Two additional new moths for the year.

Thursday 1st June 2023.

This Large Yellow Underwing moth was my first for the year.

Another new month and another very early morning with a clear blue sky. This could only mean that the moth numbers in my garden were going to be low again and sure enough there were just only 9 moths of 8 species. This is definitely a worrying trend for a lot of other people studying moths are reporting very low numbers too, especially on the south coast and are putting it down to a very poor wet spring last year. These overnight temperatures do not help either and therefore a lot of moths are not flying that far from where the food source is. This time last year, though again cold overnight, produced 30 moths of 14 species. Hopefully, the moth numbers will rise later this month? 

A Light Brown Apple Moth sharing some space with my first Treble Lines for the garden this year.

On a brighter note, my first Large Yellow Underwing moth of the year was present. This species even got a mention on last night's Springwatch due to the fact that a survey was done by four University Students on Nightjar poo! They analysed the DNA from the said poo and discovered that the majority of the DNA belonged to the Large Yellow Underwing species, but concluded that this moth is actually declining in numbers, while the Nightjars are slowly on the increase. As Spock would say ‘fascinating’!

Vine's Rustic.

My first Treble Lines for my garden this year was also present, after seeing one in Andy Fisher’s garden earlier last month. Even micros were low in numbers, with just three species present. I am now getting into the habit of potting the macro moths and releasing them when it's dark in the evening. I know the local House Sparrows have youngsters (I can hear them in their nests on my roof!), but I always put out dried Meal worms for them first thing and so saving the moths is paramount. During the month of May, I saw a  total of 61 species of moth, which wasn't too bad. Will the month of June break that record. 

The micro moth Notocelia cynosbatella. Only my second for the garden this year and my third for the year.

Moths present this morning in my garden included the following:

• 1 Large Yellow Underwing (NFY)
• 1 Treble Lines
• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 1 Vine’s Rustic
• 1 Double-striped Pug
• 2 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 1 Mompha subbistrigella
• 1 Notocelia cynosbatella
• 1 Large Fruit-tree Tortrix (NFY)

Yesterday, I could of possibly had three ‘year-ticks’ when it comes to the birds as Pennington Marshes hosted a Temminck’s Stint, Little Stint and a Garganey and what with up to 6 Black Terns off Lee-on-Solent early in the morning, four could of been on the cards. Sadly, I was busy all day. The female Red-tailed Shrike, which would have been a ‘lifer’ for me, was a no show yesterday which would have disappointed a lot of birders I’m sure.

This Mother Shipton moth was found and photographed by Andy Dickety.

This was a late surprise. This male Large Fruit-tree Tortrix was found late this morning on a fence panel near my moth box.