Another new micro moth for the year.

 Thursday 11th June 2026.

It was clear and bright when I made my way to my back garden to check on the Moth Box, but by 9am, it had clouded over and the rain arrived. It was cold again on my first shift at Pembroke Road and yet again, with a breezy westerly throughout my time there this morning. I was meeting my mate Gary for a coffee straight afterwards and thankfully, I was told it was going to be much brighter and sunnier in the afternoon.

My Moth Box:

A new micro moth climbed onboard my year list, the Small Fruit Moth.

Once again, much lower numbers of Moths are present in my garden this morning compared to Monday’s large haul. The weather must have played its part as it was not only clear last night, but cold too. On a positive side, among the 26 moths of 13 species, there was another new moth for the year list; the micro moth Small Fruit Moth (Grapholita lobarzewskii) with a fancy Polish latin name?! This particular species is fairly uncommon in this part of southern England, but this species has turned up in my Moth Box before.

The two different Bloxworth Snout's this morning.

Among the macro moths, the two Bloxworth Snouts were the pick of the bunch here this morning, though, as you can see by the photos, they came in two different guises. The most numerous Moths were the Heart & Darts with six present.

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Willow Beauty x4	Common Plume x1
White Ermine x4	Ruddy Streak x1
Vine’s Rustic x2	Narrow-winged Grey x1
Heart & Dart x6	Small Fruit Moth * x1
L-album Wainscot x1
Garden Carpet x1
Marbled Minor agg. x1
Yellow-barred Brindle x1
Bloxworth Snout x2

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

I found this Marmalade Hoverfly sat out of the wind on one of the Bushes close to where I stand in Pembroke Road.

The first shift in Pembroke Road only produced 11 bird species this morning and among all the usual species, a Cormorant flying over Governor’s Green and then onto Portsmouth Harbour, was the best of the low species count. This afternoon was much worse. The weather was appalling, with strong winds and rain coming down too and so hardly anything of note was seen; but the Blue Tits battled on in finding insects for their brood as they flew back and forth to their nesthole.