31st Dec
Still plenty of birds feeding offshore and including an adult Caspian Gull and nine Mediterranean Gulls. A Jack Snipe was flushed from the track to the Long Pits.
30th Dec
A nice day but not a great deal to report. Three Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore along with large numbers of Red-throated Divers, Great Crested Grebes and Guillemots. Two Firecrests were seen in the Moat and a Raven flew over the area.
29th Dec
There were plenty of birds offshore again with many moving east this morning and then feeding offshore in the afternoon. Of note were 109 Brent Geese, 15 Wigeon, three Red-breasted Mergansers, 600 Red-throated Divers, five Mediterranean Gulls and 2900 Guillemots, A flock of 58 Turnstones were roosting on the beach.
A Brown Hare was seen at the entrance to the estate and single Common and Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
A Brown Hare was seen at the entrance to the estate and single Common and Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
28th Dec
There was a decent, mainly easterly, movement of birds offshore this morning including 422 Brent Geese, 54 Wigeon, three Velvet Scoters, 42 Red-breasted Mergansers (west), 695 Red-throated Divers, a Little Gull, eight Mediterranean Gulls, 867 Guillemots and 933 auks.
Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen.
Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen.
27th Dec
Very quiet in miserable weather with a Mediterranean Gull and a first-winter Caspian Gull being the highlights.
26th Dec
The feeding station is even more awash, wellies are a necessity. An unexpected visitor to the peanuts this morning was a Great Spotted Woodpecker which flushed off the cloud of Great and Blue Tits that were enjoying the nuts.
25th Dec
The morning seawatch produced five Wigeon, two Velvet Scoters, 152 Red-throated Divers and eight Mediterranean Gulls of note.
A Porpoise was also feeding offshore.
A Porpoise was also feeding offshore.
24th Dec
An hour seawatch this morning produced two Red-breasted Mergansers, seven Fulmars, 118 Gannets and 293 Guillemots of note.
23rd Dec
An hour seawatch this morning produced four Fulmars, 280 Guillemots and 204 auk species. Very quiet on the land with just a Raven on one of the pylons of interest.
22nd Dec
A much better day after another wet and windy night. A 90 minute seawatch this morning saw 208 Red-throated Divers, 269 Gannets and 780 auks fly west. In the evening over 200 Kittiwakes were gathered offshore.
Singles of Porpoise, Grey Seal and Common Seal were seen.
Singles of Porpoise, Grey Seal and Common Seal were seen.
21st Dec
A visit to the feeding station this morning to refill was followed by a pleasant half hour watching the birds flitting round the feeders. They were mostly Great and Blue Tits but a Robin and a few Chaffinches joined in, mainly on the sprinkles. The maximum number on the large peanut feeder was 14 at any one time. Watch the action on this brief video.
19th Dec
A light to fresh southerly wind today encouraged another and bigger easterly movement of Brent Geese with 1816 counted during the day. Other birds were fairly sparse but did include 13 Wigeon, seven Red-breasted Mergansers, 58 Kittiwakes west, 320 Red-throated Diver west and 38 east, seven Mediterranean Gulls west and another nine feeding at the Patch and 500 Guillemots west. A first-winter Caspian Gull was also feeding at the Patch this morning.
A Firecrest and a few Long-tailed Tits were seen in the trapping area.
Singles of Common and Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
A Firecrest and a few Long-tailed Tits were seen in the trapping area.
Singles of Common and Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
18th Dec
A change in the wind to a light SE induced an easterly movement of Brent Geese with 547 birds in two hours this morning along with three Red-breasted Mergansers and a sickly-looking Great Skua. A third-winter Caspian Gull and a Yellow-legged Gull were seen at the Patch and ten Mediterranean Gulls were also seen during the morning.
A Common Seal was feeding offshore.
A Common Seal was feeding offshore.
17th Dec
A slow day with just two Caspian Gulls (second- and third-winters) and a second-winter Yellow-legged Gull being seen offshore of any note.
A Grey Seal was also feeding offshore.
We also received details of an interesting (if unfortunate) ringing recovery today which involved a Song Thrush ringed at the Observatory this year on 6th October and sadly shot 49 days later at Marcilla, Navarra, SPAIN on 24th November. A distance of 978km SSW.
A Grey Seal was also feeding offshore.
We also received details of an interesting (if unfortunate) ringing recovery today which involved a Song Thrush ringed at the Observatory this year on 6th October and sadly shot 49 days later at Marcilla, Navarra, SPAIN on 24th November. A distance of 978km SSW.
16th Dec
Yet another wet and fairly breezy day. The Patch and shoreline was heaving with gulls with at least six Caspian Gulls and four Yellow-legged Gulls being seen.
A Firecrest and a Chiffchaff were seen at the Long Pits.
Elsewhere, two Long-tailed Ducks on Scotney Pit were new arrivals.
A Firecrest and a Chiffchaff were seen at the Long Pits.
Elsewhere, two Long-tailed Ducks on Scotney Pit were new arrivals.
15th Dec
More of the same with wet and windy conditions continuing to produce a steady westerly flow of Gannets, Red-throated Divers, four Fulmars and a few auks. Two Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore and two Caspian Gulls (first-winter and second-winter) came into the roost at the Point.
Elsewhere, at least five Caspian Gulls roosted on Burrowes Pit this evening and a Siberian Chiffchaff and two Firecrests were showing in front of the Firth Hide. The two Whooper Swans were still feeding with the large flock of Mute Swans at Dengemarsh and the Slavonian Grebe was still on the pit south of the caravan park at Scotney.
Elsewhere, at least five Caspian Gulls roosted on Burrowes Pit this evening and a Siberian Chiffchaff and two Firecrests were showing in front of the Firth Hide. The two Whooper Swans were still feeding with the large flock of Mute Swans at Dengemarsh and the Slavonian Grebe was still on the pit south of the caravan park at Scotney.
14th Dec
More wind and rain. Seawatching was pretty quiet other than large numbers of Gannets moving west. A Shelduck, two Red-breasted Mergansers and two Mediterranean Gulls also passed west.
A Brown Hare was seen again.
A Brown Hare was seen again.
13th Dec
Most of the coverage was at the Point where several hours seawatching produced 295 Red-throated Divers, a Great Northern Diver, around 800 Gannets, a Little Egret came in, 12 Knot, a first-winter Mediterranean Gull, a Sandwich Tern and a Pomarine Skua. At least one first-winter Caspian Gull was on the beach along with a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull. A Merlin was also hunting around the fishing boats.
A Brown Hare was also seen.
In addition I have just received details of an interesting colour-ringed Herring Gull seen at the Point on the 10th December 2019 which had been ringed as a first-year bird at Tampere, FINLAND on 9th July 2017. It was then seen in Germany and Holland in 2018 and was last seen at Utrecht in Holland on 5th November 2019. I think this is the first Finnish Herring Gull to be recorded at Dungeness.
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| Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans first-winter Dungeness 13th December 2019 |
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| Brown Hare Lepus europeaus Dungeness 13th December 2019 |
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| Herring Gull Larus argentatus C422A third-winter Dungeness 10th December 2019 |
12th Dec
Another miserable morning which got steadily worse during the day. Seawatching produced four Shelduck, 800 Gannets and 160 auks but the unlikely highlight was a Coot which floated east past the seawatch hide. A second-winter Caspian Gull came in briefly to the offerings of bread.
A Firecrest was seen at the Long Pits.
A Grey Seal was seen offshore.
A Firecrest was seen at the Long Pits.
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| Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans second-winter Dungeness 12th December 2019 |
11th Dec
A fairly quiet seawatch this morning but 34 Mediterranean Gull passed through and a Shag and a first-winter Caspian Gull and an adult Yellow-legged Gull were feeding off the fishing boats.
A Common Seal was also seen offshore.
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| Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis Dungeness 11th December 2019 |
10th Dec
Another miserable day of increasingly strong winds and then heavy rain. Seawatching continued to provide good numbers of Gannets and Kittiwakes and two Red-breasted Mergansers, a Mediterranean Gull, a Little Gull and a Great Skua of note.
A Porpoise was feeding offshore.
A Porpoise was feeding offshore.
9th Dec
Very little to report. Red-throated Divers, Gannets and auks continued to move west this morning and a Velvet Scoter was also seen.
The Glossy Ibis was still being seen around Boulderwall but very elusive.
The Glossy Ibis was still being seen around Boulderwall but very elusive.
8th Dec
Another 2.5 hour seawatch this morning was quite good with seven Velvet Scoters, 398 Red-throated Divers, five Fulmars, 420 Gannets, 27 Kittiwakes and a Great Skua of note.
Elsewhere, a Glossy Ibis arrived on the RSPB Reserve and the two Whooper Swans were still at Dengemarsh. At least 11 Caspian Gulls were seen on Burrowes during the day.
Elsewhere, a Glossy Ibis arrived on the RSPB Reserve and the two Whooper Swans were still at Dengemarsh. At least 11 Caspian Gulls were seen on Burrowes during the day.
7th Dec
A 2.5 hour seawatch this morning produced a Great Northern Diver, 388 Red-throated Divers, a Grey Plover, two Little Gulls, ten Mediterranean Gulls, a Great Skua and a few auks heading west of note.
It was very quiet on the land although a Blackcap was seen in a private garden and the female Pheasant was seen again. House Sparrow is a species which doesn't normally make an appearance on this page but a flock of around 80 birds in the Observatory garden was pretty unusual.
A Grey Seal and a Porpoise were feeding offshore.
It was very quiet on the land although a Blackcap was seen in a private garden and the female Pheasant was seen again. House Sparrow is a species which doesn't normally make an appearance on this page but a flock of around 80 birds in the Observatory garden was pretty unusual.
A Grey Seal and a Porpoise were feeding offshore.
6th Dec
A thoroughly miserable day with strong winds and almost continuous rain all day. Seawatching this morning produced two Shovelers, six Velvet Scoters and eight Fulmars of note while a check of the Patch this afternoon showed three Caspian Gulls and an adult Mediterranean Gull. The weather prevented any sensible coverage of the land.
Elsewhere, the swan flock feeding next to the dung heap at Dengemarsh now holds two Whooper Swans and four Bewick's Swans.
Elsewhere, the swan flock feeding next to the dung heap at Dengemarsh now holds two Whooper Swans and four Bewick's Swans.
5th Dec
A nice but very cold day which produced very little other than a Mediterranean Gull offshore.
4th Dec
Two Jack Snipe were flushed from the large areas of floodwater at the Long Pits and a Firecrest was seen in the trapping area.
Large numbers of gulls were feeding at the Patch but were difficult to get good views of and only one first-winter Caspian Gull and two Mediterranean Gull were of note.
Large numbers of gulls were feeding at the Patch but were difficult to get good views of and only one first-winter Caspian Gull and two Mediterranean Gull were of note.
3rd Dec
Despite a good search of the land there was little of note to be seen other than three Snipe. The sea was also quiet.
2nd Dec
A cold, bright morning brought an easterly movement of Red-throated Diver with 433 birds in two hours along with two Velvet Scoters. Huge numbers of gulls were feeding at the Patch and included three first-winter Caspian Gulls and a Yellow-legged Gull.
The land also produced a few bits and pieces with a Jack Snipe, two Snipe, a Woodcock, two Merlins and a Firecrest of note. A Little Grebe was also seen on the southern Long Pit.
The land also produced a few bits and pieces with a Jack Snipe, two Snipe, a Woodcock, two Merlins and a Firecrest of note. A Little Grebe was also seen on the southern Long Pit.
1st Dec
The Patch finally seems to be back in full working order with large numbers of gulls feeding there this morning. The highlights were a minimum of ten Caspian Gulls along with three Yellow-legged Gulls and two Mediterranean Gulls. The early seawatch produced four Velvet Scoters and an Eider of note.
30th Nov
Two first-winter Caspian Gulls (including X86C) were feeding at the Patch this morning and four Red-breasted Mergansers and seven Mediterranean Gulls flew west but not much else was seen. A Jack Snipe was seen in the trapping area and the female Pheasant was seen again.
A Brown Hare was seen near the Sanctuary.
A Brown Hare was seen near the Sanctuary.
29th Nov
A Dartford Warbler in the Station Gorse was the highlight of the birds on the land. The sea was very quiet except for huge numbers of Cormorants with at least 2534 birds seen.
It is still fairly quiet around the general area but four Cattle Egrets are being seen regularly around Boulderwall and the occasional Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls can usually be seen on Burrowes.
It is still fairly quiet around the general area but four Cattle Egrets are being seen regularly around Boulderwall and the occasional Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls can usually be seen on Burrowes.
28th Nov
A bright and dry day for a change. The morning seawatching produced an Eider, 66 Red-throated Divers, a Shag, 744 Gannets, 88 Kittiwakes, 11 Mediterranean Gulls, a Great Skua and 246 auks. A Rock Pipit was also seen on the beach while a Redpoll flew over the trapping area.
27th Nov
Yet another very miserable day with strong winds and almost continuous rain. The sea was very quiet other than a steady trickle of Gannets and Kittiwakes. An adult Caspian Gull was briefly among the birds roosting on the beach where a Merlin was also hunting.
Also very quiet on the land except for a Brambling at the feeding station in the trapping area.
Also very quiet on the land except for a Brambling at the feeding station in the trapping area.
26th Nov
Another miserable day with just a steady trickle of Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks moving west. Two Caspian Gulls (the regular colour ringed first-winter X86C and a new third-winter) on the beach but neither coming to bread.
25th Nov
Another miserable day but fresh southerly winds produced a decent movement of birds with a Red-breasted Merganser, a Black-throated Diver, over 1000 Gannets, 258 Kittiwakes, a Mediterranean Gull, three Sandwich Terns, three Great Skuas and two Pomarine Skua of note. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was among the gulls on the beach.
A Hummingbird Hawkmoth was a surprise find in the moth trap this morning.
A Hummingbird Hawkmoth was a surprise find in the moth trap this morning.
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| Hummingbird Hawkmoth Macroglossum stellatarum Dungeness 25th November 2019 |
24th Nov
Fresh southerly winds again produced a bit of movement offshore with six Shelducks, 18 Wigeon, five Red-breasted Mergansers, 500 Gannets, five Dunlin, 230 Kittiwakes and 320 auks. A Merlin was also hunting offshore.
It was quiet on the land with just five Snipe and three Chiffchaffs in the area.
I also played the Audiomoth last night with six hours of recording producing a Lapwing, two groups of Golden Plover, 14 Dunlin, a Snipe, 17 Blackbirds, 80 Redwings and seven Song Thrushes. There were also 12 series of calls which sounded like Stone-curlew again.
A Grey Seal and a Porpoise were seen.
23rd Nov
Birds seen offshore today included five Red-breasted Mergansers, 514 Gannets, 91 Kittiwakes, a Little Gull, a Sandwich Tern and an Arctic Skua. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was roosting at the fishing boats.
A quick check of the trapping area produced a Chiffchaff, three Firecrests, five Goldcrests, 12 Long-tailed Tits, four Redwings and two Redpolls.
A quick check of the trapping area produced a Chiffchaff, three Firecrests, five Goldcrests, 12 Long-tailed Tits, four Redwings and two Redpolls.
22nd Nov
Fresh southerly winds again resulted in a bit of an increase in offshore passage with four Eiders, five Fulmars, 470 Gannets, three Mediterranean Gulls, ten Sandwich Terns and around 500 auks. A Merlin was also seen.
21st Nov
A cold, very dull day with very little change. Seawatching produced just two Mediterranean Gulls, four Sandwich Terns and a Great Skua. A Woodcock, a Chiffchaff, a Firecrest and six Redwings were the best on offer on the land.
20th Nov
It remains very quiet with just two Snipe and a Chiffchaff in the trapping area and three Eiders and two Sandwich Terns offshore of interest.
17th Nov
The highlight of what was otherwise another quiet day was a Pallas's Warbler in the moat seen for a few minutes by a handful of observers in mid-morning. A couple of Firecrests were also feeding in the moat.
The only birds of note offshore were a Shag and two late Sandwich Terns and an adult Yellow-legged Gull was feeding at the fishing boats.
I ran the AudioMoth sound recorder again last night and recorded a few Redwings, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Dunlin, Snipe and remarkably a Stone-curlew. Presumably this is likely to be the bird found this morning on the shingle beach at Greatstone. What's even more surprising is that this is the second time that this pattern of events has occurred this autumn with the bird seen at the back of ARC on 29th October being preceded by calls recorded during the night before.
The only birds of note offshore were a Shag and two late Sandwich Terns and an adult Yellow-legged Gull was feeding at the fishing boats.
I ran the AudioMoth sound recorder again last night and recorded a few Redwings, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Dunlin, Snipe and remarkably a Stone-curlew. Presumably this is likely to be the bird found this morning on the shingle beach at Greatstone. What's even more surprising is that this is the second time that this pattern of events has occurred this autumn with the bird seen at the back of ARC on 29th October being preceded by calls recorded during the night before.
16th Nov
A generally quiet day but also a few notable birds including a Woodcock, a first-winter Caspian Gull at the Patch and a Dartford Warbler.
15th Nov
Another cold, mainly wet day. There was a trickle of birds moving offshore with eight Teal, 23 Wigeon, three Pintails, four Eiders and five Sandwich Terns. The Patch finally seems to be in operation again and attracting good numbers of gulls with a Mediterranean Gull, four Caspian Gulls (two first-winter and two second-winter) and a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull. More unusual was a party of three Goosanders feeding in the disturbed water.
A few finches passed through with 50 Chaffinches and 40 Goldfinches and a Merlin and two Firecrests were of note on the land.
A Grey Seal and a Common Seal were feeding offshore.
We have also had the results back from Martin Collinson/Thomas Shannon at Aberdeen University on the DNA analysis of a couple of birds ringed here at the end of October. These confirmed that a Chiffchaff caught on 28th October was indeed a Siberian ssp tristis. and an "eastern" Lesser Whitethroat caught on 30th October was (as suggested at the time) of the ssp halimondendri and now called Central Asian Lesser Whitethroat.
A few finches passed through with 50 Chaffinches and 40 Goldfinches and a Merlin and two Firecrests were of note on the land.
A Grey Seal and a Common Seal were feeding offshore.
We have also had the results back from Martin Collinson/Thomas Shannon at Aberdeen University on the DNA analysis of a couple of birds ringed here at the end of October. These confirmed that a Chiffchaff caught on 28th October was indeed a Siberian ssp tristis. and an "eastern" Lesser Whitethroat caught on 30th October was (as suggested at the time) of the ssp halimondendri and now called Central Asian Lesser Whitethroat.
14th Nov
Another quiet morning - autumn really does seem to be coming to an end. Three hours of seawatching produced four Red-breasted Mergansers, two Mediterranean Gulls, 145 Kittiwakes, eight Sandwich Terns and singles of Great and Arctic Skua. On the land a couple each of Chiffchaff and Firecrest were the only notable birds.
A Grey Seal was feeding offshore.
An example of what I believe to be Rhodotus palmatus was found on a dead branch of Elm at the southern end of the trapping area. This appears to be a fairly scarce fungus at a national level and a new species for the Observatory area.
A Grey Seal was feeding offshore.
An example of what I believe to be Rhodotus palmatus was found on a dead branch of Elm at the southern end of the trapping area. This appears to be a fairly scarce fungus at a national level and a new species for the Observatory area.
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| Rhodotus palmatus Dungeness 14th November 2019 |
13th Nov
A bright and calm but generally quiet morning. The best of a few birds on the land were a Green Sandpiper on the pools in the flooded trapping area, eight Chiffchaffs, a Firecrest, a Brambling and two Bullfinches.
There were a few Common Darters still on the wing.
There were a few Common Darters still on the wing.
12th Nov
A very quiet day with just a late Swallow at the fishing boats and a Firecrest, three Chiffchaffs and a Bullfinch on the land of note.
11th Nov
Most of the interest was offshore again with a juvenile Pomarine Skua and a Little Auk this morning along with 257 Kittiwakes, three Mediterranean Gulls, ten Sandwich Terns and a Great Skua during the day. Three Merlins, four Chiffchaffs, a Grey Wagtail and a Rock Pipit were about the best on offer on the land.
A Common Seal and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
A Common Seal and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
10th Nov
Seawatching in the fresh easterly breeze produced a surprising total of 86 Sandwich Terns heading into the wind this morning along with a Black-throated Diver, 109 Kiittiwakes and three Great Skuas while a Great Northern Diver flew west in the afternoon.
A briefly seen Long-eared Owl was the best of a handful of birds seen on the land which also included a Marsh Harrier and five Firecrests.
A briefly seen Long-eared Owl was the best of a handful of birds seen on the land which also included a Marsh Harrier and five Firecrests.
9th Nov
Seawatching produced a few interesting bits and pieces with a Long-tailed Duck, a Black-throated Diver, 18 Sandwich Terns and a Great Skua of note.
Very quiet on the land with just 19 Stock Doves, a Firecrest, a few Blackbirds, a Fieldfare and a Brambling of interest.
A Weasel was seen.
A late Painted Lady was also seen.
Very quiet on the land with just 19 Stock Doves, a Firecrest, a few Blackbirds, a Fieldfare and a Brambling of interest.
A Weasel was seen.
A late Painted Lady was also seen.
7th Nov
The morning seawatch produced five Teal, two Mediterranean Gulls, two Sandwich Terns and two Great Skuas and later in the day, a drake Goosander of note while five Swallows, a Firecrest, 20 Redwing and a Rock Pipit were the best on offer on the land.
Two Porpoises and singles of Grey and Common Seal were feeding offshore.
Two Porpoises and singles of Grey and Common Seal were feeding offshore.
6th Nov
There was a trickle of birds overhead and offshore but very little in the way of grounded migrants. Highlights on the land included a Great White Egret (feeding in the flood waters in the Desert), three Marsh Harriers, a Buzzard, a Woodcock, four Merlins, five Bramblings, five Rock Pipits and six Redpolls of note. The Shore Lark was still at the fishing boats.
Four hours of seawatching produced a female Goosander, 327 Kittiwakes, three Little Gulls, two Mediterranean Gulls, 12 Sandwich Terns, a Great and an Arctic Skua and best of all, a lone Little Auk in the afternoon.
Four hours of seawatching produced a female Goosander, 327 Kittiwakes, three Little Gulls, two Mediterranean Gulls, 12 Sandwich Terns, a Great and an Arctic Skua and best of all, a lone Little Auk in the afternoon.
5th Nov
After heavy overnight rain the day itself was very pleasant but generally quiet for birds. The Shore Lark continues to show very well around the puddles at the fishing boats and five Firecrests and two Blackcaps were seen in the bushes. Seven Swallows, three Bramblings and a handful of Siskins and Redpolls flew over.
Very quiet offshore other than a steady passage of Razorbills.
The feeding station in the trapping area was stocked with food for the first time this autumn having been abandoned since April. It was interesting to see just how quickly the Great and Blue Tits and Chaffinches discovered the food with five minutes between walking away from the feeders and the first visits by birds.
Very quiet offshore other than a steady passage of Razorbills.
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| Shore Lark Eremophila alpestris Dungeness 2nd (top) and 5th (bottom) November 2019 Quite a contrast in its appearance during the storm conditions of last Saturday and today. |
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| Feeding Station |
4th Nov
A calm and dry first few hours but then extremely wet for most of the rest of the day. There were a few migrants in the bushes with 70 Goldcrests, 11 Firecrests, ten Chiffchaffs, two Blackcaps, two Bullfinches and the highlight of a Yellow-browed Warbler at the Long Pits. The Shore Lark was still feeding around the puddles at the fishing boats. There was also some visible migration including 28 Skylarks, four Swallows, three Bramblings, 28 Redpolls and 11 Siskins.
A White-speck moth was trapped overnight.
A Brown Hare was seen in the Desert.
A White-speck moth was trapped overnight.
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| White-speck Mythimna unipuncta Dungeness 4th November 2019 |
3rd Nov
A pleasant morning after yesterdays storm with a decent movement of birds both offshore and overhead and a few birds in the bushes.
The morning seawatching produced ten Egyptian Geese, two Velvet Scoters, 39 Mediterranean Gulls, 22 Sandwich Terns, two Great Skuas, a juvenile Pomarine Skua and 483 Razorbills of note.
The Shore Lark was still feeding at the fishing boats while the bushes held at least ten Chiffchaffs, 17 Firecrests and 120 Goldcrests. Birds moving overhead included seven Sparrowhawks, a flock of 400 Golden Plovers, 128 Skylarks, four Swallows, 78 Chaffinches, two Bramblings, 16 Siskins and 48 Redpolls.
Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore and a Stoat was seen on the land.
The morning seawatching produced ten Egyptian Geese, two Velvet Scoters, 39 Mediterranean Gulls, 22 Sandwich Terns, two Great Skuas, a juvenile Pomarine Skua and 483 Razorbills of note.
The Shore Lark was still feeding at the fishing boats while the bushes held at least ten Chiffchaffs, 17 Firecrests and 120 Goldcrests. Birds moving overhead included seven Sparrowhawks, a flock of 400 Golden Plovers, 128 Skylarks, four Swallows, 78 Chaffinches, two Bramblings, 16 Siskins and 48 Redpolls.
Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore and a Stoat was seen on the land.
2nd Nov
A dismal day once the weather closed in with storm force winds and prolonged rain. Very little of interest with the Shore Lark and the long-staying colour-ringed Caspian Gull still on the beach for much of the day and a couple of Firecrests in the moat.
1st Nov
A day with almost constant rain and fresh to strong southerly winds. There were large numbers of 'crests including 10 Firecrests and a handful of Chiffchaffs, Blackbirds and Black Redstarts. The Shore Lark was still feeding around the puddles at the fishing boats. A few birds were also moving offshore with three Pintails, four Red-breasted Mergansers, three Mediterranean and four Little Gulls, 36 Sandwich Terns and singles of Great and Arctic Skuas of note.
One Porpoise was feeding offshore.
One Porpoise was feeding offshore.
31st Oct
A day of oddities rather than large numbers (except for 1000 Goldfinches) and the Shore Lark still present on the beach at the fishing boats. The oddities included a Woodcock, a Little Owl in the trapping area, a Dartford Warbler in the Desert, 15 Firecrests and flyover Bearded Tit, Twite (two), and Lapland Bunting.
A Grey Seal was seen offshore.
A late Hummingbird Hawkmoth was seen at the Lighthouse Garden.
Finally, today saw the end of two seasons work by Jacques Turner-Moss as Assistant Warden. A big thank-you to Jacques for all the hard work he has put in collecting data and ringing birds for the Observatory, helping to welcome guests and day visitors, sharing the Observatory work with them and representing the Observatory in many other ways.
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| Shore Lark Eremophila alpestris Dungeness 31st October 2019 |
A late Hummingbird Hawkmoth was seen at the Lighthouse Garden.
Finally, today saw the end of two seasons work by Jacques Turner-Moss as Assistant Warden. A big thank-you to Jacques for all the hard work he has put in collecting data and ringing birds for the Observatory, helping to welcome guests and day visitors, sharing the Observatory work with them and representing the Observatory in many other ways.
Staying at the Observatory
Autumn migration is here. As well as birds there are moths and crickets to enjoy. Why not join us for a few nights and experience it for yourself. Spaces available, just check out the website for details.
30th Oct
Strong easterly winds and heavy cloud this morning produced another small arrival of birds with 20 Firecrests, six Mistle Thrushes and a few Blackbirds and the highlight of a "lesser whitethroat" which showed all the features of one of the eastern races. At this stage it seems likely to be a 'Central Asian Lesser Whitethroat" Sylvia curruca halimondendri rather than the more expected blythi. Features which support this identification include the sandy brown upperparts extending over the nape and on to the crown, extensive pure white in the outer tail feathers, a short wing measurement of 63mm, a short 2nd primary falling between primaries 7 and 8 and a short primary extension. This subspecies was added to the British list in the latest report of the British Birds Rarities Committee with details of just eight records. A few feathers were dislodged during the handling process and DNA analysis of these will hopefully provide conclusive proof so watch this space.
In addition, the Shore Lark had returned to its feeding site at the fishing boats where it was also trapped and ringed this evening.
A few looks atthe sea were generally disappointing but three Sandwich Terns were still lingering offshore.
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| Central Asian Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca halimondendri Dungeness 30th October 2019 |
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| Shore Lark Eremophila alpestris Dungeness 30th October 2019 |
29th Oct
A cold and strong N wind veering easterly during the day made for difficult viewing conditions but there were a few birds in the bushes and plenty offshore. The highlight of the day was a Shore Lark which spent about 30 minutes on the beach at the fishing boats before it was flushed and flew off to the north - the first Observatory record of this species since 2005.
Other notable birds on the land included a Wood Lark, 11 Swallows, eight Long-tailed Tits, 14 Firecrests, 45 Goldcrests and 14 Mistle Thrushes.
There were lots of birds moving offshore but many were very distant making identification difficult. The surprise here was a Snow Goose among a flock of Brent Geese of which 2900 passed through. Other decent bits and pieces included 30 Shelduck, 144 Wigeon, two Gadwall, 13 Shovelers, 12 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Black-throated Diver, nine Little Gulls, six Mediterranean Gulls and a Great Skua.
I also ran the Audiomoth nocturnal migration (NOCMIG) recorder last night with some excellent results. Thrushes dominated as would be expected with 61 Blackbirds, 982 Redwings, 176 Song Thrushes and five Fieldfares while Dunlin and Snipe were also recorded along with what sounds like a Stone-curlew.
A Grey Seal and two Porpoises were feeding offshore.
Of note elsewhere (and perhaps relating to the above) a Stone-curlew was found this afternoon on the open shingle to the north of the ARC Pit.
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| Shore Lark Eremophila alpestris Dungeness 29th October 2019 |
There were lots of birds moving offshore but many were very distant making identification difficult. The surprise here was a Snow Goose among a flock of Brent Geese of which 2900 passed through. Other decent bits and pieces included 30 Shelduck, 144 Wigeon, two Gadwall, 13 Shovelers, 12 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Black-throated Diver, nine Little Gulls, six Mediterranean Gulls and a Great Skua.
I also ran the Audiomoth nocturnal migration (NOCMIG) recorder last night with some excellent results. Thrushes dominated as would be expected with 61 Blackbirds, 982 Redwings, 176 Song Thrushes and five Fieldfares while Dunlin and Snipe were also recorded along with what sounds like a Stone-curlew.
A Grey Seal and two Porpoises were feeding offshore.
Of note elsewhere (and perhaps relating to the above) a Stone-curlew was found this afternoon on the open shingle to the north of the ARC Pit.
28th Oct
A cold, calm morning produced a few birds in the bushes and flying overhead but the sea was very quiet. The highlights of the day were a Yellow-browed Warbler and a Siberian Chiffchaff along with two Woodcocks, a large arrival of Blue Tits, seven Firecrests, 60 Goldcrests, a Mistle Thrush, a Grey Wagtail, a Rock Pipit, 12 Bramblings, a male Bullfinch, 14 Redpolls and 15 Siskins.
A Brown Hare was also seen.
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| Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus Dungeness 28th October 2019 |
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| Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus colybitta (tristis) 28th October 2019 |
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