Low moth numbers today

Tuesday 4th July 2023.

My second Heart & Club moth of the year.

An overcast start to the morning at 4.30am today and rather cool too with outside temperatures around 14 degrees centigrade. Unfortunately, there were very few moths in and around the trap this morning, which was quite disappointing really; but one has to take the rough with the smooth. Yesterday's breezy weather probably did not help and probably dispersed a lot of moths? However, while checking the moths, I could hear some young Foxes making a bit of a din nearby and then eventually saw two young individuals ‘play fighting’ on a neighbours shed roof! That was until one fell off! It didn't look as though it hurt itself as it climbed back on the roof and both walked off unharmed.

The two L-album Wainscot moths this morning.

Just 25 moths of 18 species were recorded this morning, the lowest total for quite a few weeks with probably the Heart & Club being the top moth this morning. This was my second of the year after finding one in Andy’s garden earlier last month. I am still awaiting my first Garden Tiger moths of the year in my garden, a moth our Isabelle is so looking forward to seeing again. It shouldn't be long now. Well, at least the Foxes kept me entertained at this early time of the morning.

The moths present this morning included the following:

• 1 Heart & Club
• 1 Heart & Dart
• 3 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 3 Dark Arches
• 2 Double-striped Pug
• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 2 L-album Wainscot
• 1 Lackey
• 1 Common Emerald
• 1 Willow Beauty
• 2 Garden Carpet
• 1 Box Tree Moth
• 1 Blastobasis lacticolella
• 1 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 1 Garden Grass-veneer
• 1 Udea prunella
• 1 Rosy Tabby
• 1 Diamond-back Moth

The summer plumaged Spotted Redshank on Titchfield Haven last Sunday. Photo by John Manley.

In Hampshire yesterday, both Common Sandpiper and a Spotted Redshank were still on Titchfield Haven NR and a Spoonbill was also seen. I had a Common Buzzard drifting low over the M275 as I was driving up to Paulsgrove yesterday late morning, but little else of note. Birding pal, Geoff Farwell, told me that he went up to Chalton on Sunday and saw at least one Turtle Dove. He then took a walk along South Lane to Netherley Down where he recorded the following: a family of 4 Stonechats, Marsh Tit, several Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcap, 2 Red Kite, 2 Common Buzzard and a Mediterranean Gull. He also had 100+ Marbled White butterflies on the bottom slope of Chalton Down! 

Above, both Common Sandpiper and below, Sedge Warbler, were seen on Titchfield Haven on Sunday. Photos by John Manley.

I could not resist putting this cracking image of a Spotted Flycatcher taken recently by Hampshire birder, Pete Appleton.