One of the largest haul of Moths this year.

Thursday 17th July 2025.

Two of the five Jersey Tiger moths this morning.

What a difference cloud cover makes overnight as my Moth Box and the surrounding area was heaving with Moths this morning. There were no ‘Lifers’ this morning (for a change!), but another species was added to my year list, which now currently stands at 287 species for the year. It was much warmer than yesterday with temperatures reaching a sticky 25 degrees this afternoon and hardly a breeze to go along with it too. There was a short sharp shower early this morning, but I missed it while I was having breakfast!

My Moth Box:

My first Pearl Grass-moth of the year.

A stonking 136 moths were present this morning of 46 species, which included my first Pearl Grass-moth (Catoptria pinella) * of the year; a common, but very attractive micro moth. Up to FIVE Jersey Tigers were present, all of the orange underwing variety and my second Ruby Tiger of the year was among them. Another cracking moth was my second Swallow Prominent of the year, sitting on the brick that keeps my rain-guard down.

One of three Fulvous Pearl moths.

There was a bit of an explosion in some species with at least 22 Light Brown Apple Moths counted and probably more dotted amongst the plants. 11 Black-banded Masoners was a good total. Three Langmaid’s Yellow Underwings was a good record for this species. I do actually pot all of them just to make sure they are not the closely related Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing. I wonder if tonight is going to be the same again with the weather? Thunderstorms are predicted around the south-east of the UK, so who knows?

The Small White butterfly in my Moth Box today.

The Moths present this morning included the following:

Macro moths:                                            Micro moths:

Jersey Tiger x5                                         Bud Moth x1   

Ruby Tiger x1                                           Bird-cherry Ermine x1

Marbled Beauty x4                                   Oak Knot-horn x1         

Common Emerald x2                               Grey Knot-horn x1 

Swallow Prominent x1                              Pearl Grass-moth x1 *

Cloaked Minor x1                                     Beautiful Plume x1

Marbled Minor x1                                     Common Plume x7

L-album Wainscot x1                               Mother of Pearl x1

Willow Beauty x1                                     Rosy Tabby x1

Brimstone Moth x7                                  Meal Moth x1  

Shuttle-shaped Dart x1                            Brown House Moth x2

Large Yellow Underwing x4                     Garden Grey x2 

Lesser Yellow Underwing x2                    Narrow-winged Grey x1

Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing x3            Common Masoner x14

Silver Y x1                                                Black-banded Masoner x11

Double-striped Pug x6                              Large Pale Masoner x1

Lime-speck Pug x1                                  Dotted Masoner x4

Common Rustic x1                                   Garden Grass-veneer x1

Cabbage Moth x1                                     Willow Ermine x2

                                                                   Brown Bark Moth x3

                                                                   Mint Moth x1

                                                                   Light Brown Apple Moth x22                                            

                                                                  Ruddy Streak x2

                                                                   Elderberry Pearl x3

                                                                   Apple Leaf Miner x3

                                                                   Rusty-dot Pearl x1

                                                                   Rufous Pearl x3

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

This was the Roesel's Bush-cricket on someones wall near where I stood in Pembroke Road. Apologies for the poor photo, but it was high and taken on my Mobile Phone camera.

There were some notable bird and insect sightings today here at Pembroke Road, especially when it warmed up in the afternoon. A total of 14 species were noted today (just 9 species yesterday) that included a male Sparrowhawk taking one of the House Sparrows by the hedgerow in the Bowling Green! Another Sparrowhawk, a male I think, was seen this afternoon landing out of view on the rooftop of nearby houses, but shooed off by a Crow. Just before this morning's Sparrowhawk arrival, a pair of Pied Wagtails were back on the Bowling Green again. Yesterday, I watched one Pied Wagtail defiantly chasing insects on the Green despite a Bowling match going on!

Butterflies seen here today included both Large & Small Whites, a single Red Admiral that belted across the road and then onto Governor’s Green and what I thought was going to be a Hairstreak, was in fact a male Common Blue, when I finally caught up with it! Another unusual record was of a Roesel’s Bush-cricket perched on the wall of one of the houses!

Matt & Emma’s Moth Box:

Over in Fareham, Matt & Emma had a list of new moths for the year that included the following:

• Fulvous Pearl
• Yellow Shell
• Brindled Pug
• Maple Pug
• Juniper Pug
• Channel Islands Pug
• Willow Ermine
• Four-spotted Footman
• Rusty-dot Pearl
• Clay
• Pine Carpet.

They also had 4 Jersey Tigers (two each of the yellow and red variety), Brimstone Moth and an Uncertain.