It is warming up again!

Monday 30th June 2025.

Only my second ever Slender Pug.

It's the last day of the month and boy, it has been a very good month for the Moths and I am not surprised with all the warm weather we have had this month. OK, I have hardly had any ‘year-ticks’ regarding the birds and after dipping on the Quail last Saturday, hopefully July will be a lot better, especially when it's the start of the return passage of waders coming through. Even seabird passage towards the end of the month takes off too, though the best of it is normally down in the far south-west of the UK. It looks like it is going to be a scorcher of a day. It was warm enough on my first shift at Pembroke Road this morning, so heaven knows how hot it is going to be this afternoon?

My Moth Box:

Another 'Lifer' in my Moth Box, the micro moth BARRED YELLOWNECK (Oegoconia deauratella).

Another reasonable catch of Moths this morning as I made my way back into the garden at 5am. A final count of 79 moths of 34 species wasn't too bad and among them, I had another micro ‘Lifer’, a BARRED YELLOWNECK (Oegoconia deauratella) and three more moths that were new for the year: my second ever Slender Pug and a Dwarf Cream Wave plus the micro moth Grey Knot-horn (Acrobasis advenella). My first V-Pug and Smoky Wainscot for the garden this year was pleasing having seen both species down in Devon earlier this year. An incredible 138 species of moths were recorded for June, my highest month total this year, with May being the second highest with 114 moth species. What will July's total be and could my highest month total be broken? How long will this hot weather last, which will most likely bring in some very excting Continental Moths to the UK.

Above, my second V-Pug of the year, but my first one in my garden this year and below, Grey Knot-horn (Acrobasis advenella), which was new for the year.

The Moths recorded this morning included the following:

Macro moths:

• Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing x1
• Smoky Wainscot x1
• L-album Wainscot x2
• Common Emerald x3
• Heart & Dart x2
• Lime-speck Pug x2
• Double-striped Pug x2
• Slender Pug x1 *
• Willow Beauty x3
• Bright-line Brown-eye x2
• Dark Arches x1
• Lackey x6
• Elephant Hawk-moth x1
• Plumed Fan-foot x1
• Riband Wave x11
• White Ermine x1
• V-Pug x1
• Dwarf Cream Wave x1 *

Micro moths:

• Bird-cherry Ermine x4
• Garden Grass-veneer x6
• Box Tree Moth x1
• Ruddy Streak x2
• Garden Mompha x1
• BARRED YELLOWNECK x1
• Common Plume x3
• Blushed Knot-horn x2
• Rosy Tabby x1
• Garden Grey x2
• Codling Moth x1
• Netted Tortrix x1
• Rusty-dot Pearl x6
• Elderberry Pearl x1
• Grey Knot-horn x2 *
• Large Pale Masoner x3

Matt & Emma’s Moth Box:

A couple of moths I would like to get in my garden, above the Double Square-spot and below, the White Satin Moth.

Again, another large haul of Moths over in Fareham by Matt & Emma’s Moth Box that included the following:

Macro moths:

• Slender Pug
• Willow Beauty
• Swallow-tailed Moth
• Common Wainscot
• Sycamore
• Knot Grass
• Black Arches
• Large Yellow Underwing
• Uncertain
• Dwarf Cream Wave
• Dark Arches
• Riband Wave
• Common Footman
• Double Square-spot
• Peppered Moth
• White Satin Moth
• Grey Dagger agg.
• Dun-bar
• L-album Wainscot
• Buff Ermine
• Scalloped Oak
• Elephant Hawk-moth

Micro moths:

• Tawny Grey
• Twenty-plume Moth
• Bee Moth
• Buff Mompha
• Varied Tortrix
• Common Plume
• Rosy Tabby

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

The Bees were numerous throughout the morning in Pembroke Road, with this Lavender attracting both Buff-tailed Bumblebee and Honey Bees.

It certainly was warm first thing this morning and during my first shift here in Old Portsmouth, the temperature was already 23 degrees centigrade. Up to 12 species of birds were seen or heard on my first shift that included a pair of Blackbirds on the Bowling Green, a pair of Swifts overhead heading west and a Wren exploding into song opposite where I stood. Several Small White butterflies were on the wing within the front gardens and plenty of Bees going about their business on the Lavender plants. I found out too that the ‘Lemon & Lime’ bushes are actually Common Hibiscus Bushes! They are now out in flower and most attractive they are too. 

Not only was it very hot this afternoon on my second shift in Pembroke Road, but it was rather quiet too. A Great Black-backed Gull on a distant rooftop was the only species of bird added to my day list here, but there were a lot of Small White butterflies fluttering around and a Meadow Brown even put in an appearance on the opposite side of the road by the footpath between the Bowling Green and Governor’s Green.

Next to nothing was reported on the Hants Birding website with just 3 Whimbrel seen off Fawley Pier and a Green Sandpiper on Testwood Lakes. A returning bird perhaps?

Above, the flowering Common Hibiscus in Pembroke Road and below, Matt Parkes was lucky enough to get a photo of this Golden-ringed Dragonfly where he was working today.