A 'Lifer' moth by my trap last night.

Friday 28th March 2025.

My first ever Marbled Fern moth that was on the white sheet behind my Moth Box last night. 

Another day and yet another different weather forecast for today. A weather front moved in overnight and into this morning with drizzle coming down from an overcast sky. There was a westerly wind blowing down Pembroke Road this morning and temperatures were down to 10 degrees centigrade. I had the Moth Box on last night and found a small, yet very attractive moth of which I quickly potted.

The Moth Box:

The micro moth Hourglass Mompha. This was my second of the year.

Though there were very few moths present this morning, the moth I caught last night and quickly potted turned out to be my very first Marbled Fern! This beautifully marked micro moth normally habits areas where this is Bracken of which I dont know of any areas of Portsmouth with Bracken growing; so it must be a migrant moth. Originally, this species is from New Zealand and believed to be brought in accidentally by Fern plants imported into the UK. This species has a good stronghold in the New Forest, but very few areas in Hampshire other than there. My second Hourglass Moth (Mompha divisella) of the year was also present within the Moth Box.

The moths present this morning included the following:

• MARBLED FERN (Lifer)
• Early Grey x2
• Common Plume
• Beautiful Plume
• Hourglass Mompha

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

The weather was somewhat unpleasant this morning here in Pembroke Road with light rain and a cold westerly blowing down the road that didn't help matters. Just 11 species were recorded this morning here that did include the Jay, which flew over the road and landing in the Holm Oaks and a singing Chiffchaff somewhere in the same trees. Hopefully, I hope the weather will be a bit better this afternoon.

Some friends of mine sent me this film clip of two Tawny Owls calling to one another outside their Denmead home last night.

While having lunch in my garden, the sun shone brightly and as my garden is a sun trap, it does invite a good number of Bees and Hoverflies to my garden and as I have Ivy plants growing over the wooden fence panels and a few plants in flower, there was a variety of insects on show and so I couldn't resist taking a few photos of these insects.

Above, a female Hairy-footed Flower Bee and below, a male Humming Syrphus (Syrphus ribesii).

Above and below, a Drone Fly.

Above, a male Early Epistrophe (Epistrophe eligans).