The Old Ladies have arrived.

Monday 28th August 2023.

One of four Old Lady moths around my moth box last night. Two remained this morning.

Yes, it has been a handful with our new dogs as they start to get to know us and our home a bit better (check the scratches out on my arms!), but they are adorable and I think we are going to have a good future together. This morning, it was back to the moths as my kind neighbour sorted out a new outside power point for me, so I could plug in the moth box. As it is getting darker in the evenings, it went on around 8pm and by 9.30pm, I ventured outside and was pleased with what was already there.

This Bloxworth Snout was present last night and photographed by Sinead.

Our Sinead even came outside when I told her about some large moths by the moth box and sure enough, they were Old Lady moths, my first of the year. In fact, a total of FOUR were present and two remained this morning while I was checking the box. Other moths present last night included a Bloxworth Snout (gone by the morning), a couple of Silver Y’s, Mint Moth, 2 Small Dusty Wave and a probable Dwarf Cream Wave.

A Blair's Mocha showing well on the moth box this morning with a Pale Mottled Willow close by.

This morning, it was very still with hardly a breath of wind and up above, a lot of broken clouds. It was that still, I could hear a bit of ‘Vis Mig’ going on and at two each of Grey Wagtail and Yellow Wagtail were seen to fly over between 6 and 7am. Back to the moths and the following were recorded this morning:

This superb photo of a Yellow Wagtail was recently taken by Pete Appleton.

• 2 Old Lady (NFY)
• 4 Lime-speck Pug
• 1 Double-striped Pug
• 5 Willow Beauty
• 3 Large Yellow Underwing
• 1 Langmaids Yellow Underwing
• 2 Brimstone Moth
• 8 Pale Mottled Willow
• 1 Blair’s Mocha
• 2 Silver Y
• 3 Square-spot Rustic
• 1 Marbled Beauty
• 1 Clancy’s Rustic
• 1 Tree-lichen Beauty
• 2 Small Dusty Wave
• 1 L-album Wainscot
• 4 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 1 Turnip Moth
• 6 Vine’s Rustic
• 1 Common Wainscot
• 1 Angle Shades
• 3 Dingy Dowd
• 1 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 6 Box Tree Moth
• 1 Rusty-dot Pearl
• 3 Apple Leaf Miner
• 1 Ruddy Streak
• 2 House Neb
• 1 Pellitory Cosmet

A nice collection of moths this morning I think, with the likes of Clancy’s Rustic, Tree-lichen Beauty, Langmaids Yellow Underwing, Blair’s Mocha, Common Wainscot and Turnip Moth providing a lot of interest. A total of 70+ moths of 29 species were recorded this morning. Not too bad.  

This Common Wainscot moth was only my third for the year.

Yesterday, early in the morning, a Willow Warbler was seen and heard sub-singing in the Holly Tree in my neighbours garden, until flying off across the gardens. Always pleased to have them here. The Black Stork was still doing ‘sorties’ over woods around Brockenhurst and Lyndhurst, within the New Forest. Will it ever settle for us keen birders to grab a superb bird for our year list remains to be seen? Birding pal Geoff Farwell went to Farlington Marshes yesterday and recorded the following birds: Osprey, 10 Yellow Wagtails, Redstart, Wheatear, Spotted Flycatcher, Willow Warbler, 5 Whitethroats and a Lesser Whitethroat. He also saw 9 Harbour Seals of which he quoted ‘big lazy lumps hauled out on the mudflats’! That made me laugh.  

Another one of Pete Appleton's excellent photos. This time, a Northern Wheatear that posed nicely for him. They are coming through now thick and fast all along the south coast.  

I had a lazy day today, keeping an eye on the dogs and taking them for a walk around Highland Road Cemetery twice (the second time with Isabelle walking Buddy, while I walked Ted). Sadly, not a great deal to be seen within the Cemetery, especially with two small dogs in tow, though a few Small Whites and Holly Blue butterflies were on the wing.

Above, one of many Holly Blue butterflies within the Cemy and below, Small White's were also in good numbers. This individual was in my back garden. 

Back in my garden, where I spent a good couple of hours, there was no more visible migration going on, but the Herring Gulls went mad overhead as a high flying Common Buzzard was soaring northbound over Southsea. The word went out that the Black Stork was seen soaring high over Keyhaven Marshes and one lucky birder managed to grab a quick photo of the bird.

The elusive Black Stork today flying over Keyhaven. Photo by Adam Court.

A Red Admiral butterfly in my back garden.