Some great Moths around and a Chiffchaff rescue.

Thursday 31st July 2025.

The micro moth, Regal Piercer, is always a nice moth to get and an annual species to my garden.

The last day of July and the Moths still were in good numbers here in my Southsea garden. Thunderstorms are predicted for this afternoon, but though overcast this morning, it was virtually windless with an early morning temperature of around 15 degrees centigrade. I was in for a surprise after the Moths when I took the dogs for a walk, which only goes to show there is certainly a passage of Warblers going on.

My Moth Box:

My first Common Wainscot for the month.

There were 81 moths of 35 species recorded this morning in and around my Moth Box, but only one was new for the year; the micro moth Regal Piercer (Pammene regiana), which is rather a striking little moth. Both Garden and Jersey Tiger moths were present again this morning and my first Common Wainscot and Setaceous Hebrew Character of the month were on the egg trays within the Moth Box. 

Immigrant Moths this morning included probably yesterday's Tufted Oak Knot-horn, a Golden Twin-spot and Diamond-back Moth. I finished July off with a grand total of 156 species of Moths for the month; easily the highest month total this year. What has August got in store?

The following Moths were recorded this morning which included the following:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Common Rustic x3	Grey Knot-horn x1
Garden Tiger x1	Tufted Oak Knot-horn x1
Jersey Tiger x3	Fulvous Pearl x3
Setaceous Hebrew Character x1	Garden Grey x1
Shuttle-shaped Dart x4	Apple Leaf Miner x1
Bright-line Brown-eye x1	Common Plume x7
Golden Twin-spot x1	Garden Pebble x2
Double-striped Pug x13	Black-banded Masoner x2
Lime-speck Pug x1	Common Masoner x4
Small Dusty Wave x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x6
Single-dotted Wave x1	Mother of Pearl x1
Square-spot Rustic x1	Diamond-back Moth x1
Brimstone Moth x1	Privet Tortrix x1
Knot Grass x1	Barred Marble x1
Grey / Dark Dagger x1	Mint Moth x3
Canary-shouldered Thorn x1	Brown House Moth x1
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing x1	Regal Piercer x1 *

Matt & Emma's Moth Box, Fareham:

There were a few Moth around their Moth Box this morning which attracted the following: Oak Nycteoline, Vine's Rustic, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix, Dark-marked Tortrix, Straw Grass-veneer and an Oak Egger.

Above, Emma & Matt's Box attracted this Oak Egger and a Jersey Tiger and below, Dave Wheatley's  Moth Box in Waterlooville pulled in this superb Striped Hawk-moth.

While checking the Moths, I could hear a Willow Warbler calling deep within the tree at the back of my garden, but only got the briefest sightings of the bird. After breakfast, I took my dogs for their regular early morning walk around the block and when I was nearly home, a small bird flew over me and literally flew straight into a brick wall on the opposite side of the road! I hurried over and noticed it was a Chiffchaff and it was completely stunned, but thankfully, not dead. I picked it up carefully and took it home and quickly showed it to my wife and then I managed to put it in my tree within the back garden for safety. I think the bird was a little stunned by what had happened, but it looked OK.

Above, the Chiffchaff I rescued this morning and safely put it up in one of our trees in my back garden.