Two more moths added to the year list.

Thursday 6th July 2023.

Orange Pine Tortrix. It is an annual micro moth to my garden moth box though it does sport a horribly long latin name.

I just wasn’t quick enough out of bed this morning as I saw a couple of House Sparrows searching for my moths around the moth box at just after 5am and realising they already must have grabbed a few, panic mode set in as I ushered them off with a few swear words!! It was dry this morning, but it looked as though there might have been a spot of rain overnight judging by the few puddles in the garden.

Again, the moth numbers were very much down from when we had that heat wave last month, but at least there was something new to add to my year list. Both Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella) and Orange Pine Tortrix (Lozotaeniodes formosana), two micro moths, were new for my year list, though nothing significant among the macro moths today. A total of just 27 moths of 20 species were recorded this morning, though compared to this date last year, I had 52 moths of 30 species and in 2021, on the same date, I had just 20 moths of 12 species. So, I suppose it is an average figure for this time of year. 

My first Common Grass-veneer of the year. I should be getting quite a few of these over the coming months.

The following moths were present this morning:

• 1 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 3 Silver Y
• 1 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 2 Dark Arches
• 1 Common Rustic
• 1 L-album Wainscot
• 1 Large Yellow Underwing
• 1 Pale Mottled Willow
• 1 Willow Beauty
• 1 Riband Wave
• 1 Blastobasis lacticolella
• 4 Garden Grass-veneer
• 2 False Cacao Moth
• 1 Ruddy Streak
• 1 Brown House Moth
• 1 Common Grass-veneer (NFY)
• 1 Fulvous Pearl
• 1 Rusty-dot Pearl
• 1 Orange Pine Tortrix (NFY)
• 1 Barred Marble

Yesterday, the usual Mediterranean Gulls were seen flying over Old Portsmouth along with the more common Gulls; though I suppose the likes of Great Black-backed and Lesser Black-backed are deemed rarer of the species compared to Med Gull now? There has been a lone Little Egret fishing on the edge of Canoe Lake of late and I managed to see it again along the lake's edge as I drove past yesterday morning. It has even been a bit of a celebrity of some Facebook posts recently. I think my Swift fledglings have flown the nest now and hopefully the adults will come back to raise a second brood.

This gorgeous Southern Hawker dragonfly was in Andy Friend's garden yesterday.

In Hampshire yesterday, there were a few notable sightings around including Farlington Marshes that hosted a Cattle Egret and a Common Sandpiper. Fishlake Meadows (must get back there soon) hosted at least 218 Swifts that were counted around 9pm along with 45 Sand Martins and a Hobby (probably after its supper!). An adult Little Gull was seen among other Gulls midway within the Solent from the IOW Ferry, which was a good sighting. Three separate Little Owl sightings were noted within Hampshire, which is a species I must catch up with this year. Finally, fellow ‘Lazee Birder’, Andy Friend, had a Southern Hawker dragonfly within this garden. Very nice.

I was curious about what this little caterpillar was and I got it identified as a Syrrphus species of Hoverfly larvae, which I found where I was working in Old Portsmouth yesterday.

Selsey Bill, yesterday afternoon, scored with their first Balearic Shearwater of the year, heading west around 5.45pm. Also a dark-phased Arctic Skua went east and along with a Kittiwake and good numbers of Gannets through also. There has also been a female Red-crested Pochard on Ivy Lake, Chichester Gravel Pits, which was also seen yesterday.   

Scarlet Tiger moth. Fellow 'Lazee Birder' Andy Dickety found good numbers of these just north of Farley Mount, near Winchester, yesterday. 

I have just got back from my first shift at Old Portsmouth and as I was making my way there, a Sparrowhawk was making a dive towards some trees while I was driving along Clarence Parade eastbound. Good start to the day. From my viewpoint, up to a dozen Swifts were seen overhead at one point as well as the odd Mediterranean Gull and even a Pied Wagtail flew east over the Bowling Green. I don’t often see them, so it is notable here.

This Sussex Dowd (Blastobasis vittata) micro moth popped out once I discovered how my macro settings worked on my mobile phone. How long have I had this phone and I never knew! Doh!

On my second shift down at Old Portsmouth, I was having a quick look at the Bowling going on at the Bowling Green, when I spotted several small butterflies high up in one of the trees next to the alley way. Sadly, I never had my binoculars with me, but they most certainly look good for Purple Hairstreak butterflies. It seems to be a very good year for this species and to find a colony in Portsmouth, it begs the question on how many colonies are there. I shall be checking the top of trees in future and that included nearby Highland Road Cemetery.