Moth total climbs to new heights.

Monday 28th March 2022.

One of four Double-striped Pugs this morning, with this being the most well marked individual.

There was nothing new within or around the moth box early this morning, but a healthy number of moths were present, although this was mostly dominated by the Common Plume’s once more. It is going to get a lot colder this week with some areas predicting snow by the end of the week! This morning, at 6.30am, it was still dark due to the ridiculous ritual of putting the clocks forward by an hour. Honestly, with what is going on in the world and also political correctness, we still live in the dark ages when it comes to this hour forward in the Spring nonsense. Grrrr!

This very small caterpillar (being held by our Isabelle) was found crawling down our kitchen door! I have no idea what species it is and I have had no reply on the Facebook UK Caterpillar group yet either!

This morning, there was a huge total of 46 moths present including the following: 

• 1 Common Quaker
• 1 Angle Shades
• 4 Early Grey
• 4 Double-striped Pug
• 32 Common Plume
• 3 Beautiful Plume
• 1 Light Brown Apple Moth

I found another Nursery Spider in our garden yesterday, quite close to our kitchen door, so I gently ushered it along before a big foot finished it off!

Though I had a quiet day with the birds with hardly anything of note to be seen, there was a trickle of migrants noted on the south coast in Hampshire including a singing Willow Warbler at Sandy Point, Hayling Island (plus a juvenile Spoonbill circling high over the same site); a Swallow in off the sea at Southsea and several Wheatears dotted around. Selsey Bill recorded a lone Common Tern passing east over the sea and the pair of Garganey were still on the Severals at Church Norton. The Bonaparte’s Gull remained faithful to the West Trout Lake, Chichester Gravel Pits, today.  

Birding pal, Andy Fisher, connected with the Spoonbill on Farlington Marshes yesterday, while another birding pal of mine, Geoff Farwell, took a stroll over Old Winchester Hill and notched up the following: 2 singing Firecrest, Marsh Tit, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Red Kite and 2 Common Buzzards. Last Saturday, Geoff done some birding in Matley Wood, New Forest, and recorded the following: 2 Hawfinches, Brambling, Siskins, Crossbill, 4 singing Firecrest, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Stonechat, 3 Woodlark, 4 Marsh Tits, Common Buzzard and a Lapwing.