Rare moths in my garden.

Monday 16th June 2025.

My first ever SMALL MARBLED moth. It is hard to believe that this tiny moth had flown from Southern Europe to be here in Southsea!

The beginning of a new week and I simply had to get up early to check the Moth Box this morning and at 4.30am, I was out and about in the garden checking the Moths and it was certainly most worth getting up at the crack of dawn. Though not as many as Saturday morning here in my garden, there was still a reasonable number, but a total of 7 more species added to my year list and included a very good immigrant moth, which was new to my Moth Life List! The weather was clear and bright and the moon was still shining brightly to the south with no wind whatsoever.

The Moth Box:

Only my second ever Blue-bordered Carpet was in the bottom of my Moth Box this morning.

A fairly good total of 57 moths of 30 species were recorded this morning with two real stunners amongst them. The first was a very small micro, a SMALL MARBLED. This is a migrant species from Southern Europe and most sought after by Moth enthusiasts. The second ‘stunner’ was my second ever Blue-bordered Carpet moth that was in the bottom of my Moth Box. The only other one seen of this species was many years ago of which I found in our Conservatory!

Another two species added to my year total. Above, a Lackey moth and below, a Dark Strawberry Tortrix.

Other moths that were new for the year included Common Emerald, Lackey, Common Rustic and the micro moths, Dark Strawberry Tortrix and Marbled Orchard Tortrix. We have a week of very warm weather, which in turn should produce not only a good haul of moths, but plenty of ‘year-ticks’. Fingers crossed.

My first Common Rustic agg. Sadly, it could be one of a few species but needs dissection to ascertain its true ID.

The Moths recorded this morning included the following:

Macro moths:

• Uncertain x1
• Riband Wave x4
• Blue-bordered Carpet x1
• Heart & Dart x1
• White Ermine x7
• Common Rustic x1
• Bright-line Brown-eye x1
• Dark Arches x6
• Light Emerald x1
• Common Emerald x1
• L-album Wainscot x2
• Pale Mottled Willow x2
• Willow Beauty x5
• Lackey x1
• Double-striped Pug x4
• Bloxworth Snout x1
• Lime-speck Pug x1

Micro moths:

• Barred Marble x1
• Bee Moth x2
• Bramble Shoot Moth x1
• Garden Grass-veneer x1
• Ruddy Streak x3
• Brown House Moth x1
• Dark Strawberry Tortrix x1
• Large Pale Masoner x1
• Narrow-winged Grey x1
• Bud Moth x1
• Common Plume x2
• SMALL MARBLED x1
• Marbled Orchard Tortrix x1

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

I found this Harlequin Ladybird emerging from its cocoon on the 'Lemon and Lime' Bushes in Pembroke Road this afternoon.

Another fairly quiet day regarding the bird life in Pembroke Road where only 13 species were recorded during my two shifts here at this site. I heard the Jay calling this morning, though didn't get a sighting this time. A pair of Swifts flew low overhead and looked stunning in the morning sunshine. Up to six Pied Wagtails were seen this morning; five were on the Bowling Green and one nearby on Governor’s Green; all busy chasing insects. A couple of adult Mediterranean Gulls were flying low over the seafront when I was driving back home. Last night, while I was in the back garden, at least 20 Swifts were circling overhead; easily the highest number so far this year here over my garden.

Andy had this female Broad-bodied Chaser dragonfly in his garden yesterday.

Yesterday, birding pal Geoff Farwell took a trip to Fawley Down / Longwood Warren area and saw the following species: 4 singing Corn Buntings and a very pale male Marsh Harrier quartering a field for about 90 minutes. Also, 6 singing Blackcaps, 4 singing Common Whitethroats, 3 Chiffchaffs, a Raven, a Red Kite and a Common Buzzard. Meanwhile, over at ‘Cowplain Marsh’, Andy Fisher had a female Broad-bodied Chaser dragonfly by his garden pond plus three Large Red Damselflies. Excellent stuff.