A few migrants at the Old Vic

Been a few migrants round here since the last update, on the bird front there's been a Spotted Flycatcher today,  fly over Yellow Wagtails, Chiffs and Willow Warblers and presumably the local Swallows and House Martins. I had a Yellowhammer flying over calling a couple of days ago. Also had the first Grey Wagtail in a long time this morning and also the first Raven in a while. Latest garden Ebird count HERE. The garden tit flock doesn't seem as large as in previous autumns. This is all I could see yesterday HERE whereas in previous years it's been three or four times the size. Particularly noticeable is the lack of Great Tits and the relatively low numbers of Long-tailed Tits with Blue Tits doing most of the work with keeping the numbers up. 

A few bits on the moth migrant front too with Vestal, Rusty-dot Pearl and Rush Veneer with good numbers of Turnips, White-points and Angle Shades too. The moth year list is 415 species and all time garden list is an unverified 627. 

On the mini-farm front the sweetcorn is ripe and ready and our experiment with the crucifers has also paid off with plenty of brussels, cabbages and one cauliflower maturing nicely despite zero pest control (although the same approach with the peppers and chillies has proved to be largely sacrificial). Also been harvesting apples and plums and making crumbles. 

In the sun today (one of the few sun worshipping days this summer) there's been a Ruddy Darter, Red Admirals, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Common and Holly Blues and Small Whites around the garden. There's also been a Migrant Hawker around in recent evenings. 

Spotted Flycatcher- not seen the breeding birds round here in weeks so presumably a migrant today

Vestal- the first for the year. This time last year we had already had about 6 or so. 

Crescent is a rare visitor to the garden

Coxcomb Prominent is another rare moth for us here

Poplar Kitten- both Sallow and Poplar Kittens are out at the moment. Poplar is larger with a straighter outer cross line/border to the dark band.  

Pale Eggar was also a new for year

This is what is mainly in the moth trap nowadays- Large Yellow Underwings. Getting over 300 moths a night and a lot of them are these. 

Wax moth- another recent NFY

Small Dotted Buff- another scarce garden visitor from this week 

Closest I can get to this is Poplar Cosmet- a large gelechid whatever it is

Bordered Carl, Coptotriche marginea (I think) 

Black-headed Conch 

Dark Fruit Tree Tortix (I think) 

The Walnuts are also ready but we don't get a look in 

Jacob with the biggest apple in the yard