A Poplar Hawk-moth graces the moth box.

Thursday 17th August 2023.

My first Poplar Hawk-moth in the garden this year.

I woke up at ‘silly o’clock’ this morning, a full hour before my alarm at 5.30am this morning and eventually succumbed to having to get up or simply lay there. It was still dark when I went downstairs to make a coffee and so, chilling out for a while, I eventually made my way to the moth box around 6am. I don't normally put the box on two nights running for fear of trapping the same moths, but thank God I did. For I was blessed with my first ‘live’ Poplar Hawk-moth in the box. Last night was very warm and so I thought it would be a good night to have the moth box on and maybe pick up something unusual.

A medley of moths. The Poplar Hawk-moth, Garden Tiger and a Vine's Rustic.

A total of 63 moths of 24 species was a lot lower than yesterday, which was a bit disappointing, but I was made up with the Poplar Hawk-moth which I carefully placed in the centre of one of our plants. The first Turnip Moth for a few months was present as was a Cabbage Moth and on the micro moths, two Rusty-dot Pearls were probably the most notable.

Turnip Moth.

Sadly, nothing was heard or seen overhead during the time I was outside in the garden. It shouldn't be long now for some decent ‘Vis mig’ overhead?

A Garden Tiger moth with the wings open this time.

The moths present this morning included the following:

• 1 Poplar Hawk-moth (NFY)
• 4 Brimstone Moth
• 6 Garden Tiger
• 1 Cabbage Moth
• 2 Square-spot Rustic
• 12 Vine’s Rustic
• 1 White-point
• 2 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 1 Pale Mottled Willow
• 3 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 1 Silver Y
• 3 Willow Beauty
• 5 Lime-speck Pug
• 1 Turnip Moth
• 2 Marbled Beauty 
• 1 Double-striped Pug
• 2 Box Tree Moth
• 1 Ruddy Streak
• 1 Mother Of Pearl
• 2 Bird-cherry Ermine
• 3 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 5 Common Plume
• 1 Brown House Moth
• 2 Rusty-dot Pearl