Tuesday 29th April 2025.
One of two Bright-line Brown-eye moths this morning. This is a common moth I get every year and in good numbers too throughout the year, but always good to get my first one.
Wall to wall sunshine all day and though a little cold first thing at 6.15am this morning while checking the Moth Box, it certainly warmed up to a high temperature of around 23 degrees centigrade and with very little wind too. Yes, the Moth Box was on overnight and returned a couple of new moths for the year and my usual visit to Pembroke Road in Old Portsmouth. I also paid a visit to Drayton to walk my step-daughter's dog and took her for a walk around the fields to the south where there were a few birds of note to look at.
The Moth Box:
The micro moth Garden Apple Slender.
There were 15 moths found in and around the Moth Box early this morning that included two more that were new for the year: the macro moth Bright-line Brown-eye and the micro moth Black Cloak (Notocelia cynosbatella). My second Garden Apple Slender of the year was also found at the bottom of the Moth Box. The Hoverfly, Hummer Syrphus (Syrphus ribesii) was also on the Moth Box.
The micro moth, Black Cloak; my first one this year.
The Moths present this morning included the following:
- Double-striped Pug x3
- Bright-line Brown-eye x2
- Shuttle-shaped Dart x2
- Angle Shades x1
- Common Plume x1
- Light Brown Apple Moth x2
- Garden Apple Slender x1
- Black Cloak x1
- Ruddy Streak x2
Not only Moths are attracted to my Moth Box. This female hoverfly, Humming Syrphus was unexpected.
Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:
As expected, it was quite cool at first thing this morning, but that didn't stop me from wearing Shorts for the first time this year because I knew it was going to get a lot warmer this afternoon. I notched up 16 species today with the best birds going to the Swift and a female Sparrowhawk. The Swift flew in strongly northbound low over the houses and the alarm call of a Blackbird and Starlings alerted me that a raptor was around and sure enough, a low flying female Sparrowhawk flew over the road and back over the houses; the Blackbird narrowly avoiding in being breakfast for the raptor!
Forty Acres Estate, Drayton:
The edge of this field at Forty Acres held up to four species of Warbler.
I made my way north to walk my Step-daughters dog, Margot, late this morning and took her around the Forty Acres site where she behaved impeccably. It was now getting quite warm and so I gave it around 45 minutes around the fields and by the Horse Paddocks where I saw a Common Whitethroat singing and heard Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Cetti’s Warbler in the scrubby area south of the fields. Med Gulls were calling overhead as most of the birds were heading north and probably on their way to the fields to feed on earthworms and then back into the harbour’s islands for their hungry chicks. I was hoping for a raptor or two overhead, but it was when I was making my way down the Eastern Road back into Portsmouth where I saw a male Kestrel perched on a street light by Milton Lakes.
A bit blurry this pic, but Cuckoo flowers were abundant here in the grass. But it certainly looks like a large drop of rain is needed to 'green' the place up a bit.
This Garden Warbler showed well at Fishlake Meadows last Saturday. Photo by Emma Parkes.
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