Superb haul of moths this morning & a bit of overhead bird passage.

Thursday 7th September 2023.

My first Canary-shouldered Thorn moth of the year. 

It was humid overnight again and not the best sleep I had. However, the moth this morning made up for that with an excellent variety and also some nice new species for my year list. There were at least 146+ moths of 38 species recorded today with two that were new for the year: the gorgeous Canary-shouldered Thorn (annual in my garden) and the micro moth, Marsh Grey (Eudonia pallida). 

Above, Grey Dagger. Though it is very difficult to distinguish between this species and Dark Dagger, I have gone for the former. Below, the beautiful Burnished Brass moth.

Also present was my second ever (after seeing one in June earlier this year) Portland Ribbon Wave, a rare migrant moth along with my second Burnished Brass of the year, my first also in June this year. Two stunning moths indeed. Other excellent moths included a Grey Dagger and a Clancy’s Rustic and amongst the micro moths, a Marsh Grey (Eudonia pallida) was new for the year and three Gold Triangles was most certainly noteworthy. There were double figures of Willow Beauty, Pale Mottled Willow, Double-striped Pug and Small Dusty Wave and easily my best haul of moths for quite a few months. This heatwave is set for the rest of the week, so who knows what could turn up among them.

Above, Clancy's Rustic and below, Portland Ribbon Wave; both immigrant moths.

Above, my first Marsh Grey of the year.

The moths recorded this morning included the following:

• 2 Old Lady
• 4 Brimstone Moth
• 1 Grey Dagger
• 14 Willow Beauty
• 9 Marbled Beauty
• 1 Burnished Brass
• 6 Lime-speck Pug
• 3 Setaceous Hebrew Character
• 10 Pale Mottled Willow
• 2 Riband Wave
• 18 Double-striped Pug
• 1 Angle Shades
• 2 Vines Rustic
• 1 Canary-shouldered Thorn (NFY)
• 12 Small Dusty Wave
• 7 Large Yellow Underwing
• 3 Shuttle-shaped Dart
• 5 Garden Carpet
• 3 L-album Wainscot
• 1 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
• 1 Silver Y
• 1 Clancy’s Rustic
• 1 Portland Ribbon Wave
• 1 Square-spot Rustic
• 8 Box Tree Moth
• 1 Rusty-dot Pearl
• 1 Brown House Moth
• 2 Narrow-winged Grey
• 1 Marsh Dowd
• 3 House Neb
• 2 Dark Neb
• 1 Marsh Grey (NFY)
• 1 Beautiful Plume
• 3 Gold Triangle
• 2 Elbow-striped Grass-veneer
• 4 Apple Leaf Miner
• 7 Ruddy Streak
• 3 Light Brown Apple Moth

While checking the moth box, there was a bit of bird activity going on above me with two Tree Pipits flying over along with a Grey Wagtail, several Yellow Wagtails and a Swallow. A Chiffchaff was calling in the gardens behind mine. On my first shift this morning, I heard several Yellow Wagtails and a Grey Wagtail over, but not easy to hear because of the traffic passing by.

Above, a Wheatear and below, a Yellow Wagtail. Both birds photographed at Farlington Marshes yesterday by Ollie Crabbe.

This afternoon, while not enjoying temperatures of 85 degrees, I was doing my second shift this afternoon, when I noticed a Hummingbird Hawk-moth flitting about one of the garden plants by the roadside here in Old Portsmouth. It returned a couple of minutes later after belting off somewhere, but this was my first individual for September. With this heatwave, I hope there is a lot more to come.