Feathered Ranunculus moths arrive.

Friday 3rd October 2025.

One of two Feathered Ranunculus moths today.

I had some good news yesterday when my new MV 125w Bulb was delivered to my address and it didn't take too long to attach it to the Moth Box and so, it was back to checking the Moth Box this morning where I got another moth ‘year-tick’. Unfortunately, Storm Amy that is hitting the UK (thankfully, the north of the UK) has produced a wet weather front hitting the south coast and so awoke to a very wet, but drizzly morning.

 My Moth Box:

One of two Golden Twin-spot moths.

So my bit of ‘Mothing’ this week produced a total of 21 moths of 10 species and though low in numbers, it did produce my first Feathered Ranunculus moths of the year. These are annual to my garden around this time and always are quite an attractive moth that do vary in size and colour. Two Golden Twin-spots were also present and despite being a rare moth on the South coast, they seemed to be having a damn good Autumn in my garden!

One of two Turnip Moths.

Other notable moths included two Turnip Moths and a Rush Veneer and along with the Rusty-dot Pearls and Pale Mottled Willows; all were probably migrant moths from the Continent.

The Moths recorded this morning in and around the Moth Box included the following:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Golden Twin-spot x2	Rusty-dot Pearl x3
Double-striped Pug x1	Ruddy Streak x2
Pale Motted Willow x2	Light Brown Apple Moth x1
Turnip Moth x2	Rush Veneer x1
Feathered Ranunculus* x2
Lesser Yellow Underwing x4

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

The French Ocean Liner, Mont St Michel, sailing out of Portsmouth Harbour and past the Royal Garrison Church in grim weather this morning.

The drizzle eventually turned into light rain and with a breezy south-westerly blowing, I was getting a tad damp on my first shift here in Pembroke Road. I managed to get up to 9 bird species during my hour there, despite the grim weather and it looked as though Governor’s Green was getting all the birds as a large number of Herring and Black-headed Gulls were making the most of the wet weather in search of earthworms. Large numbers of Wood Pigeons joined them, but I am sure they were after the new shoots of grass to feed on and there was just the one Pied Wagtail on the Bowling Green. Next to no ‘Visible Migration’ going on today due to the inclement weather, but there is always this afternoon to look forward to.

This afternoon was just as wet, but there were hardly any noteworthy bird sightings, which was disappointing. There was no Bowling action on the Bowling Green, so the two Pied Wagtails had the whole place to themselves! The weather was going to get a lot worse overnight with heavy rain and strong winds and it looks as though the guys and myself will be visiting Gilkicker tomorrow along with several other ‘Lazee Birders’ it seems. Very strong winds are forecast tomorrow with a rough sea. With a bit of luck, this could bring in some interesting seabirds. We shall see.

In Hampshire today:

The only real noteworthy birds in Hampshire today was a flock of 20 Redpolls at Woolmer Pond Cottage.

A cracking Red Kite over Old Winchester Hill recently. Photo by Di Stedman.