Quiet in the Moth Box & a walk in the Cemy.

Sunday 20th July 2025.

This Common Field Grasshopper was in Highland Road Cemetery this afternoon.

At 5.30am this morning, another blustery, wet start to the day and again, I just potted a few moths on show outside of the Moth Box to avoid getting a soaking. After I had finished my Blog from yesterday's ventures, I then resumed checking out the inside of the Box.

My Moth Box:

The micro moth Tree-mallow Tortrix.

There were 52 moths of 26 species recorded this morning and for a change, there were no new Moths for the year. However, the Water Ermine from yesterday was still in exactly the same place as yesterday and I found a dead Elephant Hawk Moth at the back of the Box and possibly either died of old age or a Spider bite? I think the pick of the other Moths was a Tree-mallow Tortrix, a small micro moth that has a cryptic pattern on the whole of its body. I did notice there were a few Moths present from yesterday and so I might not have the Box on overnight.

Above, a couple of Mint Moths were on the white sheet early this morning and below, so was this Eupeodes species of Hoverfly.

The Moths recorded this morning were as follows:

Macro moths:                                    Micro moths:

Double-striped Pug x3                      Grey Knot-horn x1   

Lackey x1                                          Brown House Moth x1

Shuttle-shaped Dart x1                     Light Brown Apple Moth x9 

Common Rustic x3                           Beautiful Plume x4

Elephant Hawk-moth x1                   Common Plume x4

Brimstone Moth x2                            Common Masoner x2

Water Ermine x1                               Black-banded Masoner x1

Pale Mottled Willow x1                      Barred Yellowneck x1

Cloaked Minor x1                              Willow Ermine x5

Bright-line Brown-eye x1                   Apple Leaf Miner x1

Marbled Beauty x1                            Mint Moth x2

Large Yellow Underwing x1

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing x2

                                                           Rusty-dot Pearl x1

                                                           Tree-mallow Tortrix x1

Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea:

A Red-tailed Bumblebee on the Knapweed.

The dogs got their afternoon walk over at Highland Road Cemetery; my local patch of which I have neglected for the last few weeks, but though there were hardly any birds seen during my hour there, I still thoroughly enjoyed just being there. The early morning rain had departed and this afternoon, there was plenty of sunshine though a few large clouds overhead and a southerly breeze keeping the temperature just right.

There were many flowering plants still in the Cemetery despite the dry conditions including above Field Bindweed and below, Yarrow.

OK, there were some birds seen or heard here, but nothing to take a photo of as most of the birds seen flew over at speed (Herring Gulls, Wood Pigeons, Magpies & a male Blackbird) or were just heard calling deep within cover (Robin & Blue Tit). However, there is always something to see here if you simply like nature like I do, no matter what it is and for example, there was a good variety of flowering plants to look at including clumps of Ragwort and the lovely purple flowers of Knapweed of which the Bees enjoyed. Yarrow was out in bloom in many areas and swathes of yellow Lady Bedstraw & Bird’s Foot-trefoil flowered between the graves, especially over on the southern end of the Cemy.

Above, Ragwort was abundant as was the Knapweed below.

Four species of butterfly were seen here on my walk that included at least two Red Admirals sunning themselves and also a couple of Common Blues that flew at speed low over the grass and out of view. Several Meadow Browns were encountered and a Speckled Wood loved the shady areas by the footpath. Finally, I found just the one Small White butterfly flicking about by some brambles over in the south-east corner. A Common Field Grasshopper sat well on a gravestone, though there are many here within the short, dry grass as I could hear them making their familiar noise throughout the Cemetery.

Above, it was still looking quite green in the Cemetery and below, one of two Red Admiral butteflies sunning itself.

I rarely encounter anyone camping in the Cemetery, but sometimes they do turn up. Hopefully, they will keep the place clean after them.

It was quiet here today with very few dog-walkers, but I did find someone's tent and belongings in a carrier bag partly hidden between some bushes. It's the sign of the times here in the UK that some people have to live rough and I suppose, what safer place than a Cemetery (that is locked at night) to reside in. I hope the owner is OK.