Despite the drizzle, my largest haul of Moths this year.

 Wednesday 17th June 2026.

My first European Corn-borer of the year.

Though it was a wet, drizzly dull start to the day here in Southsea, it most certainly brought the Moths into my garden with numbers just shy of 100 Moths. Thankfully, it was just a very light drizzle and so I could get cracking into checking what was present this morning. Yet again, there were more Moths added to my year list, which always put a smile on my face.

Pembroke Road was, not surprisingly, damp on my first shift and in the afternoon, the sun had arrived and I had to say, it was pleasantly nice; with a light south-westerly blowing down the road. But despite the improving weather, the number of species was average again.

My Moth Box:

My first Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing of the year.

As promised, the Moth numbers did increase and substantially too with a very nice haul of 98 moths of 39 species recorded; but I bet there were a few more lurking about which would have taken me over the 100 species. It was perfect weather for Moths overnight and along with the drizzle, I expect at 5.30am this morning, most of the Moths were reluctant to fly off. 

Above, the Beech Mast Piercer and below, a Mother of Pearl. Both were new for the year.

Another SIX more moth species were added to my year total and that included the micro moth with the horribly long name, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and also the micro moths, European Corn-borer (Ostrinia nubilalis), Mother of Pearl (Patania ruralis), Meal Moth (Pyralis farinalis), the gorgeous Olive-tree Pearl (Palpita vitrealis) and one I had to pot and then ID later when I had time, the tiny Beech Mast Piercer (Cydia fagiglandana); which I think is only the second I have ever seen.

This Olive-tree Pearl was one of the earliest I have ever recorded here in my garden. Predominantly, they normally start arriving around Autumn. 

Other notable moths included my second Cypress Carpet of the year (the first at Cowplain Marsh), 2 Clancy’s Rustics and my second Least Carpet (my first in the garden this year). An incredible FOURTEEN Dark Arches was counted! The moths recorded in my garden this morning included the following:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
White Ermine x3	European Corn-borer * x1
Lime-speck Pug x4	Mother of Pearl * x1
Double-striped Pug x1	Ruddy Streak x2
Common Pug x1	Blushed Knot-horn x6
Small Dusty Wave 1	Large Pale Masoner x1
Riband Wave x6	Diamondback Moth x1
Common Emerald x1	Meal Moth * x1
Silver Y x5	Box Tree Moth x3
Pale Mottled Willow x5	Garden Grey x1
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing * x1	Common Plume x2
Marbled Minor agg. x1	Bee Moth x2
Cypress Carpet x1	Olive-tree Pearl * x1
Dark Arches x14	Narrow-winged Grey x1
Heart & Dart x6	Beech Mast Piercer * x1
Shuttle-shaped Dart x1	Brown House Moth x1
Vine’s Rustic x4
Clancy’s Rustic x2
Lackey x2
Bloxworth Snout x1
Snout x1
L-album Wainscot x9
Bright-line Brown-eye x1
Least Carpet x1
Single-dot Wave x1

Oddly, despite all those Moths present, there was only one other insect within the Moth Box; a lone Lacewing!

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

Again, just the usual birds were noted here in Pembroke Road today and nothing really out of the ordinary. The young Starlings were quite vocal today, following their parents into the trees or flying over both Governor’s Green or the Bowling Green. I watched one adult bird perch on the roof of the bungalow opposite, giving its alarm call and I can only assume it was not happy when a Carrion Crow got too close within the trees nearby. I watched one of the Crows dispatch a juvenile Starling last month on the Bowling Green and so can only conclude that this Crow was after the same?