A good selection of Moths & Redwing passing overhead.

Tuesday 14th October  2025.

My second Blood-vein moth of the year.

A long period of High Pressure over the UK has resulted in cloudy days and this morning was no exception. I didn’t actually check my Moth Box till 7.20am this morning and even then, it was still relatively dark and I had to use my flash on my mobile phone to take most of the photos. Temperatures were around a cool 12 degrees centigrade this morning and there was a bit of drizzle in the air to contend with on my first shift at Pembroke Road. However, there was a good variety of Moths this morning and another reasonable bird species total over Pembroke Road.

My Moth Box:

My first Black Rustic for my garden this year.

A total of 37 moths of 17 species were present this morning, which I was pleased about considering I moved the Moth Box out into the garden a bit more on Sunday. A real surprise was a Blood-vein moth which I found last night before I retired to bed sitting by the Box. This was my second one in my garden this year, the last being in June. I was also pleased to get my first Black Rustic for my garden this year. This species is annual to my Moth Box around this time of year and hopefully, will pick up a few more as the month progresses.

One of two Golden Twin-spot moths.

Two Golden Twin-spots were present again and other migrant moths included three each of Turnip Moths, White-point and Rusty-dot Pearl.

Above, one of three White-points and below, one of three Rusty-dot Pearl.

The Moths present this morning included the following:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
White-point x3	Light Brown Apple Moth x6
Black Rustic x1	Narrow-winged Grey x1
Shuttle-shaped Dart x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x3
Lesser Yellow Underwing x6	Tree-mallow Tortrix x1
L-album Wainscot x1	Pale-backed Detritus Moth x1
Golden Twin-spot x2
Turnip Moth x3
Large Yellow Underwing x1
Feathered Ranunculus x1
Double-striped Pug x5
Blood-vein x1
Garden Carpet x1

Overhead, there was not a great deal moving, but a solitary Redwing flew over heading north-east and a Chiffchaff was heard calling in nearby gardens. 

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

A grey murky start to the day at Old Portsmouth.

A good count of 17 bird species were recorded this morning on my first shift in Pembroke Road. A male Sparrowhawk was seen to fly into the Holm Oaks for a quick breather and then flew out minutes later and headed off south towards the seafront. Yesterday, another raptor, a Kestrel, was seen hovering between Governor’s Green and Curtain Moat in the afternoon.

The weather here this morning remained cool and overcast with a light north-easterly wind. There seemed to be a small movement of Thrushes this morning here with a small flock of 3 Redwing heading south and a Song Thrush with them also. Another two single Song Thrushes were also flying over and a few high flying Blackbirds could have been migrant birds. A Goldcrest was heard calling deep within the vegetation opposite where I stood and all the usual birds were noted this morning.

Also yesterday, I saw two individual Grey Herons flying over Pembroke Road; one was very high and headed towards Gosport and a second bird flew over Governor’s Green, circled around for a while and then headed north.