Moth numbers on the rise.

Thursday 7th August 2025.

Another spectacular Moon last night while checking the Moth Box.

It was still dark when I got up this morning and therefore I am going to get up a bit later in future. There was a stunning moon again last night before heading off to bed as I also watched a Silver Y moth go about its business by one of my plants and I could already see at least two Jersey Tigers by the Moth Box.

A Plumed Fan-foot by the Moth Box.

It was mild this morning, around 16 degrees centigrade and being very still with no wind whatsoever. It was overcast first thing, but it did get a bit clearer as the morning wore on. A good selection of Moths again this morning with numbers rising again. No visible migration this morning, which was disappointing, but plenty of noisy Herring Gulls going over! However, I was sure I heard the Green Woodpecker calling distantly!

My Moth Box:

This Small Ranunculus was unexpected, but most welcome.

A good total of 86 moths of 32 species were recorded this morning of which 17 of those were Double-striped Pugs which were dotted all over the place within the garden. Ten Tiger moths were also in the garden and Moth Box with 6 Garden and 4 Jersey Tigers while other notable moths included a Small Ranunculus and a Plumed Fan-foot.

Fulvous Pearl.

The Moths recorded this morning included the following:

MACRO MOTH	MICRO MOTH
Double-striped Pug x17	Fulvous Pearl x1
Yellow-barred Brindle x1	Common Plume x7
Small Dusty Wave x2	Grey Knot-horn x2
Small Ranunculus x1	White-shouldered House Moth x2
Plumed Fan-foot x1	Apple Leaf Miner x1
Shuttle-shaped Dart x6	Brown House Moth x3
Cabbage Moth x1	Garden Pebble x1
Brimstone Moth x3	Light Brown Apple Moth x5
Bright-line Brown-eye x1	Ruddy Streak x1
Vine’s Rustic x5	Bramble Shoot Moth x1
Willow Beauty x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x1
Buff Ermine x1	Large Pale Masoner x1
Pale Mottled Willow x2	Mother of Pearl x1
Common Rustic x2	Pale-backed Detritus Moth x1
Marbled Beauty x2
Jersey Tiger x4
Garden Tiger x6

This juvenile Arctic Tern was at Hill Head this morning. Film footage by Mark Francis.