An excellent variety of moths despite the weather.

Friday 28th July 2023.

Only my second ever Gold Spot moth.

A horrible, drizzly wet start to the morning while I was checking the moth box at 5.10am. However, despite the wet conditions, there were some superb moths to keep me entertained. This wet weather at this time of year does throw up some nice surprises and this morning was no exception. A quick check on the white sheet, which had many moths on it today, then around the box before I turned the light off, produced all the usual moth and then I heard the familiar ‘whirr’ of wings as I watched an Elephant Hawk-moth rise out of the moth box and then shoot off over the garden. This was my third individual of this species for the year.

Dewick's Plusea. Again, only my second ever.

Among the 102 moths of 35 species, I found a Dewick's Plusea and a Gold Spot moth, two species that I have only encountered once before. The former is a rare immigrant to the UK, although there has been confirmed breeding in Middlesex and probably elsewhere according to Hants Moths. The latter is an uncommon resident, again, a beautiful species that I have only seen once before in my garden, Two cracking moths to kick off the day. My first Garden Tiger of the year (our Isabelle will be pleased as it's her favourite moth) was present within the moth box and hopefully, the start of many more to come. Another micro moth was added to my year list, a rather smart Dotted Oak Knot-horn (Phycita rubella), that I found resting on top of the moth box. I did have my rain guard on top of the box and underneath this, a Blair’s Mocha was present. Nearly a third of the moths present today were the familiar Light Brown Apple Moths, with at least 32 counted in and around the moth box.

My first Garden Tiger of the year, at last! This species is annual to my garden and can get up to double figures in August.

Thankfully, the drizzle abated a little, but it was a bit touch and go with the weather so I had to hurry to carry out checking the moths otherwise it would have been a good soaking first thing in the morning! With migration starting to happen in the birdworld, I did hear a ‘Willow-chiff’ calling somewhere in the gardens behind me and overhead, both Greenfinch and Goldfinch flew over. 

My first Dotted Oak Knot-horn micro moth of the year.

The moths present this morning included the following:

• 1 Elephant Hawk-moth
• 1 Gold Spot (NFY)
• 4 Common Rustic
• 1 Pale Mottled Willow
• 1 Cabbage Moth
• 6 Silver Y
• 1 Tree-lichen Beauty
• 1 Least Carpet
• 1 Garden Tiger (NFY)
• 1 Dark Sword-grass
• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 6 Brimstone Moth
• 1 Common Emerald
• 1 Garden Carpet
• 1 Cloaked Miner
• 1 Marbled Green
• 1 Blair’s Mocha
• 4 Lime-speck Pug
• 1 Double-striped Pug
• 2 Small Dusty Wave
• 2 Willow Beauty
• 1 Marbled Beauty
• 1 Dewick’s Plusea (NFY)
• 1 Box Tree Moth
• 32 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 4 Apple Leaf Miner
• 2 Ruddy Streak
• 7 Common Plume
• 1 Beautiful Plume
• 1 Dotted Oak Knot-horn (NFY)
• 5 Dingy Dowd
• 2 Marsh Dowd
• 1 Garden Grass-veneer
• 3 Privet Tortrix
• 1 Olive Pyralid Moth

A pair of Ospreys were at Fishlake Meadows yesterday around midday. Photo by Andy Tew.

This juvenile Avocet was feeding on Farlington Marshes this afternoon. Film footage by James Cutting.

 

This Dun-bar moth was a bit of a surprise tonight while I was washing up! I found it sat near the kitchen window.