Redwing passage & two new moths.

Thursday 20th October 2022.

My first Red-green Carpet of the year by my moth box this morning.

I was reluctant at first, but I decided to put my moth box on overnight, as recommended by the chap on Migrant Lepidoptera Facebook site, saying that light winds from the Canaries would be hitting the south coast overnight. However, rain and thunderstorms were predicted and although we did not get to receive the latter, I woke up to rain this morning. It turned out to be a good thing as the moth box attracted two more new moths for the year.

Acleris sparsana; my first for many a year.

The first new moth for the year was a pristine Red-green Carpet which was resting on the sodden white sheet behind the moth box of which I quickly potted to get a decent photograph for later. The second new moth for the year was a micro moth, Acleris sparsana, a grey individual that had me intrigued. Also among the 23 moths of 14 moths were two Black Rustics and my first Monopsis crocicapitella for many months, which was located at the very bottom of the moth box. I was hoping for more migrant moths, but just two Rush Veneer and a Rusty-dot Pearl made up the numbers there. 

Above, one of two Rush Veneer micro moths this morning. Below, the micro moth Monopsis crocicapitella. 

Moths present this morning included the following:

• 1 Red-green Carpet (NFY)
• 1 Lesser Yellow Underwing
• 3 Feathered Ranunculus
• 2 Double-striped Pug
• 2 Large Yellow Underwing
• 2 Black Rustic
• 1 L-album Wainscot
• 2 Rush Veneer
• 3 Tachystola acroxantha
• 1 Clepsis consimilana
• 1 Rusty-dot Pearl
• 2 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 1 Beautiful Plume 
• 1 Crocidosema plebejana
• 1 Monopsis crocicapitella
• 1 Acleris sparsana (NFY)

When I put the moth box light on last night, there was a lot of Redwing passing overhead, recognised easily by their distinctive ‘seeping’ call and this continued right on into the morning, it seems. I spotted at least one group of three birds heading south and another lone individual also heading south a little later. A pair of Song Thrushes also headed south-west, very high over the houses, their call giving their ID away. Back down on the ground, a Chiffchaff was flitting about my neighbours tree at the back of my garden. The rain is set to last most of the morning, but it is very mild today with the current temperature a balmy 16 degrees centigrade!

One of two Black Rustic moths. 

Yesterday, there seemed to be a glut of Ring Ouzels in Hampshire with 4 birds seen at Hook-with-Warsash, one over Titchfield Haven with Fieldfares and 3 birds over Tweseldown, near Church Crookham. Today, FIVE Ring Ouzels were found at the same location yesterday on Butser Hill where Andy and I found them and one was in the Bushes area on Farlington Marshes. Redwing were most evident today with massive numbers going over Tweseldown (3,300) and Trigpoint Hill, Timsbury (2,790). Woolmer Pond had at least 300 going through along with 60 Fieldfare! Not only thrushes were in huge numbers; a staggering 316 Razorbills were seen on the sea off Sandy Point, Hayling Island early this morning! And that was with one slow sweep of the telesope! Incredible.