The Old Vicarage and Otmoor visit

Things are ticking over nicely at the Early Summer Old Vic. Tit flocks are loosely forming now with the first family party of Long-tailed Tits and there are more Blue and Great Tit young about. There is not so much song in the air presumably with birds busy feeding young and adults beginning to moult. Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps are still singing occasionally and a few bursts of other species. I haven't heard a Robin sing for days now (as dawn is so early I'm probably missing most activity).

There have been some very nice moths in the last few days but nothing particularly unusual for the garden. A couple of Silver Ys and the odd Diamond-back on the migrant front with White-points and Angle Shades which could also be migrants. The garden year list is now on 185.  The wild privet in the front garden is attracting most of the limited butterfly activity with a few Small Tortoiseshells and a couple of Red Admiral. A couple of Meadow Browns have also been flying through. 

We're getting ready to plant the Pumpkins out in the paddock and added a few plants for pollinators around. 

Meanwhile inside, the biggest changes this week are the addition of fish to the Paludarium with a mix of cichlids and mollies and also replaced the Siamese Fighter (with a pair) in the small aquarium.  

Sue visited on Sunday so we spent the morning around the garden and popped into Otmoor for an evening stroll Ebird list here . Highlights were the good numbers of Curlew (at least 23) and great to see some quality fledglings including Oystercatcher, Lapwings and Shoveler. 

Privet Hawkmoth- up to 7 Elephant, 2 Privets and singles of Poplar and Small Elephant in last few days. Also had Eyed and Lime this year so hopefully next hawk will be a migrant.  

Lappet- a stunning moth, always great to see 

A couple of glistners, Gold Spot (above) and Burnished Brass (below)

Shark 

Mottled (above) and Willow Beauty (below)- I think 

Double Square-spot 

A melanic Heart and Dart

The micro moth action is increasing a bit- still working on this rather non-descript one. Update 190622- possibly Scrobipalpa acuminatella but uncertain (thanks Stephen!)   

A parornix sp? 

Fulvous Clothes Moth

Another one yet to identify. Presumably a gelechid? Update 190622, Pine Groundling, Exoteleia dodecella (Thanks Stephen Palmer!) 

One of the Nematopogons

Spindle Ermine caterpillars 

Our Yellow-bellied Toad in the Paludarium has learned to move around the 'living' wall 

The chicks, one week on have nearly doubled in size 

All good at the mini-farm 

A fledgling Whitethroat at Otmoor 

Common Lizard at Otmoor. Also had a Grass Snake. 

Muntjac at Otmoor 

The Cichlids have arrived at the mini-zoo