Another Moth 'Lifer' among my highest total for the year.

 Thursday 21st May 2026.

My first ever Brown Oak Tortrix was in the garden this morning.

A day of two halves where this morning, clouds had rolled in again and several hours of rain fell during the middle of the day. However, the clouds parted company in the afternoon and bright sunshine befell sunny Southsea once more. Huzzah! A light westerly blew across Pembroke Road with temperatures hovering around the 18 degree centigrade mark.

Three of the seven Dark Arches moths seen this morning.

The Moth Box was on again overnight, despite a few showers, a very large haul of Moths to look through and yet more moths that were new for the year. Pembroke Road was fairly quiet again regarding the birds, but the very active Blue Tits and a pair of Blackbirds kept me entertained.

My Moth Box:

My first Clancy's Rustic for the year.

The highest total of the year for Moths took place in my garden this morning with an incredible 83 moths of 35 species. True, Moth totals can get up to three times as many in the late summer months here in my garden; but I was well pleased with this total and not only that; a new Moth for my Moth Life List and five more for the year list!

Above, a Large Yellow Underwing and a Pale Mottled Willow were abundant this morning.

The new Moth in question was a BROWN OAK TORTRIX, which is a localised Moth that favours Oak, Lime, Ash, Sallow and Elm trees. I honestly thought it was a Variegated Golden Tortrix at first, but I did get curious and so checked on Obsidentify and low and behold, it was the BROWN OAK TORTRIX! 

The Twin-barred Knot-horn that was also new for the year.

Moths that were new for the year included an early Clancy’s Rustic (normally an Autumn species here in my garden), 2 Lesser Yellow Underwings and a cracking Heart & Club. My first Varied Coronet for the garden this year was in one of the outside egg trays, which incidentally were nearly full of Moths, as was the Box itself! Another Golden Twin-spot was on the white sheet and a large total of 11 Heart  & Darts were counted!

One of two Lesser Yellow Underwings today.

The ‘micro’s’ were also in very good numbers today with the likes of Twin-barred Knot-horn, Common Masoner and, of course, the BROWN OAK TORTRIX added to the year list. The Moths present this morning included the following:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Garden Carpet x1	White-shouldered House Moth x1
White Ermine x4	Twin-barred Knot-horn * x1
Large Yellow Underwing x7	Common Masoner * x1
Lesser Yellow Underwing * x2	Garden Grass-veneer x1
Willow Beauty x2	Box Tree Moth x2
Varied Coronet x1	Garden Pebble x1
Bright-line Brown-eye x2	Ruddy Streak x1
Vine’s Rustic x3	Rusty-dot Pearl x2
Pale Mottled Willow x8	Apple Leaf Miner x3
Clancy’s Rustic * x1	Brown House Moth x1
Shuttle-shaped Dart x2	Blushed Knot-horn x2
Dark Arches x7	BROWN OAK TORTRIX * x1
Heart & Dart x11	Light Brown Apple Moth x1
Heart & Club * x1	Large Pale Masoner x1
Golden Twin-spot x1
Cabbage Moth x1
L-album Wainscot x2
Marbled Minor agg x2
Green Pug x2
Yellow-barred Brindle x1
Riband Wave x2

Other insects attracted to the Moth Box included one Lacewing, 2 Cinnamon Sedge Caddisflies, a Marmalade Hoverfly and another Candy-striped Spider.

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

I recorded just 12 bird species today at Pembroke Road and to be honest, all the usual species although some omissions today with no Wren, Magpie or Med Gulls seen! No Swifts either; but on that subject, they really have gone down in numbers around Portsmouth and Southsea, with very few seen of late. Maybe not enough food supply perhaps and have wandered off elsewhere?

Above, a Buff-tailed Bumblebee in the roadside bushes and below, the Migrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes corollae). 

The Blue Tit pair were busy going back and forth to their nest site and only the one Pied Wagtail on the Bowling Green this morning.