More migrant moths in my garden.

 Monday 1st June 2026.

My first Small Marbled moth of the year was an excellent moth in my garden today.

A fairly bright start to the week with high clouds and a bit of sunshine, though rain is forecast later this afternoon with a light southerly wind. Though there were fewer moths than yesterday, the variety was enormous and it included 4 new species for the year and an insect species that was also new for this year. 

I was back at Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth, again this morning and the week here kicked off with a good species total, with a few unexpected species thrown in too. The rain never materialised this afternoon, but was a pleasant afternoon instead. As I write this up tonight, it certainly has gotten darker due to the clouds and thunderstorms that are predicted this evening. I might put the Moth Box on tonight, but not so many egg trays outside the Box. It was a bit cooler today with temperatures around 18 degrees centigrade.

My Moth Box:

Small Mottled Willow moths have been reported in many places in the UK and in huge numbers in the south and south-west area of the UK. This was the one in my Moth Box this morning.

The rare moths theme continued this morning with my first and only my second ever Small Marbled moth. This particular species could be considered a ‘micro’ moth for being so small, but it is considered to be a ‘macro’ moth for one reason or another. Other migrant moths present included another Small Mottled Willow, Silver Y (which was flying around the flowers) and a Diamondback Moth. 

Above, a Cherrybark Tortrix and below, the Common Slender micro moths.

My first Box Tree Moth of the year.

Moths that were also new for the year included a dark form of Box Tree Moth, the tiny Common Slender (Gracilliaria syringella) and a Cherrybark Tortrix (Enarmonia formorsana). Other notable moths included a differently marked Golden Twin-spot and my first Garden Straw for the garden this year. A good total of 42 moths of 33 species were recorded this morning. The following Moths were seen today:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Small Marbled * x1	White-shouldered House Moth x1
Silver Y x1	Box Tree Moth * x1
Willow Beauty x2	Cypress Tip Moth x1
Yellow-barred Brindle x1	Common Slender * x1
Shuttle-shaped Dart x1	Apple Leaf Miner x1
Golden Twin-spot x1	Blushed Knot-horn x3
Green Pug x1	Cherrybark Tortrix * x1
Marbled Minor agg x1	Bee Moth x2
Riband Wave x4	Mallow Seed Moth x1
Heart & Dart x1	Garden Straw x1
White-point x1	Large Pale Masoner x1
Garden Carpet x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x2
Pale Mottled Willow x1	Diamondback Moth x1
Buff Ermine x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x1
Small Dusty Wave 1	Ruddy Streak x1
	Bramble Shoot Moth x1

Other insects attracted to the Moth Box overnight included a Black Vine Weevil, which was my first one I have seen this year.

The Black Vine Weevil. Plants beware!

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

The Echium plant is getting a lot taller since I had a week off!

I think the parents and some of the kids were happy to see me back in Pembroke Road this morning as the quiet spell between 8 and 8.20am proved quite fruitful when I notched up at least 15 species this morning. The surprise species was an Oystercatcher heard calling somewhere near the Curtain Moat and no, I do not have ‘bionic’ hearing, but at my age, I couldn't be more happier with my hearing!

Another notable bird was a Coal Tit heard calling somewhere in the Holm Oak trees, a species I think I have only ever encountered once in the three years I have been working here. A Jay flying into the footpath between the Bowling Green and Governor’s Green was also unexpected; but at this time of year, no doubt it is after eggs or chicks of other birds. Grumble! Three species of Gull were seen: Great Black-backed, Herring and Black-headed Gull, but no Med Gulls today.

Away from birds, the Echium plants growing in Pembroke Close are getting very tall now and enticing many Bumblebees to their flowers. One of the plants was probably twice my height! No butterflies were seen here today, but plenty of Buff-tailed Bumblebees around the front gardens and, of course, the Echium plants.

During the afternoon, I was driving through Milton, when I saw a big female Peregrine flying low over the road heading south. As I missed all the Springwatch episodes last week as my wife wanted to watch the awful ‘Soaps’, I managed to watch one episode of last week's Springwatch where a Pine Martin was killing the Robin chicks. I still cannot believe that this predator has been released in various areas of the UK. Our UK birds are disappearing at an alarming rate and some idiots decide to make it more difficult for the birds to survive. We are losing important habitats for birds and then throw in a vicious predator to make things worse. I just cannot understand the logic of it and there is Springwatch praising the re-introduction of this species. Mink got a bad name for destroying Water Voles and water birds; so why does the Pine Martin get a hand clap? ‘Makes me seethe, I could throw the phone down!!’

In Hampshire today:

Fairly quiet in Hampshire today, though a Quail was heard calling on Martin Down again along with two singing Tree Pipits. A late Wheatear was on Farlington Marshes early this morning, a species I have still not seen this year and probably will not now until the Autumn! One of the ‘Lazee Birders’ saw a singing Great Reed Warbler over at the Little Deeps last night on Thorney Island! No report of it today though.