Quieter again in the Moth Box & two Raptors over Pembroke Road.

 

Tuesday 21st July 2026.

This colourful Bright Straw moth was my first for the year.

It was fleece weather early this morning when I went to check on my Moth Box at 5.30am. The nights are now getting longer, and the temperature is certainly getting a bit colder in the morning at first light. However, it was steadily climbing by 7am when I took my dogs for their first walk of the day. By 11am, it was 19 degrees and no doubt will climb even more this afternoon with an exceptionally light north-easterly.

After my first shift in Pembroke Road, I met up with one of my pals, Gary Cole, for a coffee and this time, we had a Sausage Bap and Coffee at the lovely The Canteen overlooking Portsmouth Harbour entrance where at least two pairs of Sandwich Terns passed close by and one even entertained the small crowd to dive in the sea just offshore. Most entertaining.

 

My Moth Box:

Another Clay moth in my Moth Box this morning.

Another big drop from last Saturday’s Moth numbers with just 56 moths of 26 species present this morning and that included a Coleophora species of micro moth which is unidentifiable without dissection. However, I did get another new moth species for the year; the beautiful micro moth Bright Straw (Agapeta zoegana), which is almost annual to my garden.

Above, my second Holly Tortrix for the year and below, one of two Silver Y moths.

Above, a Turnip Moth. July has been a good month for them so far.

Surprisingly, there were far fewer macro moths in the garden this morning, with micro moths making up most of the numbers. Migrants were still arriving, including Silver Y, Turnip Moth and Rusty-dot Pearls, while my second Holly Tortrix of the year was a welcome bonus. As I have Holly trees on both sides of the garden, it may well have come from one of them. The following moths were recorded this morning:

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Common Rustic x1	Broom Shoot Moth x1
Silver Y x2	Chestnut Tortrix x1
Turnip Moth x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x7
Double-striped Pug x8	Holly Tortrix x1
Lime-speck Pug x2	Box Tree Moth x3
Large Yellow Underwing x1	Apple Leaf Miner x1
Clay x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x9
Knot Grass x1	Hampshire Dowd x1
Pale Mottled Willow x2	Grey Knot-horn x2
	Bird-cherry Ermine x1
	Willow Ermine x1
	Bright Straw * x1
	Common Plume x2
	Ruddy Streak x1
	Common Masoner x3
	Brown House Moth x1

 

 

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

A sunny morning again in Pembroke Road. The grass has now turned yellow due to lack of rain on Governor's Green.

Two raptor species were recorded during my first shift in Pembroke Road, both appearing towards the end of the session. First, a female Sparrowhawk flew high west over Governor’s Green, pursued by a Carrion Crow. About 10 minutes later, the same bird passed low overhead heading east, this time carrying small prey in its talons. It circled briefly before continuing east.

Just minutes later, a juvenile Peregrine flew low over Governor’s Green and circled overhead several times before heading west. It was a shame I did not have my camera with me, as it showed beautifully in the bright sunshine. It has been quite a while since I last saw any raptors in Pembroke Road, then, just like buses, two species arrived at once!

This juvenile Whinchat was by the Chalets at Hill Head last Saturday morning. Photo by Mark Francis.

Apart from the raptors, it was a fairly quiet morning, though my total still reached 12 bird species. A pair of Swifts were seen on the way home along Clarence Parade, flying low over the road and buildings. Although no butterflies were seen in Pembroke Road, a Jersey Tiger moth fluttered quickly past me and headed west close to the buildings. That makes two weeks in a row that I have seen one here.