Moth numbers are dropping.

Monday 8th September 2025.

An Old Lady moth.

Back to another start to the week and it was also back to the Moth Box again early this morning. Despite being clear overnight, it took till 6.20am to be light enough to check the Moth Box and disappointingly, there weren't many moths present either. However, there were plenty of birds at Pembroke Road this morning that kept me entertained and I even managed a walk by the Curtain Moat.

My Moth Box:

Golden Twin-spot. Could they be breeding here in Portsmouth?

There were just 14 moths of 10 species recorded this morning although I was pleased to see a Golden Twin-spot and an Old Lady showing very well near the Moth Box. Some moth enthusiasts would give their right arm to see a Golden Twin-spot and I am wondering if they are breeding in the area? Among the micros, the Rush Veneer was probably the pick of the bunch.

Rush Veneer. I have seen a lot of these lately.

The Moths present this morning included the following:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Golden Twin-spot x1	Common Plume x1
Old Lady x1	Box Tree Moth x2
Double-striped Pug x1	Rush Veneer x1
Large Yellow Underwing x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x2
L-album Wainscot x1	Ruddy Streak x3

Pembroke Road & The Curtain Moat, Old Portsmouth:

The pathway is leading from Pembroke Road to the Curtain Moat.

I arrived a lot earlier than expected and so took the opportunity to take a walk up to the Curtain Moat. The walk itself really notched up the species seen and heard total and my first shift here finished off with a healthy 16 species in all. Though nothing really out of the ordinary, all the usual birds were seen including three species of Gull (Herring, Black-headed and Great Black-backed Gull), several Pied Wagtails and at least 6 Robins. The Moat itself was rather quiet than expected, but a small herd of three Mute Swans headed west and a good number of Starlings were in the area.

Above, looking west over Governor's Green and below, the Curtain Moat.

Earlier today, a male Sparrowhawk was seen flying over the rooftops when I took the dogs for a walk this morning. Yesterday, birding pal Geoff Farwell was back down Farlington Marshes. Spending the afternoon there, he notched up the following sightings: Osprey, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Peregrine, Hobby, Common Buzzard, 3 Glossy Ibis, 6 Cattle Egrets, 2 Avocet, 6 Little Stint, 26 Greenshank, Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, Garganey,  Common Whitethroat, Wheatear and 15+ Yellow Wagtails. Not a bad afternoon at all.

It's that time of year when all the Garden Spiders start appearing and there were quite a few around the garden in Pembroke Road.