A good number of Moths and a dead Crow on the Bowling Green!

Friday 4^th September 2026.

Small Blood-vein. I have to say, I have had a good year for this species.

A damp start to end the working week with a strong blustery south-westerly throughout my first shift in Pembroke Road this morning. Drizzle was mixed in with the wind making life a bit difficult for those bringing their kids into school and myself carrying out my job. However, it was very mild with temperatures around the 20-degree mark throughout the morning.

A good showing of Moths this morning despite the wet and windy conditions though there was nothing new for the year list today. Already, the Hants Rarities Whatsapp Group had an early message before I headed off to my first shift with a report from Selsey Bill that two lingering Cory’s Shearwaters off there were now making their way westbound. Fellow ‘Lazee Birder’ Mark Francis was down at Hill Head this morning, probably hoping to view the birds and promptly found a Caspian Gull flying offshore heading west!

This immature Caspian Gull was heading west from Hill Head this morning. Photo by Mark Francis.

 

My Moth Box:

The diminutive Horse-chestnut Leafminer micro moth.

A total of 61 moths of 23 species were recorded this morning which wasn’t too bad considering the damp weather conditions. Migrant Moths this morning included up to 3 Golden Twin-spots, Pearly Underwing, Olive-tree Pearl (Palpita vitrealis), Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella) and 2 Rusty-dot Pearls (Udea ferrugalis).

Above, Large Yellow Underwing and below, a Lesser Yellow Underwing.

One of two Square-spot Rustics this morning.

Other notable moths included a Small Blood-vein perched on the fence panel behind the Moth Box; 2 Clancy’s Rustics, a Single-dotted Wave (a rather late individual) and my first Lesser Yellow Underwing for some time. A single Horse-chestnut Leafminer (Camereria ohridella) was present at the bottom of the Box. This moth species is so small, that it takes a keen eye to pick it out among some of the dead insects at the bottom of the Box!

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Small Blood-vein x1	Olive-tree Pearl x1
Clancy’s Rustic x2	Apple Leaf Miner x9
Single-dotted Wave x1	Tree-mallow Tortrix x1
Golden Twin-spot x3	Light Brown Apple Moth x7
Pearly Underwing x1	Rush Veneer x1
L-album Wainscot x14	Chevron Grass-moth x4
Bright-line Brown-eye x1	Horse-chestnut Leafminer x1
Garden Carpet x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x2
Double-striped Pug x1	Box Tree Moth x1
Square-spot Rustic x2
Large Yellow Underwing x3
Vine’s Rustic x1
Pale Mottled Willow x1
Lesser Yellow Underwing x1

 

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

A dull, grey and blustery start to the day here in Pembroke Road.

The strong windy conditions and drizzle put paid to many bird species being seen this morning, but I did somehow get into double figures, although nothing outstanding again among them. A pair of Blackbirds were flying back and forth over the Bowling Green and around a dozen or so Herring Gulls were resting on the grass within Governor’s Green and many more flying overhead. Both Blue and Great Tits were heard within the Holm Oaks again, but only fleetingly seen.

One of several Harlequin Ladybirds on the flowering Hibiscus plants close to where I stand today.

It was pretty much the same on my second shift this afternoon with very little bird life around, though a dead Carrion Crow on the Bowling Green was a sad sight. My concern that the bird could of died from Bird Flu was a possibility and what with a couple of guys bowling on the Green this afternoon and ignoring the dead bird added fuel to the theory. Hopefully, it will be removed later today. The weather did improve throughout the day, but more cloud and drizzle came in this afternoon. Tomorrow is a lot brighter and hopefully much better than last weekend!

The sad sight of a dead Carrion Crow on the Bowling Greens. Bird Flu or natural causes?

Earlier this morning, one of the Residential Houses I was checking in Southsea for moths held both a Chevron Grass-moth and a Small Dusty Wave, both of which were attracted to the outside light. I wonder what would be there early in the morning?

Might be worth giving this a listening too over the weekend?