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November 2015



1stA day spoilt in the main by thick fog. A short clear spell in mid-morning revealed a fewGoldcrests, five Firecrests, five Blackcaps, six Black Redstarts and a Wheatear on the ground and a Grey Wagtail, two Rock Pipits and a few Goldfinches, Siskins andRedpolls passing overhead. The Dusky Warbler was still present though remains pretty elusive.There was little movement offshore although a juvenile Pomarine Skua and a Little Gull were seen in the afternoon and a new first-winter Caspian Gull came into the offerings at the fishing boats.



Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans   first-winter   Dungeness   1st November 2015
2ndThe day began and ended with more thick fog and as usual in these conditions there was little evidence of any migration although a Dartford Warbler was seen in the Desert and five Firecrests were scattered around the Point. There was no movement offshore but the Polish-ringed Caspian Gull first seen a few days ago made a reappearance.



Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans    first-winter   Dungeness   2nd November 2015
Polish-colour-ringed bird Red with White code 65P5.
3rdThe day was dominated by a decent movement of finches during the morning but there was very little in the way of grounded migrants with just four Woodcocks, 30Goldcrests and five Firecrests of interest. Birds passing overhead included sevenBramblings, 1000 Goldfinches, 45 Siskins, 150 Redpolls and a Crossbill.There was no virtually no movement offshore but at least two Mediterranean Gullswere feeding there.
4thAfter overnight and early morning rain there was a decent scatter of grounded migrants with the highlights being a Long-eared Owl in the trapping area and a Woodlark in the Desert. Numbers were provided by 75 Goldcrests, eight Firecrests, 12 Song Thrushes and 16 Redwings.Overhead passage involved 41 Skylarks, 500 Goldfinches, 60 Siskins and 70Redpolls.
The sea was very quiet again but the Polish-ringed Caspian Gull 65P5 was seen again at the Point.
5thNot a great deal to be seen today. Good numbers of Goldfinches and 70 Redpollspassed through and four late Swallows were also seen.The sea was very quiet through the morning but improved a bit in the afternoon and ending with day totals of 232 Gannets, eight Mediterranean Gulls, 359 Kittiwakes, seven Sandwich Terns and a few auks passing westwards. A Woodcock also arrived.
6thA mostly wet and windy day with most of the interest offshore although two (an adult and a second-winter) briefly staying Caspian Gulls at the Point were the best on offer.The trapping area produced a Brambling and a flyover Rock Pipit and 4.5 hrs of seawatching resulted in a Sooty Shearwater, 1252 Gannets, an Arctic Skua, 1048Kittiwakes, a Little Gull, four Sandwich Terns and a very late Common Tern being seen.
7thMost of the interest remains offshore and at the Point with at least five first-winter Caspian Gulls being the highlight. Passage included 475 Gannets, a Pomarine Skua, two Arctic Skuas and 521 auks.
Two Caspian Gulls Larus cachinnans   first-winters   Dungeness   7th November 2015
Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans   first-winter   Dungeness   7th November 2015
Very quiet on the land with just 500 Goldfinches of note.
8thA dull and windy day with a good movement of seabirds offshore, finches and a Wood Lark overhead and plenty of gull activity at the Point with four Caspian Gulls and including a new Polish-ringed bird.
Two Caspian Gulls Larus cachinnans   first-winters   Dungeness   8th November 2015.
The right hand individual is the new Polish-ringed bird 86P5
Seawatching produced two Sooty Shearwaters, 325 Gannets, 25 Knot, a Pomarine Skua, 550 Kittiwakes, 28 Mediterranean Gulls, a Little Gull, two Sandwich Ternsand a few auks. Two Yellow-legged Gulls were also present.
Birds passing overhead included 270 Starlings, 68 Chaffinches, two Bramblings, 1350 Goldfinches, 150 Linnets and 21 Redpolls. Four Chiffchaffs were seen in the trapping area.  
9thNot a great deal to report today in very windy conditions except for the continuing passage of Caspian Gulls with a new green-ringed (XMFV and probably of eastern German or Polish origin) bird joining the throng at the Point where Caspian Gull Red 65P5 was still present along with two Yellow-legged Gulls. A few Gannets and twoSandwich Terns flew west.A Firecrest was seen in the trapping area and two Fieldfares and a few finches passed through.  
10thA miserable day of strong winds and murky, damp conditions. The only bird of note was a Pale-bellied Brent Goose which flew west at 0750hrs.
11thA fairly quiet day with three Firecrests in the trapping area and a Marsh Harrier going out to sea of note. Three Sandwich Terns were feeding offshore whilst a few other birds passing overhead included 53 Chaffinches, 11 Bramblings, 400 Goldfinches, 27 Siskins and 32 Redpolls.
12thA decent overhead passage this morning with numbers dominated by 1600 Wood Pigeons and 2675 Starlings and good numbers of finches including 55 Chaffinches, ten Bramblings and 43 Siskins and also a Wood Lark, four late Swallows and 11Tree Sparrows of note.Grounded migrants were much less in evidence but did include six Firecrests in the trapping area and 11 Chiffchaffs across the whole area.
Two first-winter Caspian Gulls (including Polish Red 65P5) came to bread this afternoon and four Mediterranean Gulls, 67 Kittiwakes and 135 auks flew west.
13thVery little to be seen on a cold, windy and at times wet day. A Woodcock at the northern end of the Long Pits, a Short-eared Owl on the beach near the fishing boats and another late Swallow were about the best on offer..
14thA walk around the Long Pits before the weather really deteriorated produced aKingfisher, three Firecrests and six Chiffchaffs whilst 500 Wood Pigeons and nineBramblings flying overhead were of note.Seawatching was fairly slow-going but eventually produce seven Red-breasted Mergansers, a Sooty Shearwater and nine Mediterranean Gulls of interest. Two adult Caspian Gulls were of note in the roost this morning.
15thA very windy day with few birds to be seen. The only birds of interest were two first-winter Caspian Gulls (including Polish 65P5again) amongst the gulls roosting/feeding at the fishing boats. A couple of Firecrests were heard un the trapping area.
16thAnother windy day with little to be seen. The only birds of note were a third-winterCaspian Gull amongst the gulls roosting on the beach and a Great Northern Diverand a Pomarine Skua which flew west offshore in the afternoon.Also of note, a Dusky Warbler was seen at Hookers Pit on the RSPB Reserve in the afternoon.
17thThree Sooty Shearwaters west offshore during the morning were the only birds of note on an increasingly windy day.The Dusky Warbler was seen at Hookers Pit on the RSPB Reserve again this morning but was very elusive.
18thIn increasingly windy conditions most of the observations were of birds offshore which included a Velvet Scoter, one Black-throated and two Great Northern Divers and three Great Skuas.
19thAnother dull, damp and windy day restricted most of the observations to the sea where nearly four hours of watching produced two Black-throated and two Great Northern Divers, a Sooty Shearwater, four Great Skuas, 298 Kittiwakes, three Mediterranean Gulls and 27 Little Gulls.
20thThe first relatively calm day for a while allowed a decent check of the land whilst there was a steady trickle of birds passing west offshore.The highlight of the day was a single Little Auk which flew west at 1100hrs but other notable bits and pieces offshore included 24 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Great Skua, 94 Kittiwakes, 35 Mediterranean Gulls and 11 Little Gulls.
Of note on the land were 11 Firecrests and six Chiffchaffs along with a small increase in thrushes including three Fieldfares and eight Song Thrushes and a few finches passing overhead including a single Brambling and 110 Goldfinches. 
The Dusky Warbler was seen at Hookers Pit on the RSPB Reserve again this morning but remains very difficult to see.
21stThe first really cold day of the autumn and a NNW wind which rapidly increased to gale-force by mid-day resulted in good numbers of birds passing offshore but made coverage on the land almost impossible.Of note on the sea were 55 Teal, four Pintails, four Tufted Ducks, 169 Common Scoters, a Velvet Scoter, two Goldeneyes, four Red-breasted Mergansers, 1428Gannets, a Pomarine Skua, 246 Kittiwakes, 50 Little Gulls (three flocks), 29Mediterranean Gulls and 1160 auks.
A Little Egret, a Snipe and 3850 Starlings also arrived from the east.
The Polish first-winter Caspian Gull (65P5) made another appearance in the afternoon.
22ndA cold and bright but calmer morning produced a mixed bag of birds offshore and a decent little arrival of birds on the land.Birds seemed to be moving in all directions offshore and included 393 Brent Geese, 91Shelducks, 210 Wigeon, eight Pintails, an Eider, 126 Common Scoters, a Velvet Scoter, a Goldeneye, four Black-throated Divers and a Great Northern Diver. 
On the land the most significant birds were 65 Blackbirds along with two Fieldfaresand four Song Thrushes whilst a Merlin, 1800 Starlings, three Bramblings, 20Goldfinches, 15 Siskins and three Redpolls passed through. Two Firecrests were seen in the trapping area and a Black Redstart was seen around the power station.
23rdA very cold, frosty morning but much quieter offshore and on the land than yesterday.The best of the seawatching were five Gadwalls, two Eiders, four Red-breasted Mergansers, 46 Red-throated Divers and 100 Kittiwakes. A new first-winter Caspian Gull was seen on the beach for a few minutes before heading off to the west.
Very quiet on the land with just a few Blackbirds in the bushes and 2500 Starlingsarriving.
24thA day of almost continuous rain and poor visibility.The only serious observations were offshore where three hours of observations produced 26 Fulmars, singles of Great and Pomarine Skuas and five Little Gulls all passing west of note.
The Polish Caspian Gull 65P5 was on the beach again.
25thVery little movement offshore but a juvenile Pomarine Skua, two Little Gulls and aMediterranean Gull were seen at the Patch in the morning and in the afternoon an adult Caspian Gull was found in the roost at the Point.



Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans   adult   Dungeness   25th November 2015
A few finches including eight Siskins and two Redpolls flew over and two Firecrestswere seen at the Long Pits.
26thVery little movement offshore but with eight Eider, two Black-throated Divers and three Mediterranean Gulls passing west of note and three Little Gulls at the Patch.Finches continue to trickle through with a Brambling, ten Siskins and sevenRedpolls of interest whilst a Green Sandpiper flying over was an unusual record. Over 1500 Starlings also arrived. Four Firecrests were seen in the trapping area and two Black Redstarts were feeding along the power station wall. 
27thA very quiet day with just two Black-throated Divers and a Purple Sandpiper passing west during the morning, two Little Gulls at the Patch and two (first-winter and second-winter) Caspian Gulls in the roost at the Point.
28thLimited coverage today but a first-winter Caspian Gull was seen at the fishing boats. .
29thVery little to be seen on a very windy and unpleasant day.
30thThe wind continues and even increased during the day. The only observations were again at the Point where a Great Northern Diver flew west and the roosting gulls included an adult and a new third-winter Caspian Gull and a third-winter and an adultYellow-legged Gull. 



Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans   third-winter   Dungeness   30th November 2015
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