A 'Lifer' moth & Arctic Skua off Southsea.

Tuesday 13th May 2025.

The Moth Box was on again overnight and a good haul of moths were present this morning that included three more species that were added to my year list, which included yet another ‘lifer’.. The weather was looking very warm today and standing there in Pembroke Road this afternoon was sweltering! After my first shift, I did a ninety minute ‘sea-watch’ from my usual shelter overlooking a dead calm sea. Skua’s have been passing through the Solent on a regular basis and when I heard that Mark Francis had a pair going past Hill Head earlier this morning, I was getting optimistic seeing one myself.

The Moth Box:

My first ever Thrift Elder moth.

A total of 39 moths of 25 species were recorded this morning and included another new moth for my life list; the micro moth Thrift Elder (Aristotelia brizella). This tiny micro is Nationally scarce and only found on the south and east coasts of the UK. Its pupae feed on Thrift and Sea-lavender. Other moths new for the year included a Willow Beauty and a Marbled Minor agg. (very difficult to tell apart from other Minor species of macro moth). The Moths recorded this morning in and around the Moth Box included the following:

Macro moths:

• Blair’s Mocha x2
• Willow Beauty x2
• White Ermine x2
• Vine’s Rustic x1
• Cabbage Moth x1
• Large Yellow Underwing x1
• Marbled Minor agg, x1
• Brimstone Moth x2
• Double-striped Pug x2
• Lime-speck Pug x1
• Common Pug x1
• Bright-line Brown-eye x1
• Pale Mottled Willow x1
• Least Black Arches x1
• Treble-lines x1
• Buff Ermine x1
• Yellow-barred Brindle x1

Macro moths:

• Bronze Alder Moth x1
• Black Cloak x1
• Ruddy Streak x3
• Diamond-back Moth x2
• Light Brown Apple Moth x4
• Rusty-dot Pearl x3
• White-shoudered House Moth x1
• THRIFT ELDER x1

Above, one of two Willow Beauties this morning and below, the Marbled Minor agg.

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

Up to 16 species were recorded today at Pembroke Road and the species of the day here were the two Jays showing well in the two trees by Governor’s Green. Again, all the usual birds were seen here today and the sound of juvenile Starlings behind the Bowling Green seemed to be even louder today! This afternoon, a Blue Tit was singing its heart out in the Poplar trees by the Bowling Green. A Light Brown Apple Moth was found in one of the bushes where I stand.

Southsea Sea-front & the Solent:

The view of the Solent from my shelter. The Spitbank Fort on the right and the town of Ryde, on the Isle of Wight, in the distance.

On the back of the Arctic Skua sighting this morning from Hill Head, it was my turn to hopefully see one of these fantastic birds or possibly a Pomarine? Grabbing my usual seat in the shelter on the promenade, I spent the next 90 minutes checking out anything interesting going over the flat calm sea.

Above, a lone adult Mute Swan heading east close in and below, the first flock of four Oystercatchers passing by.

I saw a dark shape flying very low against the water heading east and at first, I  thought it was a wader and through the scope, I could clearly see it was a dark-phased Arctic Skua heading strongly eastwards. I followed it through the scope till it passed Horsesands Fort and then put the record on the ‘Lazee’s’ Whatasapp site. This was my fourth Arctic Skua of the Spring and seeing I never saw one last year, I am pretty chuffed with that. Other birds noted during my time here were as follows:

• Oystercatcher: two separate flocks of four birds each headed over the Solent fairly close in heading eastbound.

• Great Crested Grebe: A very distant bird heading low east over the sea.

• Sanderling: three birds flew low east close in but didnt appear to land on the beach.

• Mediterranean Gull: up to 8 birds, all adults bar one 1st winter, heading east.

• Sandwich Tern: a total of 8 birds seen during my time here, all pairs heading east bar one pair that headed west.

It was nice to see that the new grass laid behind me, just north of the Southsea Gardens, are full of wild flowers that included Ox-eye Daisies, Knapweed and many other species. It looks very nice and should in turn attract many butterflies and insects. Over in West Sussex, a Collared Pratincole was seen hawking over the southern end of Medmerry RSPB Reserve and most likely the Farlington Marshes bird. Birding pal, John Goodall, texted me to say he had just seen a flock of 6 Ring-necked Parakeets this morning over Hilsea Industrial Estate.

Offshore, this Cormorant had caught a flatfish species and eventually devoured the hapless fish.