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2019 Subscriptions

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20th Mar

A damp start to the day encouraged a decent arrival of early migrants through the day with a Woodcock, 35 Chiffchaffs, four Firecrests, 75 Redwings and 13 Wheatears on the ground. Great Tits were also very noticeable with several very pale (continental?) birds among them. 
It was pretty quiet offshore although several hours of watching produced 98 Red-throated Divers, a Mediterranean Gull and an Arctic Skua of note.



Great Tit Parus major   Dungeness   20th March 2019
Several migrant birds appeared to be moving through the area this morning. Five birds were trapped in the Moat and
were noticeably paler yellow below than usual and the upperparts were very grey.

Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe   Dungeness   20th March 2019
 
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19th Mar

A bright and sunny day with light SW winds. Not a great deal of change with a Buzzard, 18 Chiffchaffs, six Firecrests, two Wheatears and a Bullfinch of note.

Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla   Dungeness   19th March 2019

Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis   Dungeness   19th March 2019
This is always a scarce visitor to the back garden feeders.
At least 50 Sandwich Terns and a Mediterranean Gull passed eastwards.

 The first Small White butterfly of the year was seen. 

 A Stoat and a Brown Hare were seen.
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18th Mar

A calm morning at last but just a handful of migrants on the land and very little movement offshore.
Eight Firecrests, ten Chiffchaffs, a Wheatear, and a Brambling were of note on the land. A party of four Buzzards also flew over.
A Velvet Scoter, 32 Sandwich Terns and a Great Skua were of note offshore.

Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla   Dungeness   18th March 2019
Two Porpoises were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen near the railway station.
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17th Mar

Brighter conditions than of late although still with a cold wind resulted in a small arrival of migrants  with two Woodcock, four Wheatears, 20 Chiffchaffs and eight Firecrests of note. At least three Black Redstarts and ten Stonechats were also present.
Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe   Dungeness   17th March 2019

Stonechat Saxicola rubicola    Dungeness   17th March 2019
Although not as distinctive as some individuals this bird may well be of the continental subspecies rubicola.
Very quiet offshore other than an early movement of scoters with 176 Commons and three Velvet Scoters and also a Great Skua of note.

 Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.

 The recording areas only patch of Primrose is now in full flower in the trapping area.
Promrose Primula vulgaris   Dungeness   17th March 2019

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16th Mar

Another very windy and occasionally wet day. Seawatching was the main feature again with 4.5hrs of observations producing 612 Brent Geese up-channel and a Shelduck, two Mallard, 164 Fulmars, 305 Gannets and seven Great Skuas. The Czech-ringed Caspian Gull and three Yellow-legged Gulls were among the masses of gulls feeding along the shoreline.


Great Skua Stercorarius skua   Dungeness   16th December 2019
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The land was barely covered in the poor conditions but a Merlin and a White Wagtail were seen near the Lifeboat Station.

 There was an obvious increase in Porpoise numbers with at least ten feeding off the fishing boats. A Common Seal was also present.

 I have also just received details of one of our Lesser Redpolls ringed here on 28th October 2017 and seen again at Whitehead, Antrim, Northern Ireland on 20th February 2019. A duration of 480 days and a distance travelled of 619km.
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15th Mar

The run of dismal weather continues and induced a bit of offshore movement although it was mostly down-channel with eight Wigeon, 256 Fulmars and 634 Gannets of note while 184 Brent Geese flew up-channel. Large numbers of gulls continue to feed along the shoreline with two Caspian Gulls and two Yellow-legged Gulls of note.
A Snipe, six Chiffchaffs and two Firecrests were of note on the land.
Caspian Gull Larus cachinanns   Dungeness   15th March 2019
The Czech-ringed bird was first seen at Dungeness on 5th December 2018
Two Porpoises were feeding close inshore.
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14th Mar

A wet and windy start to the day but sunny in the afternoon. Most of the interest was among the large numbers of gulls feeding on the masses of sealife being washed up onto the beach. The highlights were four Caspian Gull (all first-winter and including a Czech colour-ringed individual which had been seen here previously on 5th December last year. Also in the melee were four Mediterranean Gulls and four Yellow-legged Gulls. There was little sign of any movement offshore with just 26 Fulmars of any note.

 A Woodcock was seen in the trapping area and six Chiffchaffs, two Firecrests and five Goldcrests were scattered across the area.

 Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.
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13th Mar

Another very quiet day with fresh to strong, cold NW winds. A Snipe and a Firecrest were the only birds of note.
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12th Mar

The wet and very windy weather continues. There was a decent movement of birds offshore this morning with 849 Brent Geese, five Gadwall, seven Pintails, two Mediterranean Gulls and six Great Skuas of note but limited observations on the land to a Firecrest and a Chiffchaff.

 One Porpoise was seen offshore.
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11th Mar

Another pretty quiet day with the continuing strong and cold NW wind. Two Chiffchaffs were seen at the Long Pits and a Firecrest was seen in the trapping area.

 Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.
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