Three moth 'lifers' in my moth box today.

Wednesday 21st June 2023.

My first ever Crescent Plume. A coastal species that finally made it by my moth box this morning.

Well, the longest day of the year is upon us and after yesterday’s early morning torrential rain and thunderstorms, it was back to normality today with a clear blue sky, not a breath of wind and me prancing about at 4.30am again this morning checking the moths! Yet again, I was in for a few surprises (that's why I do it folks!) among the many moths, though clearly nowhere near on how many moths I had yesterday; but still a reasonable total.

Above, Eligia similella and below, Dioryctria abietella were both 'lifers' for me.

A total of at least 112 moths were recorded this morning of 42 species and although slightly less numbers than yesterday, at least 7 were new for the year and three of those were new to my life list. Three micro moths were ‘lifers’ that included Eligia similella, Dioryctria abietella and a Crescent Plume. There were three species of macro moth that were new for the year that included a Barred Yellow, Burnished Brass (both rarely seen in my garden) and a rather worn Dun-bar moth. The micro moth Zeiraphera isertana was also new for the year and annual in my garden.

Two scarce moth species to my garden. Above, Barred Yellow and below, Burnished Brass.

Unlike yesterday, no moths were in double figures this morning, but at least there was a good variety to look through. There was a large Ichneuman Wasp present in my moth box this morning once I took the lid off, but I prompted it with a finger to fly off before the Sparrows had their way with it. Later, after breakfast, there was a lot of commotion going on near my kitchen, inside the house. One of the female House Sparrows had decided to search for moths INSIDE my house this morning and eventually, we got the poor knackered bird out of the house by opening up another back door!   

Above, my first Dun-bar moth of the year and below, the micro moth Zeiraphera isertana was also added to my year list.

Moths present this morning included the following:

• 5 Common Emerald
• 8 White Ermine
• 7 Riband Wave
• 6 Lime-speck Pug
• 2 Double-striped Pug
• 5 Willow Beauty
• 3 Dark Arches
• 2 Garden Carpet
• 4 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 1 Barred Yellow (NFY)
• 5 Heart & Dart
• 1 Varied Coronet
• 2 Silver Y
• 1 White-point
• 2 Lackey
• 1 L-album Wainscot
• 4 Pale Mottled Willow
• 2 Vine’s Rustic
• 1 Dun-bar (NFY)
• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 1 Burnished Brass (NFY)
• 1 Dwarf Cream Wave
• 3 Common Plume
• 5 Diamond-back Moth
• 7 Garden Grass Veneer
• 6 Box Tree Moth
• 4 Bee Moth
• 1 ELEGIA SIMILELLA (LIFER)
• 3 Celypha striana
• 4 Apple Leaf Miner
• 1 Mompha subbistrigella
• 1 Ephestia woodiella
• 1 DIORYCTRIA ABIETELLA (LIFER)
• 2 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 1 Blastobasis lacticolella
• 1 CRESCENT PLUME (LIFER)
• 1 Hawthorn Moth
• 1 Brown House Moth
• 1 Bud Moth
• 1 Eudonia mercurella
• 1 Aleimma loeflingiana
• 1 Zeiraphera isertana (NFY)

A friend of mine, who lives in nearby Gosport, has Badgers regularly turning up near her doorstep as she feeds them most nights. I, personally, have not seen a 'live' Badger for many years! Film footage by Penny Townsend.