Monday 24th October 2022.
I took a trip up to Harley Street, Marylebone, in our fair capital city of London today with my wife (who did the driving, phew!) to drop off a friend of ours. On the way up there and back, there were sightings of Red Kite (about 6 birds), Sparrowhawk (one over the north end of the Eastern Road, Drayton and a couple of Kestrels. I also saw a lot of thrushes when we were heading north up the A3 past Petersfield, though I think they were Redwing, but the large birds I think were Mistle Thrushes. I did hear (sadly, not seen) a Ring-necked Parakeet around the Kingston area of the A3, but I could not crane my neck far enough to view the bird. Bugger!
Fellow ‘Lazee Birder’ Andy Friend found a Crimson Speckled Moth down at Sinah Warren, near the Old Gunnery while trying to hopefully find a Yellow-browed Warbler (but no luck!) and put some photos of it on the Whatsapp site. They really are a bright colourful moth and even had Andy gobsmacked on how pretty they are. There has been an influx of these moths on the south coast of late, with many coastal reports over the past few days. I have my moth box on tonight, though I am not so sure they are attracted to light. I have only ever seen one in the UK and that was down at East Prawle one Autumn, though I did see one in Turkey a few years back. Also on Hayling Island today, local birder, Becky Ladd, found 2 immature Black Redstarts in the gardens at Eastoke.
It seems Portland Bill is going through a real purple patch when it comes to moths with the micro moth Cornifrons ulceratalis and Dark Mottled Willow being found yesterday, hot on the heels of the UK ‘firsts’ from last week! A Pallas’s Warbler was found on the island today as well! There have been a lot of Swift reports of late, especially Pallid Swifts and a Swift species was seen on Northney, Hayling Island this morning. A period of strong southerlies probably explains the sightings of not only the Swifts, but also the moths too.
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