Nothing in the way of birds to report.
The highlight from the moth traps was our ninth record of Four-dotted Footman.
30th June
A Green Sandpiper and 200 Swifts flew over in the evening and a Mediterranean Gull was feeding offshore.
Sweep-netting in the Trapping Area proved productive with a Heath Shieldbug and four Mottled Shieldbugs caught along with three very large, green lacewings believed to be Nineta flava, 23 nymph Sickle-bearing Bush-crickets and a Red-thighed Bee Epeolus cruciger, A pheromone lure set in the Trapping Area caught two Lunar Hornet moths while the more conventional moth traps also produced two Bordered Straws and two Langmaid's Yellow Underwings.
29th June
A Little Egret came in off the sea and a Grey Heron flew out to sea and four Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore. A party of at least three Green Sandpipers passed over after dark.
A Grey Seal was feeding offshore and a Badger was seen in the Observatory garden.
Moth trapping produced a Beautiful Hook-tip (only the third record from the Observatory traps) along with a Shore Wainscot and an L-album Wainscot. Another example of the micro Metalampra italica was also caught. Sweep-netting in the Trapping Area produced seven nymph Sickle-bearing Bush-crickets and a nymph Southern Oak Bush-cricket.
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| Beautiful Hook-tip Laspeyria flexula Dungeness 29th June 2022 |
28th June
Very quiet with a flock of 12 Pochard and four Buzzards over the area and a Grey Wagtail passing through being the highlights.
A Grey Seal was seen offshore.
Moth trapping overnight produced two Bordered Straws whilst seep-netting in the Trapping Area produced our second records of the micros Metalampra italica and Bisignia procerella. Ten early stage Sickle-bearing Bush-crickets were also caught and six Mottled Shieldbugs were also found.
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| Bisigna procerella Dungeness 28th June 2022 Only the second Observatory record. |
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| Sickle-bearing Bush-cricket Phaneroptera falcata Dungeness 28th June 2022 Early-stage nymphs are being sweep-netted at a couple of the regular spots in the Trapping Area. |
27th June
A Serin flew over the Observatory calling twice as it went by this morning but there was very little else of interest with just a single Mediterranean Gull and 144 Swifts of any note.
Two Grey Seals and two Porpoises were feeding offshore,
Moth trapping produced a Shore Wainscot, two scarce pyralids in the form of Anania verbascalis and Nymphula nitidulata and the rare tortrix Acleris permutana.
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Nymphula nitidulata Dungeness 27th June 2022
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26th June
Very quiet with just five Mediterranean Gulls of interest.
Two Porpoises and two Grey Seals were seen offshore.
Moth trapping produced a Rest Harrow and a Freyer's Pug while another pheromone luring session for clearwings produced another Red-tipped Clearwing, a Lunar Hornet Moth and five Six-belted Clearwings.
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| Red-tipped Clearwing Synanthedon formicaeformis Dungeness 26th June 2022 |
25th June
Nine Manx Shearwaters and four Mediterranean Gulls were seen offshore and 56 Swifts and a Hobby flew over.
Five Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
Elsewhere, the day's highlight came from the ARC Pit where a Caspian Tern was present for about 50 minutes before departing to the east. This is the ninth Dungeness area record. Remarkably, what appears to be the same bird (based on small feather details) was found later in the afternoon at Minsmere in Suffolk.
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| Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia ARC Pit, Dungeness 25th June 2022 |
24th June
Twenty-one Mediterranean Gulls were seen offshore while 169 Swifts and a Hobby passed overhead.
Four Porpoises were feeding offshore.
Calm and warm conditions overnight resulted in an excellent catch of moth in the traps. Of particular note were our sixth record of Wood Carpet, Rest Harrow, our first Sussex Emeralds of the summer, our fifth-ever Green Silver-lines (and following one a few days ago), an Oak Nycteoline and our fifth record of the rare immigrant Scarce Black Arches. However, the most unlikely record was that of a small white moth potted at one of the lights at 0115hrs which proved very difficult to identify but is now believed to be the tortricoid moth Eana argentana. This species is only known to breed in in Britain from a single glen in Scotland and with no confirmed records outside of this glen. It may therefore be the first English record.
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| Eana argentana ? Dungeness 24th June 2022 (Subject to confirmation) |
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| Scarce Black Arches Nola aerugula Dungeness 24th June 2022 |
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| Sussex Emerald Thalera fimbrialis Dungeness 24th June 2022 |
23rd June
There were signs of some movement today with the highlight being a Serin which was seen on several occasions during the morning but was always elusive and mobile. Other bits and pieces included a Little Ringed Plover, four Curlews, six Mediterranean Gulls, a Hobby, 114 Swifts and four Sand Martins.
Seven Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
A decent catch of moths but nothing too exceptional other than our fifth record of Clouded Buff. Other potential migrants included a Dark Sword-grass and Cherry-tree Ermine.
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| Clouded Buff Diacrisia sannio Dungeness 23rd June 2022 |
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