Another large haul of Moths this morning.

 Monday 17th August 2026.

One of two Ni Moths were new for the year.

This morning, it was a cloudy start here in Southsea, though it is getting darker each morning, it wasn’t till around 6am I started recording the Moths and yet another large catch today with a few ‘year-ticks’ among them too.

A cloudy start but not a drop of rain fell today here in Southsea.

There was talk of possible rain showers some time today, but by midday, it was still blazing sunshine at times and at least 23 degrees plus when the sun came our from behind some very high patchy cloud.

My Moth Box:

Little & large. The Oak Stilt micro moth (top left) next to a Garden Tiger moth.

A good total of 123 moths of 46 species were recorded this morning which included three more Moths new for the year. This included a couple of Ni Moths, a species that I have only encountered twice before and that was many years ago. They really do look a lot like Silver Y’s but greyer and flatter in appearance.

I found this Skin Moth on the fence panel near the Moth Box. A new moth species for the year. Below, the diminutive Horse-chestnut Leafminer.

The other two moths new for the year were the micro moths Skin Moth and Oak Stilt. The former is very uncommon in my garden, and the Oak Stilt was only my second ever. In fact, I did not notice it until I checked my photos and found it perched next to a Garden Tiger moth.

This Blood-vein looked a fresh specimen.

Migrant moths this morning included a single Portland Ribbon Wave, Turnip Moth, 5 Golden Twin-spots, 3 Silver Y and White-point. Migrant micro moths recorded were 11 Rusty-dot Pearl, Rush Veneer and an Olive-tree Pearl.

A Knot Grass was unexpected.

Among the more notable Moths were a Blood-vein, Knot Grass and a Blair’s Mocha. The Moths recorded this morning were as follows:

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Marbled Beauty 2	Box Tree Moth x12
Portland Ribbon Wave x1	Tree-mallow Tortrix x1
Brimstone Moth x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x11
Small Dusty Wave x4	Gold Triangle x1
Blood-vein x1	Common Plume x1
Golden Twin-spot x5	Chestnut Tortrix x2
Willow Beauty x1	Mint Moth x3
Knot Grass x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x2
Silver Y x3	Apple Leaf Miner x1
Ni Moth * x1	Skin Moth * x1
Blair’s Mocha x2	Common Grass-veneer x1
Pale Mottled Willow x15	Horse-chestnut Leafminer x1
Turnip Moth x1	Rush Veneer x1
Cabbage Moth x4	Oak Stilt * x1
Bright-line Brown-eye x4	Olive-tree Pearl x1
Shuttle-shaped Dart x6	Chevron Grass-moth x1
Grey Dagger x1	Pale-streaked Grass-moth x2
Large Yellow Underwing x3
L-album Wainscot x4
Setaceous Hebrew Character x1
Heart & Dart x1
Double-striped Pug x2
Lime-speck Pug x1
Nutmeg x2
Garden Tiger x5
Vine’s Rustic x1
White-point x1
Common Rustic x5
Small Mottled Willow x1

 

Other garden sightings:

This Holly Blue butterfly was inside the Moth Box.

Alongside the usual Lacewings, a Holly Blue butterfly was found perched on one of the egg trays inside the moth box. I carefully released it afterwards. A Willow Warbler was calling from the tree at the back of the garden and was seen briefly, flitting among the leaves.

 

In Hampshire today:

This Whinchat was on Farlington Marshes yesterday. Photo by Rob Porter.

News came in this morning of a Wryneck seen near the car park at Martin Down. The first of many, hopefully. Two Wood Sandpipers were at Blashford Lakes today by Ibsley Water along with 6 Common Sandpipers and a Green Sandpiper. Four Spoonbills and two Cattle Egret were on Titchfield Haven and a male Goosander and up to 24 Sanderling were off Hill Head.

Birding pal, Geoff Farwell, paid a visit to Farlington Marshes yesterday and recorded the following sightings: 10 Cattle Egret, Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, 35 Gadwall, 3 Avocet, 11 Greenshank, Knot, 2 Common Sandpiper, Sanderling, 6 Swifts, 7+ Yellow Wagtail, 4 Wheatear, Stonechat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat and up to 6 Common Whitethroats.

Late this afternoon, I watered the back garden and as per usual, I flushed up several Moths that were hidden in the plants that included a Single-dotted Wave; a species that I did not see this morning which goes to show how many more Moths could be hidden.

 

The Single-dotted Wave that I accidentally flushed this afternoon.