Figure of Eighty moth was a bonus.

Wednesday 22nd June  2022.

Only my second ever Figure of Eighty moth.

Though it was 13 degrees outside at 4.30am this morning, I thought it was rather cool and in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, I think I should have worn a fleece at least. I’ll know to stop whining and get on with the moths seen in and around my box this morning within my garden. But first of all, I would like to add that there are at least four guys ‘moth-ing’ in Portsmouth at present (possibly more?) of which I know three of them and a new chap has now come on the scene, which is useful in seeing what his catch is like.

The micro moth Clepsis consimilana.

Back to my moths; a Figure of Eighty was probably the highlight this morning, a moth I have only encountered once before and that was also in my back garden many years ago. Single-dotted Wave, Dark Arches and the micro moths, Udea fulvalis and Clepsis consimilana were all new for the year and there were double figures of Willow Beauty, Lime-speck Pug and Bright-line Brown-eye moths this morning. A total of at least 85 moths of 29 species were present this morning.

The following moths were present this morning:

• 11 Willow Beauty
• 12 Lime-speck Pug
• 1 Common Pug
• 2 Double-striped Pug
• 7 Heart & Dart
• 10 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 1 Buff Ermine
• 1 White Ermine
• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 1 Single-dotted Wave (NFY)
• 6 Garden Carpet 
• 2 L-album Wainscot
• 2 Pale Mottled Willow
• 1 Figure 0f Eighty (NFY)
• 2 Common Emerald
• 1 Riband Wave
• 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character
• 1 Dark Arches (NFY)
• 5 Ephestia woodiella
• 1 Chrysoteuchia culmella
• 3 Udea fulvalis (NFY)
• 5 Common Plume
• 1 Beautiful Plume
• 2 Mompha subbigistrella
• 2 Eudonia lacustrata
• 1 Diamond-back Moth
• 1 Bramble Shoot Moth
• 2 Bryotropha domestica
• 1 Clepsis consimilana (NFY)

This morning, a trip over to The Oaks Crematorium produced sightings of a pair of juvenile Green Woodpeckers chasing each other at the entrance of the Crematorium and nearby, a Mistle Thrush was bobbing on the short grass in search of food. A Blackcap was heard in full song still over by the woods and a male Pheasant greeted us by the road into The Oaks.

Above, a Single-dotted Wave and below, Dark Arches; both new for the year.

I knew the day was going to get hot and sure enough, later in the afternoon, it got into a sweltering 85 degrees plus and us with our ‘monkey suits’ (work attire) in a vehicle did not go down well either! I had a very busy day at work but had sightings of several Common Buzzards at various sightings, but I think best of all was a House Martin leaving its nest in the village of Awbridge, near Romsey. House Martins seem to be very scarce of late and although I have seen a few now, their numbers have really dropped around Hampshire. I have not yet seen one over Portsmouth or Southsea yet this year.