at the back of the garden while I was washing the patio down after my first shift.

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

Another very bright sunny day here from Pembroke Road.

It was cool on my first shift this morning, with a breezy north-easterly keeping the temperature down to bearable! Once again, it was a clear blue sky overhead, but the number of bird species seen or heard this morning was low again. I managed to get up to 10 species in all and what with this afternoon being called off because of the heat, the best bird seen here today went to the showy Jay that flew over my head and into the nearby Sycamore trees on the opposite side of the road. It remained there for some time before flying on to the next tree.

I have been seeing this insect over the past few weeks and finally, this one settled nicely on the Hibiscus Bushes. It is a Yellow-striped Darwin Wasp (Ichneumon xanthorius).

Both the parent Wrens were busy flying back and forth to their young within their nest. The male bird was having a quick sing now and then, seen perched on a nearby garden wall. The usual Buff-tailed Bumblebee’s were back and forth to the flowering Hibiscus bushes and at least four Carnation Tortrix moths were fluttering about among the plants.  I did take a photo of one perched on one of the bushes, but it came out awful on my phone. Hurrumph! However, the photo I took of a Yellow-striped Darwin Wasp, a species of Ichneumon Wasp, walking over the leaves of one of the Hibiscus bushes actually came out OK!

A Small White butterfly on the Lavender in my back garden today.

 

 

A quiet but warm day at Pembroke Road.

 

Monday 13^th July 2026

One of many Buff-tailed Bumblebees attracted to the Salvia x jamensis plants which are also known as Hot Lips! This was close to where I stand in Pembroke Road.

A windy, but warm day here in Southsea and for once, I decided not to put the Moth Box on overnight and have a bit of a lay in instead. It was remarkably pleasant on my first shift in Pembroke Road this morning, but I had to work the afternoon shift, and it was so hot, despite the north-easterly breeze.  OK, no Moth Box this morning, but there was a variety of notable sightings I saw today.

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

Today was the lowest bird species total this month with just 9 species seen from both the morning and afternoon shifts, which was a bit disappointing. The Wren was constantly going back and forth to its nest close to where I stood and I could clearly hear the youngsters calling from within the nest. The House Sparrows were in good voice within the Bowling Green hedgerow, and a single Great Black-backed Gull could be seen sat on the roof of one of the houses in nearby Penny Lane.

As soon as I stepped out of the car this morning in Pembroke Close, I saw a Red Admiral butterfly sunning itself on the wall of the neighbouring house but closed its wings as I approached and eventually flew off. A Large White butterfly flew along Pembroke Road, though it did not step as it headed off west. Sadly, apart from the heat this afternoon, a quiet day here in Old Portsmouth.

Other news today:

While in Eastney during the middle of the day, I came across a Hummingbird Hawk-moth looking for suitable plants to feed on off Horse Sands Close. A fellow ‘Lazee Birder’ had one fly into his kitchen last week! I wonder if I’ll get one in my Moth Box like last year? Birding friend, Andy Fisher, found a Jersey Tiger Moth in his garden today; so, there must be a good arrival of these beautiful Moths into the southern half of the UK as many are getting reported.

                    

                     

The Jersey Tiger moth in Andy's garden today.

The Night Heron remained at Miller’s Pond, Southampton, where it is occasionally showing well for birders. There was also remarkable news of a Golden Oriole seen in a garden at Damerham, in the west of the county. Nationally, a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater was discovered on Papa Westray in the Orkney Islands. A Hudsonian Godwit was still present at Cattawade, Suffolk, today, while the long-staying Black-winged Kite remains at Hempstead Marshes in Norfolk, near Sea Palling.

 

Above and below, the Night Heron on Miller's Pond today. Photos by Andy Tew.

 

A Dewick's Plusia moth within a quiet Moth Box & a walk around the Cemy.

Sunday 12th July 2026

My first Dewick's Plusia moth for a several years.

I’m afraid I was up so early this morning I wondered if I got any sleep at all! It was still dark when I made myself a cup of coffee and so jumped onto my new Laptop to update some of the Moths I had seen recently in one of the folders. When it was light enough to go outside, I then got cracking in checking what the Moth Box attracted overnight.

There was a blustery north-westerly blowing over Southsea and due to a clear cloudless night, it certainly reduced the Moth total compared to yesterday. It was thankfully quite cool too this morning, though it is sure to heat up as the day goes on. An early morning update on the ‘Lazee Birders’ Whatsapp revealed that the Night Heron was still present on Miller’s Pond in Southampton.

 

My Moth Box:

My third Thorn species in two days, the September Thorn.

There were much fewer Moths than yesterday with just 59 moths recorded of 28 species in total. On a plus side, my first Dewick’s Plusea of the year was within the Moth Box and the August Thorn from yesterday was replaced by a September Thorn! Just one Canary-shouldered Thorn was present still (although the other could be hiding in the plants somewhere in the garden!).

Above, a Clancy's Rustic and below, one of three Silver Y moths.

Two Grey / Dark Daggers were present (I did see one yesterday evening of which I must have flushed after watering the garden) this morning. This species must be dissecting to get a true ID. The aberrant Black Arches was still present for its third day, and a few  Mint Moths were the pick of the micro moths this morning. The following Moths were recorded this morning:

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Black Arches x1	Common Plume x4
Grey / Dark Dagger x2	Bud Moth x1
Large Yellow Underwing x2	Golden-brown Tubic x3
Dewick’s Plusea * x1	Hampshire Dowd x1
Silver Y x3	Rosy Tabby x3
Clancy’s Rustic x1	Gold Triangle x1
September Thorn x1	Mint Moth x2
Canary-shouldered Thorn x1	Barred Marble x1
Riband Wave x3	Light Brown Apple Moth x4
Pale Mottled Willow x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x1
Bright-line Brown-eye x1	Bird-cherry Ermine x4
Shuttle-shaped Dart x1	Willow Ermine x6
Cloaked Minor x1	Garden Grass-veneer x6
Marbled Beauty x1	Large Pale Masoner x2

 

Above, a Common Stiletto Fly and below, the Pied Hoverfly in my Moth Box this morning.

The Moth Box attracted an array of insects this morning and some interesting species were present. This included the usual Lacewing, a few Harlequin Ladybirds and a Buff-tailed Bumblebee. Among the more unusual insects present was a Common Stiletto (Thereva nobilitata), from the family of insects Asiloidea or commonly known as Stiletto Flies. Also, a Spectacled Berry Fly (Anomoia purmunda) was present, which is a species of Fruit Fly of the family Tephritidae. Finally, a female Pied Hoverfly (Scaeva pyrastri) was sitting comfortably in one of the egg trays.

Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea:

 

One of the many Buddleia Bushes growing at the site and always a good chance of something interesting on them.

The breezy north-westerly wind kept the temperatures down early this morning as I took my dogs for their early morning walk. It has been a while since I have been over my local patch of Highland Road Cemetery and though I wasn’t expecting many bird species on show due to the hot weather of late, there were a few notable sightings during the 45 minutes I was there.

Above, over on the west side of the Cemy, the grass was cut so short, that it is now turning yellow due to the lack of rain and below, in the middle of the Cemy, the uncut grass is still green.

There is always something interesting to see in the Cemetery, whether it’s the bird life or insects or even the plants growing around the graves and what with the hot weather of late, it didn’t take too long to see how the recently cut grass was turning yellow. However, some areas of the site, especially over on the south and east side of the Cemy, had been left alone and the grass and flowering plants were left to grow.

Above, there were hardly any birds on show to take some photos, but a few showy Wood Pigeons never disappoint. Below, a Yellow-legged Mining bee was enjoying this Cat's Ear flower.

As I started my walk around the Cemy, a couple of ladies stopped me for a chat and one of them told me she thoroughly enjoyed by Blog! Apparently, I bumped into her earlier this year and discussed the Woodpeckers here. The other lady said that she saw two Green Woodpeckers in the south-west corner of the Cemetery last week, though I have not seen them at all here this year.

Above, I found a few flowering Willowherb plants and below, this Jersey Tiger Moth was a good find on the Buddleia.

Kicking off with the birds, it was hard work to find any passerines within the Cemy, though I did hear a Blue Tit, Wren, House Sparrow and a ‘ticking’ Robin, it was the Swifts overhead that were showing well. At least a dozen or so were flying low over the rooftops over on the east side and were frequently heard calling overhead throughout my walk this morning.

A few Butterflies were on the wing including (above) a Gatekeeper and below, a Meadow Brown.

A few Butterflies were seen that included a Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper and a Red Admiral. I checked most of the flowering Buddleia Bushes growing in the Cemy for Butterflies, but all I could find were Buff-tailed Bumblebee’s on the plants. However, when walking along my usual footpath in the centre of the Cemy, I found a superb Jersey Tiger Moth on one of the flowering plants. On one of the Cat’s Ear flowers, I took a few photos using my Mobile Phone Camera of a Yellow-legged Mining Bee nectaring on the plant.

Only a few bird species were seen today from the Cemy including the Swifts (above) and a scruffy looking Magpie.

As expected, there was a variety of flowering plants on show and standing out like a sore thumb were tall spikes of Common Ragwort. I also found a large clump of Centaury growing between some graves by the Mausoleum. A few spikes of Willowherb were also in bloom in various places and the likes of Yarrow, Scarlet Pimpernel and Vipers Bugloss were all found on my walk. 

Above, there was a large clump of Centaury growing near the Mausoleum. Below, Buddy and Ted enjoying a bit of a run around at the back of the Cemetery.

This afternoon, already the temperature is climbing up to the 30's and while reflecting on my walk with the dogs, I am glad I am indoors this afternoon and simply chilling out on this lovely Sunday afternoon.