And another 'LIfer' among a good number of moths.

Monday 25th August 2025.

Another moth for my Moth Life List: the PURPLE-WASHED TIP MOTH (Argyresthia semifuscus) was on the front wall of the Cottage.

A much brighter dawn this morning as we all awoke to a Bank Holiday Monday. The forecast today looks very nice with temperatures climbing into the mid 70’s, though a band of rain is also forecast for tonight. Again, I had the Moth Box on overnight and it produced some more superb moths for me to go through. There was a south-westerly breeze blowing through the trees this morning with a bit of cloud, but it looks as though it is going to be a mixture of sunshine and cloud.

My Moth Box:

My first Burnished Brass moth of the year.

A very good morning for moths with a healthy 63 moths of 27 species present at least, though nearly a third of these were the Common Grass-moths of which I am sure there were more present than the 20 I recorded. Yet another moth species was added to my Moth Life List, when I found the micro moth PURPLE-WASHED TIP MOTH (Argyresthia semifusca) perched on the wall of the Cottage near the Moth Box. There were also FIVE more moth species that were new for the year that included the macro moths Burnished Brass* and Pale Prominent*; two species of moth I do admire. The other new for the year moths were the micro moths, Beet Moth*, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix* and the tiny New Oak Slender* moth.

Above, a Pale Prominent and below, a Beet Moth (Scrobipalpa ocellatella). Both new for the year.

Above, one of two Barred Fruit-tree Tortrixes and below, the New Oak Slender moth. Again, both were new for my year list.

Other notable moths included a Poplar Hawk-moth (only my second for the year), three species of Thorn moth: Early, Dusky and Canary-shouldered; a Sharp-angled Peacock, Garden Rose Tortrix and Dark Strawberry Tortrix.

Above, only my second Poplar Hawk-moth for the year and below, my second Sharp-angled Peacock for the year.

Above, the immigrant moth, Dark Sword-grass and below, one of two Dark Strawberry Tortrix's.

The Moth Box also attracted a few notable insects that included a Speckled Bush-cricket and a Red-legged Shieldbug!

Above, the Speckled Bush-cricket and below, the Red-legged Shieldbug. Both by my Moth Box this morning.

Overhead, a few singing Swallows drifted over and Grey Wagtail was heard calling overhead, but I failed to see the bird. A Chiffchaff and a few Goldcrests were flitting about in the trees at the back of the garden. 

The Moths recorded this morning included the following:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Brimstone Moth x4	Common Grass-moth x20
Large Yellow Underwingx2	Light Brown Apple Moth x2
Poplar Hawk-moth x1	Common Masoner x2
Light Emerald x1	Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix x2*
Flame Shoulder x6	New Oak Slender x1*
Setaceous Hebrew Character x4	Dark Strawberry Tortrix x2
Double-striped Pug x1	Garden Rose Tortrix 1
Common Marbled Carpet x2	Beet Moth x1*
Early Thorn x1	PURPLE-WASHED TIP MOTH x1
Dusky Thorn x1	White-shouldered House Moth x1
Canary-shouldered Thorn x1
Sharp-angled Peacock x1
Pale Prominent x1*
Snout x1
Dark Sword-grass x1
Burnished Brass x1*
Garden Carpet x1

A walk around the field early this morning with the dogs produced a few bird sightings. A Common Buzzard was too quick for me to grab a photo as it flew off from a telegraph pole having been flushed by a crow. I was a bit more alert when I saw two Dunnocks perched on an overhead wire and a distant Yellowhammer doing the same. Swallows were singing high overhead as we walked through the damp grass. When we got back to the Cottage, while having breakfast, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling in the garden behind us. Becky and I have agreed to have a lazy day today around the Cottage as being a Bank Holiday Monday, the roads around here could be awful.

Above, a very distant Yellowhammer over the neighbouring field (honest!). 

Above and below, the pair of Dunnocks on an overhead wire in the main field.

Above, the dogs flushed this Speckled Wood butterfly, but it quickly settled.

I am always keeping an eye out for all sorts of nature and I noticed several clumps of Common Knapweed growing along by the hedgerows. Though I am getting better at identifying my flowers, I am using the google app on my mobile phone to help ID some of the plants and trees I come across and this morning, I checked out a clump of Hogweed growing on the edge of the field.