A much brighter day but low on Moths.

Wednesday 9th September 2026.

Up to 8 Lesser Yellow Underwing moths were recorded today. 

A very bright start to the day with a cloudless blue sky and blazing sunshine. However, the north-easterly wind kept the temperature down and I have to admit, I was a bit cold on my first shift in Pembroke Road this morning. I wore my fleece when I checked the Moth Box in my garden at 6.15am this morning, as the temperature was around 12 degrees.

My Moth Box:

With it being cold and clear overnight, I didn’t expect to find too many Moths in and around my Moth Box, and I was right. There was just 22 Moths of 8 species present this morning and once again, nothing new for the year to add to my year list.

Above, one of two Golden Twin-spots and below, one of four L-album Wainscot moths

The most numerous Moth species was the Lesser Yellow Underwing with at least 8 being recorded and again, Golden Twin-spots were present with just the two inside the Moth Box. It looks as though I shall have to replace the white board as the heavy rain yesterday has bowed it badly and the white paint has flaked off in places. It is a bright sunny day today and hopefully; the sun will dry it out.

The only Square-spot Rustic this morning.

Overhead, the only visible bird migration going on was a couple of calling Yellow Wagtails.

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Lesser Yellow Underwing x8	Apple Leaf Miner x2
Large Yellow Underwing x3	Common Plume x1
Pale Mottled Willow x1
Square-spot Rustic x1
L-album Wainscot x4
Golden Twin-spot x2

 

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

A much better morning here in Pembroke Road after yesterday.

A cold but bright start to the first shift in Pembroke Road, but I could only manage 8 bird species this morning and there was nothing that really warranted any headlines. I heard the House Sparrows ‘chirruping’ from their usual place within the hedgerow of the Bowling Green for the first time this week.

Above, another Firebug nymph was in the Hibiscus Bushes.

Yesterday’s weather was a tale of two halves. It was a horrible morning with heavy rain at times and boy did I get a good soaking. However, it finally stopped literally minutes before I started my second shift. Though only 10 species were seen, my first Jay of the week was seen flying into the nearby Sycamore trees.

This small micro moth Caterpillar species was also on the Hibiscus Bush.

Regarding the insects, another Firebug nymph was seen crawling about the vegetation within the Hibiscus Bushes. I also found a small Moth Caterpillar within the same Bush, but even Obsidentify could not ID it!

This afternoon, on my second shift, it was a lot warmer (thankfully!) and a few more birds were added to my day list here that included a noisy Jay that had just flown up into the Holm Oaks briefly before flying off east. A couple of Great Black-backed Gulls were seen distantly flying west over Curtain Moat to make it just 10 species for the day.

 

In Hampshire today:

The juvenile Red-backed Shrike at Farlington Marshes today. Photo by Steve Laycock.

I must congratulate birding pal Andy Fisher for notching up his 201^st Hampshire bird species today. A juvenile Red-backed Shrike turned up at Farlington Marshes this morning, which sparked a bit of a ‘twitch’ for all those Hampshire ‘listers’ (except for myself as I was working, sob!). Andy Fisher wasted no time as did many others in seeing the bird and he managed to grab a Wood Sandpiper there too and then a visit to Northney Paddocks to see the Pied Flycatcher for his hat-trick of ‘year-ticks’!

Above, the juvenile Red-backed Shrike at Farlington Marshes. Photo by Steve Laycock. Below, an Osprey over the Reserve. Photo by Andy Friend. 

An Osprey also graced Farlington Marshes and came close enough for a good photo by Andy Friend. It didn’t end there at Farlington Marshes as a Short-eared Owl was seen quartering the Point Fields to round off a real ‘red-letter day’ at this superb Reserve. 

A new release coming out around Xmas time. Order your copy of Umma-out-of-here!