Black Rustic moth added to my year list.

Thursday 30th September 2021.

The weather has now become very Autumnal as the temperatures have dropped by at least 20 degrees compared to last week and also quite a bit of rain around. Early this morning, it was very overcast and rain threatened all day, but it wasn't till the early evening that the rain finally came.

Above, some of the moths that were in the moth box this morning: Lunar Underwing, Feathered Ranunculus, Black Rustic and L-album Wainscot.

My moth box held not that many moths, but it did hold my first Black Rustic of the year (top photo); a typical Autumn moth and most welcome in my moth box. Up to two Feathered Ranunculus were present along with 3 Lunar Underwings. In total, the following moths were present:

• 2 Feathered Ranunculus
• 3 Lunar Underwing
• 1 Black Rustic
• 2 L-album Wainscot
• 6 Box Tree Moth
• 2 Willow Beauty
• 1 Rusty-dot Pearl
• 2 Common Plume

 While  I was checking the moths in the garden, there was a passage of Meadow Pipits moving south and I counted at least 18 birds in various size flocks passing through. One Meadow Pipit was flying with an ‘alba’ Wagtail (Pied or White Wagtail) and looked good for being companions (or so I thought!). Still, it's always good to see visible migration first hand and against a grey sky, it was easy to pick the birds out.

Above, there were few 'macro' moths at Portchester Crematorium including this Large Yellow Underwing. 

While at my Fratton branch, I heard more Meadow Pipits passing overhead and watched several going over and also a male Sparrowhawk flew over too, much to the annoyance of the local Starlings. I was working over Portchester Crematorium this morning and checking out the moths (as per usual), I found the following moths:

• 1 Large Yellow Underwing
• 1 Box Tree Moth
• 8 Beautiful Plume
• 6 Common Plume

I was somewhat surprised that I thought there would be a lot more moths than this, though there were literally hundreds of Crane Flies around instead. Plenty of food it seems for the local birds and Spiders! While I was driving to the Crematorium, I noticed several  large skeins of Canada Geese passing through low overhead, all heading east; whether it was to nearby Lakeside in Cosham or possibly Farlington Marshes? I must have counted at least 50 birds in all along with a few smaller individuals that could have been hybrids. It didn't end there either as about 30 minutes later, more birds passed by while I was at the Crematorium and making quite a din as they passed over. The only other bird of note seen at the Crem was a lone Swallow flying over.

Above photo: Water Rail, Ringed Plovers and Sanderling taken at Titchfield Haven and Hill Head by local birder, Christine Whiffen, who kindly allowed me to post these lovely photos on my blog.

From the Whatsapp group I have recently joined, yesterday’s juvenile Grey Phalarope was still at Blashford Lakes, on Ibsley Water today; though mostly keeping its distance in the middle of the lake.  A small flock of 4 Manx Shearwaters passed through Selsey Bill this morning, but mostly quiet throughout the south coast.