Both quality and quantity moths this morning.

Tuesday 6th August 2024.

Only my second ever Golden Twin-spot.

An incredible array of moths greeted me this morning and I already had a taster from last night, when two Jersey Tigers were on the white sheet by the Moth Box. This morning, the Jersey Tigers increased to FIVE individuals and were also joined by a single Garden Tiger. It got better still, when I found my second ever Golden Twin-spot moth. This is a rare immigrant to the UK and there are not many Hampshire records either. My second Plumed Fan-foot of the year was also present and with FOUR more new moths for the year: Lychnis, Tree-lichen Beauty and the Micro moths, Sycamore Seed-dot and Garden Lance-wing were among the 88 moths of 39 species. I am sure there were more lurking away in the garden, but it took me 90 minutes to check all the moths.

Above and below, Jersey Tiger moths.

Above, my first Lychnis moth of the year and below, my second Plumed Fan-foot this year.

The moths present this morning included the following:

MACRO MOTHS:

• Jersey Tiger 5
• Garden Tiger 
• Golden Twin-spot (New for Year)
• Lychnis (NFY)
• Plumed Fan-foot
• Tree-lichen Beauty (NFY)
• Willow Beauty 2
• Shuttle-shaped Dart 5
• Silver Y 6
• Canary-shouldered Thorn
• Pale Mottled Willow
• Brimstone Moth 12
• Lime-speck Pug 4
• Marbled Beauty
• Yellow-barred Brindle
• Bright-line Brown-eye
• Double-striped Pug 6
• Small Dusty Wave
• Large Yellow Underwing
• Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
• Straw Dot
• Garden Carpet 3

MACRO MOTHS:

• Garden Grey
• Mother of Pearl
• Black-banded Masoner 2
• Bird-cherry Ermine
• Beautiful Plume
• Sycamore Seed-dot (NFY)
• Apple Leaf Miner
• Dark Moss Moth 3
• Common Masoner 2
• Codling Moth
• Garden Lance-wing (NFY)
• Common Plume 2
• Mint Moth 2
• Rufous Pearl
• Ruddy Streak 4
• Garden Pebble 2
• Light Brown Apple Moth 5

Above, the micro moth Sycamore Seed-dot and below, the macro moth, Tree-lichen Beauty. 

Always keeping an ear out for the birds, a Pied Wagtail and a Linnet flew over this morning while checking the moths. There are still a few Swifts flying around over the rooftops, but numbers of them are dropping. Believe it or not, I could actually hear the Green Woodpecker in Highland Road Cemetery ‘yaffling’. If there is no wind, I can hear the Woodpeckers on a still morning and even the waves crashing on the shoreline on Southsea Beach!

Above, the Wood Sandpiper on Pennington Marshes and below, a Green Sandpiper was present too. Photos by Rob Porter.

Both the Green and Wood Sandpiper together. Photo by Rob Porter.

In Hampshire yesterday, the large Hill Head Tern flock held both Black and Arctic Terns among the 400+ Common Terns and over on Pennington Marshes, a Wood Sandpiper was found with both Green and Common Sandpipers. The Glossy Ibis was again seen on Titchfield Haven.