An amazing moth day.

Friday 24th June 2022.

This superb Privet Hawk-moth was on the egg tray beside my moth box this morning.

A clear and cool start to the morning and a little later than normal in the garden when I surfaced from my bed at 5am! You do think the worse that the Sparrows have had a good chomp of my moths, but surprisingly, the white sheet held some moths and a few nice surprises too. There was talk of thunderstorms overnight, but nothing materilised there either, so I needn't have bothered with the rain guard. A total of 57 moths of 32 species were recorded this morning including a superb Privet Hawk-moth resting on one of outside egg trays and also the micro moth Bird-cherry Ermine, though one has to be careful with this species as they have a few very similar species of which some have to be dissected to check the genitalia through a microscope. No thanks! The Privet Hawk-moth posed nicely on my finger as I then placed it gently in one of my hanging baskets. A few moments later, it had flown off while I was checking the moths. My fourth species of Hawk-moth for the year in my garden.  

Some mad looking bloke by my moth box!

One of the UK's largest moths and a cracker too.

The following moths were recorded this morning:

• 3 Riband Wave
• 1 Privet Hawk-moth (NFY)
• 3 White Ermine
• 3 Common Emerald
• 3 Heart & Dart
• 2 L-album Wainscot
• 2 Lime-speck Pug
• 1 Common Pug
• 2 Double-striped Pug
• 3 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 3 Box-tree Moth
• 3 Willow Beauty 
• 2 Uncertain
• 2 Pale Mottled Willow
• 1 Twenty-plume Moth
• 1 Large Yellow Underwing
• 1 Vines Rustic
• 1 MARBLED CORONET (Lifer & NFY)
• 3 Bee Moth
• 4 Brown House Moth
• 1 Bryotropha domestica
• 1 Bird-cherry Ermine (NFY)
• 1 Mompha subbistrigella
• 1 Ephestia woodiella
• 2 Eudonia lacustrata
• 1 Chrysoteuchia culmella
• 1 Diamond-back Moth
• 1 Celypha striana
• 1 Cypress-tip Moth
• 1 Cherry-bark Moth
• 1 Common Plume
• 1 Udea fulvalis

The first Bird-cherry Ermine of the year. They can be awfully tricky to ID.

My first Marbled Coronet ever and confirmed by the Hants Moths recorder.  

Over at Portchester Crematorium this morning, I found another small selection of moths around the South Chapel exit and around the Flower Bay that included the following:

• 1 White Ermine
• 1 Small Dusty Wave
• 2 Bee Moth
• 1 Metalampra italica (NFY)
• 1 Oegoconia quadripuncta
• 2 Common Plume
• 1 Beautiful Plume
• 1 Large Tabby (Lifer & NFY)

The micro moth Metalampra italica. I occasionally get these in my moth box but this one was found by the South Chapel exit at Portchester Crematorium this morning. 

I did find another moth at the Crematorium, which I managed to pot and take home to get a better look, but it has stumped me and I have to ask the experts for their opinion on the Hants Moths Facebook page. This evening, I got a real surprise as the moth was in fact a Large Tabby moth, a 'lifer' for me personally! I am absolutely gobsmacked and has taken me by surprise to say the least. Another one of those rather large 'micro moths'!Happy days.

This Large Tabby moth at Portchester Crematorium was a big surprise and I would like to thank Sarah Patton for identifying it for me.

Not all that many birds noted today, but a few Common Buzzards seen flying around the M275 and a male Kestrel flying low over the Crematorium. One of my work colleagues found a superb female Ghost Moth by the main entrance of The Oaks Crematorium yesterday afternoon! Incredible, seeing I have only ever seen two of this species in all the time I have been ‘Moth-ing’!  

The female Ghost Moth that was found by one of our work members at The Oaks Crematorium yesterday. Photo by Jack Hodges. 

One of the Roseate Terns off Hill Head this morning. Photo by Mark Francis.

A pair of Roseate Terns were fishing off Hill Head around 11am this morning, seen by one of the ‘Lazee Birder’ gang  members for around an hour, but no further sign later in the day among the many Terns offshore. Tonight, I have just had it confirmed that a Varied Coronet I thought I had in my garden this morning was in fact my first ever Marbled Coronet! Yet another 'lifer' for my moth life list. Incredible!

A few moths at Portchester Crematorium.

Thursday 23rd June 2022.

Two Riband Wave moths were seen by the South Chapel exit including this rather dark individual.

A rather muggy sort of day, with both sunshine and light rain on and off throughout the day, but at least it wasn't as hot as yesterday. Again, busy at work and I was mostly working this morning over the Portchester Crematorium where I took full advantage in checking out the exit Chapel and Flower Bay for moths.

The Box-tree Moth was uncomfortably close to a hedgerow of Box Trees! I do not think the Gardeners here will be best too pleased with this species of moth here at Portchester Crematorium.

Though nothing new for the year was seen, at least there were a few moths to see and photograph, but with my mobile phone camera, they were not the best photos by far. The following moths were present at this location this morning:

• 2 Riband Wave
• 2 Small Dusty Wave
• 1 White Ermine
• 1 Box-tree Moth
• 2 Bee Moth
• 1 Common Plume

A large flock of Swifts were seen hawking for insects by the M275/M27 junction this morning, probably due to a swarm of insects above the vegetation. A couple of Common Buzzards and a Kestrel were perched on the lamp posts by the M275 as per usual, but always nice to see as I drove over the bridge northbound and a couple of Little Egrets fishing in Portsmouth Harbour as well. I hope to have the moth box on overnight and with possible thunderstorms predicted for the south coast, I shall have my rainguard on the box.

This gorgeous Puffin was photographed by me exactly 10 years ago at Dancing Ledge, Durlston Head. A return visit there is due I think.

In Hampshire today, a couple of Arctic Skua’s was seen off Hill Head this morning, harassing the many Terns and Gulls present. Also a Little Gull was present too. Two species I have not seen at all this year and hopefully, I might see them on Autumn passage from a headland. Possibly the two ‘Posbrook Flood’ Glossy Ibis were seen on Farlington Marshes today.

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. 

Another five moth species added to year list.

Sunday 19th June 2022.

If I am going to get something quite extraordinary when it comes to moths, then Andy's garden can sometimes provide it. This Beautiful Hook-tip moth was a superb surprise when I checked out his moths around 9am yesterday morning. I think I have only ever seen three of this species since I have been 'Moth-ing'.

Though it is going to be a day of household chores and I am even going into work late this afternoon for a few hours, I thought I would add some of the moths Andy had by his moth trap from yesterday morning and also a few others from my trip to Thursley Common. It does vary on how many moths Andy‘s moth box attracts for I do not get to house at first light where there would probably be an awful lot more, but most will have flown off by the time I got there. I just might try my moth box there one day.

Maiden's Blush. Only my 3rd of the year.

Though a rather common micro moth for this time of year, this was my first Acrobasis suavella of the year.

Not the sharpest photo, but this was my first Common Lutestring of the year.

The moths present by his moth trap yesterday morning included the following:

• 1 Beautiful Hook-tip (NFY)
• 3 Willow Beauty
• 1 Common Lutestring (NFY)
• 1 Common Wave (NFY)
• 1 Six-striped Rustic (NFY)
• 1 Uncertain (NFY)
• 1 Heart & Dart
• 1 Treble Brown Spot
• 1 Garden Carpet
• 1 Maiden's Blush
• 1 Brimstone Moth
• 1 Ephestia woodiella
• 1 Chrysoteuchia culmella
• 1 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 1 Acrobasis suavella (NFY)

A Red-banded Sand Wasp I photographed yesterday at Thursley Common. This little critter apparently is of the Solitary Wasp family Specidae. They look for caterpillars in which to sting and paralyse and then take back to their burrow to lay a single egg on them for the young to hatch and devour the caterpillar. The females are known to steal the egg of the same species and lay one of their own in the same nest!