Another two moths for my year list.

Monday 15th May 2023.

My first Blair's Mocha moth of the year. However, it was quite difficult to get a decent photo of the moth as it was in an awkward area of my garden.

The moth box went on again last night, but I will be cutting it down to around 3 to 4 times a week now to avoid trapping the same moths again. There must have been some overnight rain last night as the patio was wet in areas; however, it was dry as a bone first thing this morning. Another nice variety again this morning with at least two new moths for the year list that included a superb Blair’s Mocha and in the early afternoon, a Freyer’s Pug, which was resting on the back window. A total of 40 moths of 17 species were present today, which I think is the highest total for the year so far.

This Freyer's Pug was an unexpected find when I got home from my first shift this morning.

Moths present this morning included the following:

• 1 Blair’s Mocha (NFY)
• 1 Brimstone Moth
• 1 Silver Y
• 1 Buff Ermine
• 1 Lime-speck Pug
• 2 Double-striped Pug
• 1 Freyer’s Pug (NFY)
• 3 Angle Shades
• 2 Garden Carpet
• 1 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 1 Pale Mottled Willow
• 2 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 1 Muslin Moth
• 15 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 2 Eudonia angustea
• 1 Brown House Moth
• 2 Tachystola acroxantha
• 1 Bryotropha affinis

My second Silver Y moth of the year.

On the birding scene, over at Medmerry RSPB Reserve, the Stilt Pool is holding both a Temminck’s and Little Stint, both possible ‘year-ticks’ for me. This cracking reserve is certainly going through a ‘Purple Patch’ of late as there were two Temminck’s Stints on the pool there yesterday and last week, a female Kentish Plover! I was pleased to see that former Hayling Island birder, Andy Johnson, who has relocated to the Shetlands; found an Eastern Subalpine Warbler at Lerwick, where he currently resides. I had a good chat with Andy the day before he left when I was down Sandy Point at the time earlier this year. I said the island is going to be a poorer place for birds without him here, for he found so many interesting and rare birds here at this superb location. I have seen around three Subalpine Warblers in the past, but these were before they were split into three different varieties and so, who knows what type of species they were?

The Eastern Subalpine Warbler at Lerwick, Shetlands. Photo by Andy Johnson.