Wild Cockroach at the Old Vic

A steady few days with usual daily dramas playing out in the garden, moth trap, mini-zoo and mini-farm. Highlights have included a Variable Cockroach (a new species for the garden) and a nice selection of new for year moths and a Brown Mompha, also a new species for the garden. 

The garden birding has been steady with a welcome uptick in the size of the autumn tit flock, Ebird list from this morning HERE. Two first-winter Willow Warblers showing well today were well appreciated. 

The moth year list is now on 420 and the all time moth list is 629.

News from the mini-zoo include our Death's Head Hawkmoth eggs arrived and the tiny caterpillars have emerged and after stabilising the reef tank after a phosphate spike caused a tank crash we re-stocked today with a new mushroom coral, replaced the Cleaner Wrasse and also bought a pencil sea urchin. One of the summer holiday targets was to get back up to 100 species of 'pets' so heading in that direction. 

Obsidentify has this as Variable Cockroach, Planuncus tingitanus s.l. . News to me that there are wild cockroaches in the UK although according to Wikipedia this species complex is adventive, although I did find out in the process that there are three native cockroach species in the UK (and some other adventives too) 

Brown Mompha, Mompha miscella . If correctly identified this is a new for garden and lifer

Feathered Gothic- a welcome new for year

Centre-barred Sallow- a new for year and a sign of the approaching autumn 

Small Ranunculus- another classic mid-autumn moth which has just appeared 

Back in London this week I had the actinic out at my mum's house- the usual swarms of Jersey Tigers but nice to get Garden Tiger with them too. Also had Oak Processionary there which I didn't record at the Old Vic this year

Death's Head Hawkmoth eggs and caterpillars. We ordered these from the excellent Bugs and Butterflies supplier HERE

As the sale of the Old Vic goes through following contents valuation, antique and valuable auctions and private sales today we have started a garage sale (I've done more buying than selling)  to shift the remaining contents that we won't be taking with us