19th Jan

Four Great Skuas and two Mediterranean Gulls passing  west this morning were of note but a genuine spring passage may also be getting underway with 126 Brent Geese counted during the day. Large numbers of Razorbills and Guillemots also continue to be seen.
A Firecrest was seen in the trapping area and a Black Redstart was around the Lifeboat Station.

18th Jan

Very little change. Still plenty of auks including a decent proportion of Razorbills offshore and two Great Skuas flew east. A Velvet Scoter also flew west.
A Black Redstart was seen by the Lifeboat Station.

A Common Seal was feeding offshore. 

17th Jan

Over 1000 Razorbills and a Great Skua were of note offshore this morning but it was quiet in the bushes.

A Grey Seal was feeding offshore.

16th Jan

Still plenty of birds offshore again with the highlight being eight Great Skuas.
Very quiet in the bushes although two Firecrests were found.

15th Jan

Another increase in auks numbers offshore and with a much higher proportion of Razorbills than of late. Three Great Skuas flew east and two Velvet Scoters flew west. There were also decent numbers of gulls feeding at the Patch with two first-winter Caspian Gulls and an adult Mediterranean Gull of note.
Two Chiffchaffs were found in the trapping area.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

14th Jan

A first-winter Caspian Gull and a Mediterranean Gull were feeding at the Patch and the male Black Redstart was on the wall behind the seawatch hide this morning. A Woodcock, a Firecrest and five Long-tailed Tits were seen in the trapping area.

13th Jan

A Dartford Warbler was found near the New Lighthouse, a Black Redstart was on the Power Station wall and three Long-tailed Tits were seen at the Long Pits.
Large numbers of birds continue to feed offshore with 300 Gannets and two Great Skuas in attendance and around 2000 Guillemots this morning and also a second-winter Caspian Gull at the Patch.. 

A Grey Seal was also seen.

12th Jan

A fairly quiet day in very dull conditions. Four Great Skuas heading east and a Velvet Scoter heading west were about the best the sea had to offer and just five Long-tailed Tits of interest on the land.

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen in the Desert. 

11th Jan

A first-winter Caspian Gull and an odd-looking Great Black-backed Gull were seen at the fishing boats and Guillemots continue to feed offshore in good numbers. There were also at least 90 Kittiwakes and two Great Skuas seen. Cormorants continue to be seen in huge numbers with over 3,500 seen today.

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans   first-winter   Dungeness   11th January 2019 
 (Image by James Dickerson)

Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus   Dungeness   11th January 2019
An odd-looking individual.

A search of the Trapping Area and Long Pits was fairly unproductive but a party of five Long-tailed Tits were found.

Two Grey Seals were also seen.

10th Jan

A Firecrest and five Redwings were of note in the trapping area whilst Guillemots continue to feed offshore in good numbers. A count of the Cormorants going into roost across the area this morning produced a new record total for the Observatory of 7550 birds. 

A Grey Seal was feeding offshore.