Another morning with plenty of moths.

Tuesday 27th June 2023.

My first Elephant Hawk-moth of the year and only my second Hawk-moth species this year too.

It has been a few days since I put the moth box on, though I was still recovering from my Dulston Head trip (my poor old legs!), but now I was eager to see what type of moths could be added to my year list. I checked last night if there was rain forecast, but it proved negative with just overcast skies and light winds, which could prove a good haul of moths.

My first Udea species of the year arrived overnight. Above, Udea fulvalis and below, Udea prunalis. 

There were 7 new species for my year list this morning that included my second Hawk-moth of the year; an Elephant Hawk-moth that was sitting on the white sheet behind my moth box. I made sure by picking the moth up, blowing on its wings which set it off to start by warming itself up by vibrating wings. It then eventually flew off strongly heading north and therefore saving it from becoming a Sparrow breakfast.

Above, my first Common Footman of the year and below, my third Swallow-tailed Moth of the year.

Other new moths for the year was another macro moth, a Common Footman, Single-dotted Wave and the micro moths: Black-headed Conch (Cochylichroa atricapitana), Hedge Cosmet (Cosmopterix zieglerella),and both Udea prunalis and Udea fulvalis. My second Dun-bar moth of the year was resting on one of the egg trays within the box and a Swallow-tailed Moth was also my second of the year. I found the Single-dotted Wave in our back bedroom close to the window! A total of 92 moths of 35 species were recorded today.

Above, my second Dun-bar Moth of the year and below, another micro that was new for the year, the very small Hedge Cosmet.

Moths present this morning included the following:

• 1 Elephant Hawk-moth (NFY)
• 4 Silver Y
• 13 Riband Wave
• 1 Single-dotted Wave (NFY)
• 6 Willow Beauty
• 2 Lime-speck Pug
• 1 Swallow-tailed Moth
• 3 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character
• 3 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 1 Garden Carpet
• 2 Heart & Dart
• 5 Dark Arches
• 1 Double-striped Pug
• 5 Pale Mottled Willow
• 1 Common Pug
• 1 White Ermine
• 1 Dun-bar
• 2 Common Footman (NFY)
• 9 Box Tree Moth
• 5 Common Plume
• 2 Bee Moth
• 3 Barred Marble
• 2 Garden Grass-veneer
• 1 Black-headed Conch (NFY)
• 1 False Cacao Moth
• 2 Brown House Moth
• 5 Ruddy Streak
• 1 Hedge Cosmet (NFY)
• 1 Udea fulvalis (NFY)
• 1 Udea prunalis (NFY)
• 2 Blastobasis lacticollela
• 1 Eudonia mercurella
• 1 Mompha subbistrigella
• 1 Beautiful Plume
• 1 Bud Moth

Above, Single-dotted Wave that was on the window sill of my back bedroom. Below, while I was at work, I found this Maple Piercer (Pammene trauriana), a very small micro moth.

On my first shift this morning, there were a few screaming Swifts overhead, sailing high over the rooftops in a cloudy, grey sky. I watched a Robin perch up on some railings on the opposite side of the road and then it flew towards me, landed in the road about 30 yards away and picked off an insect on the tarmac! Just goes to show that even passerines have extremely good eyesight. There is a large bush by the house where I work and I spotted a small micro moth perched on a leaf and so took a few quick photos from my mobile phone. Though the photos were a bit ‘ropey’, it turned out to be only my second ever Maple Piercer (Pammene trauriana) moth!  

During my second shift today in Old Portsmouth, there was a surprise sighting of a Common Tern flying west over the town and heading, I think, towards Portsmouth Harbour I assume. That's the first one I have seen at this location since I started here. Also, an adult Mediterranean Gull also headed in the same direction with a Herring Gull.