Five more moth species added to year list.

Wednesday 19th July 2023.

My first August Thorn moth of the year.

Thankfully, the local Sparrows don't start searching for moths now till well after 5am and that gives me sufficient time to get up, dressed and out of the garden armed with a cup of coffee! By 5.15am, I am up and about within the garden, carefully scrutinising the plants and fencing panels for moths (sad, I know!), but it has to be done for they can be literally anywhere. And they were!!

Above, this Small Ranunculus and below, Cloaked Minor, were annual to my garden.

It was overcast at first thing this morning, but hardly any wind and reasonably mild (17 degrees centigrade) as I went about carefully checking the outside egg trays, the white sheet and eventually the box itself. I found an August Thorn, my first of the year, almost immediately, perched up on the kitchen wall opposite the moth box, which brought a big smile to my face.

There were 66 moths of 32 species this morning (much better return than of late) that included 6 new species for the year. The August Thorn was a cracker, but Marbled Beauty, Cloaked Minor, Small Ranunculus and the micro moth, Acorn Piercer (Pammene fasciana) were all smart moths in themselves. Up to 14 Silver Y moths were present, of which, I assume, was a big influx into the south coast from the Continent overnight. Two Least Carpets were noteworthy too. It seems a lot of other ‘moth-ers’ are getting Tiger Moths in their traps, so where are mine?

Above, this Drone Fly was also present within the moth box and below, my second Lychnis moth of the year.

Moths present this morning included the following:

• 1 August Thorn (NFY)
• 1 Marbled Beauty (NFY)
• 2 Cloaked Minor (NFY)
• 2 Willow Beauty
• 2 Least Carpet
• 1 Small Ranunculus (NFY)
• 3 Common Rustic
• 2 Pale Mottled Willow
• 14 Silver Y
• 1 Lychnis
• 1 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 1 Large Yellow Underwing
• 1 Lime-speck Pug
• 2 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 1 Small Dusty Wave
• 1 Double-striped Pug
• 5 Marsh Dowd
• 1 Acorn Piercer (NFY)
• 1 Codling Moth
• 2 Common Plume
• 1 False Cacao Moth
• 10 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 1 Small Grey
• 1 Narrow-winged Grey 
• 2 Apple Leaf Miner
• 1 Elder Pearl
• 1 Garden Grass-veneer
• 1 Ruddy Streak
• 1 Brown House Moth
• 1 Privet Tortrix
• 1 White-shouldered House Moth
• 1 Bird-cherry Ermine

Above, one of two Least Carpets today and below, my first Acorn Piercer of the year.

On my first shift today in Old Portsmouth, the Carnation Tortrix micro moth was present again on the large plant where I work, though it didn’t like having its photo taken this time as it promptly flew off when I approached. On my way back home along Clarence Parade, I saw the big female Peregrine making its way high south over the Skate Park area and it looked as though it was joined by a second bird, but I was driving at the time and could not be 100% sure.

Left, the micro moth Marsh Dowd and right, the macro moth, Marbled Beauty.

The run of interesting insects ran into my second shift this afternoon down at Old Portsmouth. Though a tad breezier than this morning, it was most certainly warm again, which most certainly brought out the insects. Small White butterflies were abundant down the road I was working in and the occasional Red Admiral and Meadow Brown were also seen. However, two other insects took me by surprise. The first being a Hummingbird Hawk-moth (see film footage from my mobile camera) nectaring along the flower beds close to where I was working.

The Hummingbird Hawk-moth seen this afternoon.

Only a few days ago, birding pal Matt Parkes sent me a film footage of one at his workplace and today, I returned the favour! These moths are damn quick and so the film footage only lasted a few seconds. The other surprise was actually a Grasshopper species, a Long-winged Conehead, which flew past my feet, into the road and then flew off across the road heading south towards nearby vegetation. It was too fast for me to get a photo of the insect; but this was my first one of the year, a species I rarely actually see to be honest. It is amazing what you can see in such a short space of time. 

I found another three more Silver Y moths this afternoon in one of the back bedrooms of my house, by the window, making it at least 14 individuals today!

Above, Andy Fisher sent me this photo he took of two Old Lady moths at his place of work today. Below, this Badger was one of two outside my friends house in Gosport. Photo by Penny Townsend.