Another Hawk-moth species for my Moth Year List.

 Thursday 2nd July 2026.

My first Privet Hawk-moth for this year.

A bit of a damp start to the day with some drizzle coming down this morning from an overcast sky. There was a breezy south-westerly blowing and quite strong at times first thing, but easing off as the day wore on. Around 10am, then the clouds started to thin out and bright sunshine was afoot. The temperature was around 15 degrees, although it increased in the afternoon.

Moth numbers were declining again, but I was still rewarded with another excellent ‘year-ticks’ that included one very large Moth and one very small Moth! Pembroke Road was fairly quiet regarding the birds, but there was an awful lot of traffic going through due to commuters taking a different route due to the roadworks closing off a major road through Portsmouth. In fact, there are so many roads closed off in Portsmouth, it's adding to the frustration of all the motorists on the island.

It was good to read that a couple of brain dead youths were arrested by the Police yesterday after Feral Pigeons were targeted by these idiots, killing dozens of them or injuring the birds under South Parade Pier. Fume! OK, they are a common bird and some consider them a pest, but to kill them with Catapults is absolutely horrendous. It certainly got a strong reaction on Social Media about these disgusting kids.

My Moth Box:

My first Hampshire Dowd moth of the year.

Another Hawk-moth graced my garden this morning when I discovered the very large Privet Hawk-moth inside one of the egg trays. These are also virtually annual now to my garden although this individual was a bit tatty. Still, a cracking Moth to see for the first time this year. On the opposite side of large, the very small Hampshire Dowd (Blastobasis phycidella) was resting on the edge of the Moth Box. I am not sure how or why its vernacular name has been changed from Black-banded to Hampshire Dowd is anyone’s guess.

Above, I placed the Privet Hawk-moth carefully in one of my plants and below, a Single-dotted Wave was near the Moth Box, perched on one of the Garden Pots.

Other notable Moths this morning included a Small Ranunculus, which is now getting more common as the years go on here in my garden. The most numerous Moths this morning were the Garden Grass-veneers with 9 present this morning and also 8 Riband Waves. A total of 64 Moths of 29 species were identified. I did get a few Moths that were inconclusive as they needed dissecting to ascertain their exact ID. The Moths present this morning included the following:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Privet Hawk-moth * x1	Garden Grass-veneer x9
Bright-line Brown-eye x4	Garden Grey x1
Uncertain x1	Mother of Pearl x1
White Ermine x1	Common Masoner x3
Lesser Yellow Underwing x1	Hampshire Dowd * x1
Heart & Dart x2	Rosy Tabby x3
Lackey x3	Barred Yellowneck x1
Dark Arches x2	Blushed Knot-horn x1
Common Emerald x1	Apple Leaf Miner x9
Riband Wave x8	Large Pale Masoner x2
Double-striped Pug x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x1
Single-dotted Wave x1	Box Tree Moth x2
Lime-speck Pug x1	Bird-cherry Ermine x1
Small Ranunculus x1
Common Rustic agg. x1

Another Broad Centurian was in my Moth Box again before I released it.

The only other insect within the Moth Box this morning was a Broad Centurion Soldier Fly. While walking the dogs before my first shift this morning, I heard a Green Woodpecker calling frequently as I walked past Highland Road Cemetery which was only the second time I have heard one here this year!

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

A Marmalade Hoverfly was perched on the Hibiscus Bush this morning.

The overcast conditions and blustery wind in Pembroke Road made the morning quiet though I did get up to around 12 bird species during my first shift. Several Swifts were sailing low over the area and the House Sparrows were most noisy this morning around the Bowling Green. The usual three Gull species were on show again and a probable Med Gull flew south, but I didn’t get to see it till late before disappearing behind the trees.