Waved Umber moth a real surprise.

Wednesday 7th May 2025.

The Waved Umber moth was not only new for the year, but only my 3rd ever.

It was back to the Moths early this morning and one thing was most noticeable, it was so cold! Yes, we are back to February again with single figure temperatures, but I was dressed for the occasion. Though there was nothing new among the moths present, I was in for a big surprise later on in the day. Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth, was fairly quiet again, though I did find a new moth for the year. On the birding scene, things are hotting up again with some superb migrants entering the UK locally.

The Moth Box: 

A total of 30 moths of 17 moths were present in and around the Moth Box, but it was later in the afternoon, when looking out the kitchen window, I found a Waved Umber moth perched on one of the flower pots! This was only my 3rd ever sighting of this amazing looking moth and the second for the garden too. So I crept up to it carefully and managed to photograph the moth without disturbing it.

Small Dusty Wave. My second of the year.

This afternoon, while on my second shift in Old Portsmouth, I found my first Carnation Tortrix moth of the year perched on a bush where I stand and again, carefully got a photo of the moth. They seem to be annual here on these bushes growing here. The only migrant moths I got this morning were an Angle Shades and a Diamond-back Moth.

Above, a Least Black Arches and below, a Buff Ermine.

The moths present this morning included the following:

Macro Moths:

• Waves Umber x1
• Buff Ermine x1
• Least Black Arches x1
• Heart & Dart x1
• Double-striped Pug x1
• Common Pug x1
• Small Dusty Wave x1
• Pale Mottled Willow x2
• Angle Shades x1

Micro Moths:

• Black Cloak x1
• Light Brown Apple Moth x6
• Common Plume x2
• Ruddy Streak x6
• Rusty-dot Pearl x1
• Brown House Moth x1
• White-shouldered House Moth x2
• Diamond-back Moth x1 

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

Nothing really out of the ordinary here in Pembroke Road today, though several Swifts were seen high overhead ‘screaming’! It looks as though they are settled here now and even over Southsea, they seem to be well established. Up to 14 species were noted today, but as mentioned, nothing really different today or even yesterday.

The Nightjars at an undisclosed site in the New Forest. Photo by Andy Dickety.

Yesterday, a 1st summer male Red-footed Falcon was found in the Pig Bush area and seen several times throughout the early part of the afternoon. There has been a bit of an influx in the UK with this species with one site actually having 10 birds in all! Today, a small flock of three Bee-eaters flew over Snowhill Marsh, West Wittering, sparking a bit of a ‘twitch’ over that part of West Sussex no doubt. But the birds didn't linger and headed off north. A pair of Common Cranes flew over the Avon Causeway on the Hampshire Border. It is certainly hotting up with rare migrants.