Four more moths new for the year.

Thursday 16th June 2022

Yellow Shell moth.

A much warmer early morning with temperature outside in my garden already 13 degrees, even with a clear blue sky overhead. Only trouble is, I seem to be getting up earlier and it was 4.30am when I staggered bleary eyed into my garden, but at least there were plenty of moths to look at. There were at least 4 species that were new for the year this morning: Yellow Shell, Common Emerald, Green Oak Tortrix and another micro moth, the unusual looking Endotricha flammeus among the 79 moths of 31 species. 

Common Emerald moth.

• 9 Willow Beauty 
• 8 White Ermine
• 5 Riband Wave
• 1 Buff-tip
• 7 Lime-speck Pug
• 1 Double-striped Pug
• 2 Common Pug
• 2 Setaceous Hebrew Character
• 1 Yellow Shell (NFY)
• 2 Vines Rustic
• 5 Heart & Dart
• 1 Common Emerald (NFY)
• 1 Treble Brown Spot
• 2 Green Pug
• 2 Common Marbled Carpet
• 2 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 1 Marbled Minor
• 1 L-album Wainscot
• 5 Ephestia woodiella
• 1 Endotricha flammeus (NFY)
• 2 Common Plume
• 1 Bee Moth
• 5 Tachystola acroxantha
• 2 Bryotropha affinis
• 2 Diamond-back Moth
• 2 Mompha subbistrigella
• 1 Hawthorn Moth
• 1 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 1 Chrysoteuchia culmella
• 1 Green Oak Tortrix (NFY)

Endotricha flammeus micro moth.

Green Oak Tortrix.

The day got a lot hotter and by around 3pm, it was up into the 80’s and with us working in our ‘monkey suits’, shade was simply a grateful thing! This morning, a trip over The Oaks Crematorium produced a few interesting sightings of both moth, birds and butterflies. Kicking off with the bird life, a graceful Red Kite slowly glided low over the main car park heading east and a Common Buzzard was also seen drifting over. Both Great Spotted and Green Woodpecker showed themselves briefly and a Skylark took flight singing its heart out. Even one of the local staff questioned whether it was a Skylark he heard singing this morning, of which I confirmed.

I saw my first Marbled White butterflies of the year with at least two individuals fluttering low over the meadow between the woodland and the main car park. I found my second Buff-tip moth of the day when I found an individual perched nicely by the Chapel exit. I later showed the staff Paula and Lee the moth, of which Lee took a photograph of. I also found a Garden Carpet moth on the roof by the front entrance, but it was too distant for a photograph.

Meanwhile, back over Portchester Crematorium, I did find a few moths, mostly by the South Chapel exit that included a Small Dusty Wave, Riband Wave, Treble Brown Spot and the micro moth Oegoconia quadripuncta. Further around by the Flower Bay, I found two Bee Moths, but I could not get to look all the way round for there was a family in mourning there.

The impressive Buff-tip Moth. Two were seen today, one by my moth trap (still there tonight) and a second one by The Oaks Crematorium. 

Tonight, while watering the garden (tomorrow is predicted to be a very hot day and possibly well into the 90’s!), I flushed up a few of last night's moths that were hidden by the plants and a pair of Beautiful Plume moths were flushed as well and added to my day total. I think I have some good news as yesterday’s Starling that was caught by a Cat, looks as though it survived its horrible ordeal as it was seen gingerly feeding on one of my feeders this evening. A second juvenile bird came in and after a good feed and a drink, the birds looked fit and healthy.  Meanwhile, a pair of Goldfinch came in and plenty of House Sparrows also came in to enjoy the plenty of food I put out for them tonight and l also cleaned the bird baths too. Last night, as dusk fell, a pair of Pipistrelle Bats fluttered around over our gardens, which are also so entertaining and even at 10pm, a few Herring Gulls flapped over!