My largest haul of moths this year.

Wednesday 21st May 2025.

This Sycamore moth was a nice surprise on a wet morning.

Well needed rain finally arrived on the south coast and although I was up early at 5am, I had to put my hat on as I went about checking the Moth Box and surrounding garden. Yes, we needed the rain badly and I think we got plenty of it today and I believe there is more to come. With another Bank Holiday coming up, I have heard that it is going to be a wet one. Nothing new there then!

So it was a wet morning at Old Portsmouth on my first shift, but a reasonable number of species were present, which included my second Little Egret seen there at this site.

The Moth Box:

Possibly my first Buttoned Snout in my garden.

It was easily the best total of moths I have had this year with a total of 85 moths of 31 species. This included a superb Sycamore moth and only my second ever Buttoned Snout, which I think was a garden first! Other new moths for the year included two Freyer’s Pugs and two micro moths: Blushed Knot-horn and Garden Grass-veneer; both very common moths to my garden during the summer months. Other notable moths included a Grey Dagger, Cabbage Moth, 3 Angle Shades and 2 Silver Y’s.

Above, Garden Grass-veneer and below, Blushed Knot-horn; both new for the year.

The Moths present included the following:

Macro moths:

• Buttoned Snout x1
• Sycamore x1
• Marbled Minor agg. X1
• Common Carpet x1
• Garden Carpet x1
• Grey/Dark Dagger x1
• Willow Beauty x9
• Shuttle-shaped Dart x6
• Heart & Dart x8
• Silver Y x2
• Bright-line Brown-eye x5
• Vine’s Rustic x4
• Brimstone Moth x6
• Cabbage Moth x1
• Common Marbled Carpet x2
• Angle Shades x3
• Small Dusty Wave x1
• Pale Mottled Willow x2
• White Ermine x1
• Flame Shoulder x1
• Freyer’s Pug x2
• Double-striped Pug x2
• Lime-speck Pug x1
• Yellow-barred Brindle x1

Macro moths:

• Black Cloak x1
• Light Brown Apple Moth x10
• Ruddy Streak x6
• Blushed Knot-horn x1
• Garden Grass-veneer x1
• Pale-backed Detritus Moth x2
• Codling Moth x1

One of two Freyer's Pugs today.

 

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

As already mentioned, the bird of the day here at Pembroke Road was my sighting of a Little Egret flying over Curtain Moat and then settled over on the east side of the Moat. Several Swifts were seen overhead and flying quite low down too. Up to 15 species in total were seen during the day and four species of Gull, that included Black-headed, Herring, Great Black-backed and a single Mediterranean Gull soaring high overhead. The Jay was seen again and in the afternoon, I saw it once more but was chased by an angry Blackbird.

Above, the Turtle Dove seen yesterday at a secret Hamphire location. Photo by Emma Parkes. Below, some film footage of the Turtle Dove by Matt Parkes.

In Hampshire today, the female Hudsonian Godwit was still present on the South Scrape on Titchfield Haven and on Farlington Marshes, a Ruff was present on the main lake there and a Cuckoo was seen in the Bushes area. Some good news today was that the Turtle Doves are back at a nearby site, though the location must remain a secret. My local Swifts have taken up residence in at least two of the nest boxes put up for them in my road and will keep an eye out for more using the nest boxes over the coming weeks.