Another 'Lifer' among 100+ Moths.

Wednesday 30th July 2025.

The stunning micro moth Tufted Tortrix.

It was drizzling with rain last night as I had a quick check of the Moth Box before retiring to bed at 11pm. The ground was still a bit wet in places within the garden first thing this morning and I am noticing how much darker it is at 5am and so as this month is drawing to a close, I will be setting the alarm a little later. Where the hell did July go? We are now entering Autumn territory, what with returning Warblers and Hirundines on the move here on the south coast. I heard another Willowchiff calling when I was walking the dogs later this morning, but the Swifts are still screaming high overhead here in Southsea. It was fairly bright and sunny first thing and a bit warmer than yesterday (19 degrees centigrade) and literally wind free.

The Moth Box:

I'm just waiting for confirmation, but I believe this is a Tufted Oak Knot-horn; a very rare moth to Southern England and new to my life list.

A superb total of 106 moths of 39 species were recorded this morning that included yet another three more micro moths that were new for the year and one was a Lifer! A Tufted Oak Knot-horn (Acrobasis tumidana) was found on top of the rain guard of which I am getting it currently checked by Hants Moths. Other new moths for the year included a very smart Tufted Tortrix (Acleris cristana) and another micro moth, Ox-tongue Conch (Neocochylis molliculana). 

Above, one of two Garden Tiger moths and below, one of 8 Golden Twin-spots. I had to pot this individual rather sharpish thinking it was something different, but Obsidentify is 100% convinced it is a Golden Twin-spot.

Above, my first Ox-tongue Conch micro moth of the year.

There were now TWO Garden Tigers this morning along with FIVE Jersey Tigers and up to EIGHT Golden Twin-spots. SEVEN Turnip Moths (most likely immigrant moths) were counted and another Satin Wave was present among a superb array of Moths. Also among the Moths were up to two Harlequin Ladybirds.

The Moths recorded this morning included the following:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Brimstone Moth x4	Tufted Oak Knot-horn x1 *
Golden Twin-spot x8	Grey Knot-horn
Silver Y x2	Garden Pebble x1
Turnip Moth x7	Common Plume x11
Pale Mottled Willow x6	Tufted Tortrix x1 *
Heart & Dart x2	Black-banded Masoner x3
Lychnis x1	Common Masoner x3
Uncertain x2	Light Brown Apple Moth x7
Shuttle-shaped Dart x8	Rosy Tabby x1
Grey / Dark Dagger x2	Rusty-dot Pearl x3
Large Yellow Underwing x1	Barred Marble x1
Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing x2	Bramble Shoot Moth x1
Straw Dot x1	Mother of Pearl x2
Canary-shouldered Thorn x1	White-shouldered House Moth x1
Tree-lichen Beauty x2	Ox-tongue Conch x1 *
Small Dusty Wave x1
Knot Grass x2
Garden Tiger x2
Jersey Tiger x5
Dun-bar x1
Satin Wave x1
Lime-speck Pug x2
Double-striped Pug x3
Garden Carpet x1

A Garden Tiger among a large haul of Moths.

Tuesday 29th July 2025.

A lovely start to the day until the rain came!

There was a bright sunrise this morning as the clouds were tinged with orange overhead. However, it was a lot cooler than normal, around 14 degrees centigrade, but I did have my fleece on while I was in the garden checking out the Moth Box. I noticed that showers were forecast this morning and sure enough, later this morning, it started to rain while I was walking my dogs!

My Moth Box:

My first Garden Tiger of the year.

Finally, my first Garden Tiger of the year was present this morning, nearly hiding away behind the Moth Box, but after a second look in the same place, I was lucky enough to discover it. I can get up to double-figures annually with this species, but it's always good to get my ‘year-tick’. Two more new moths for the year included a Pellitory Beauty, an extremely small micro moth of which one needs a special micro lens to get to grips in taking a photo of it. Obsidentify says it was a Pellitory Beauty (Cosmopterix pulchmirella) and so I shall have to take that as guaranteed for now. The other was also a micro moth, a Common Ridge-back moth (Epermenia chaerophylella), only my second one ever.

Two more micro moths were added to my year total. Above, the tiny Pellitory Beauty and below, a Common Ridge-back moth.

My back bedroom was full of Moths last night that included a White-pont, Cabbage Moth, Turnip Moth and a Double-striped Pug, of which they were all released this morning. Just two Golden Twin-spots were seen this morning, though I had to rescue one from a spider's web. My second Wormwood Pug of the year was sitting on the white sheet and probably the same four Tree-lichen Beauties were present again. A total of 93 moths of 36 species were recorded today.

The Moths present this morning included the following:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
White-point x3	Common Plume x10
Turnip Moth x2	Ruddy Streak x3
Cabbage Moth x3	Rusty-dot Pearl x3
Common Rustic x1	Bramble Shoot Moth x1
Golden Twin-spot x2	Garden Pebble x2
Double-striped Pug x8	Brown Bark Moth x2
Lime-speck Pug x3	Pellitory Beauty x1 *
Wormwood Pug x1	Common Masoner x7
Bright-line Brown-eye x1	Diamond-back Moth x1
Garden Tiger x1 *	Light Brown Apple Moth x11
Shuttle-shaped Dart x4	Pale-backed Detritus Moth x1
Lychnis x1	Common Ridge-back x1
Pale Mottled Willow	Beautiful Plume x1
Garden Carpet x3	Bird-cherry Ermine x3
Brimstone Moth x2	White-shouldered House Moth x1
Tree-lichen Beauty x4	Black-banded Masoner x1
Grey / Dark Dagger x1	Banded Yellowneck x1
Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing x1
Nutmeg x1

While checking the Moth Box, a Cinnamon Sedge Caddis Fly was sitting just inside the Box. There was some birdlife around when I was checking the Moth Box. A Chiffchaff was heard calling in the garden behind ours and it didn't take long for the bird to pop out to reveal itself as it searched my neighbours Holly Tree for a tasty bit of breakfast. Overhead, a Greenfinch and a Swallow flew over and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling briefly. Walking the dogs this morning, a Jay flew up from the ground just inside Highland Road Cemetery and perched in a nearby tree before flying off.

I done my weekly check on the Birdguides news website this evening and was absolutely disgusted to read that a license had been granted to cull young Gannets on the Scottish island of Sula Sgeir. OK, I knew nothing about this so-called 'tradition' till Birdguides brought it to my attention and I have to say I am disgusted with NatureScot to allow this monstrosity to carry on. In this day and age of strong 'Conservation' issues for our declining seabird population, that this so-called body of idiots can allow this to happen. If there is a petition I am ready to sign it immediately and will encourage anyone reading my blog to do the same. They are trying to justify this cruel practise to Grouse Shooting of which I am totally opposed to as well along with any form of shooting, which is just weak minded idiots who would be the last ones to sign up for the Army should a war break out! Rant over! Fume!

My second ever Cloud-bordered Brindle & Twin Gold-spot mania!

Monday 28th July 2025.

Only my second ever Cloud-bordered Brindle on my Moth Box this morning.

The Moth Box was on again last night and I was rewarded with another good haul of Moths, but only just the one that was new for the year. The weather was overcast first thing this morning, but at least it was dry and remained that way throughout the day with some warm sunshine at times, with a light south-westerly wind. After that terrific result in the Ladies Euro Final by the England team, could my Moth Box score with something spectacular?

My Moth Box:

A quite staggering 12 Golden Twin-spot moths were in and around my Moth Box!

I did ‘score’ with my first Cloud-bordered Brindle of the year, which was in fact only my second ever; but this was ‘trumped’ by an incredible TWELVE Golden Twin-spot moths!!!! I thought this species was a rare immigrant. Heaven knows how many might have been hiding in the garden amongst the plants? SIX Tree-lichen Beauties was nothing to be sniffed at either plus two Nutmeg moths. Other immigrant moths recorded today included Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing, a Rush Veneer and two Diamond-back Moths. In total, 80 moths of 36 species were recorded this morning.

Above, one of SIX Tree-lichen Beauties this morning and below, one of two Nutmeg moths.

The Moths present this morning included the following:

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Cloud-bordered Brindle x1 *	Meal Moth x1
Nutmeg x2	Mother of Pearl x2
White Ermine x1	Brown Bark Moth x1
Golden Twin-spot x12	Rusty-dot Pearl x1
Double-striped Pug x4	Pale-backed Detritus Moth x1
Lime-speck Pug x2	Light Brown Apple Moth x9
Small Dusty Wave x1	Garden Pebble x1
Cloaked Minor x2	Mint Moth x1
Lychnis x2	Barred Marble x1
Tree-lichen Beauty x6	Common Plume x4
Large Yellow Underwing x1	Black-banded Masoner x2
Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing x1	Common Masoner x2
Pale Mottled Willow x2	Hawthorn Moth x1
Common Rustic x3	Rush Veneer x1
Shuttle-shaped Dart x4	Ruddy Streak x1
Heart & Dart x1	Bird-cherry Ermine x1
Brimstone Moth x1	Diamond-back Moth x2
Marbled Beauty x1	White-shouldered House Moth x1

Matt & Emma’s Moth Box:

Over in Fareham, the guys only had two new species for the year which were two micro moths, a Rush Veneer and a Grey-Oak Knot-horn. They also had a Poplar Hawk-moth among the moths.

The Poplar Hawk-moth plus a Jersey Tiger by their Box today.

In Hampshire today, a Ruff was present on Normandy Lagoon, Pennington Marshes; a species I have yet to see this year. This was backed up here with the Lesser Yellowlegs, Long-tailed Duck, a family of Water Rail and 3 Common Sandpipers. An incredible number of Common Sandpipers were recorded at Lower Test Marshes again today with 24 birds being counted. An Osprey was reported over Fawley Refinery this morning. Yesterday, a staggering 393 Crossbills were seen flying over Luccombe on the Isle of Wight early in the morning and 188 the previous morning. An irruption year perhaps?