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Local weather

Update

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12th May

The wind had dropped and it was actually a nice day but not a great deal of change in the birds. Eight Buzzards, three Hobbies and a Yellow Wagtail flew over and two Corn Buntings were seen near the Britannia Inn. A Mediterranean Gull and a Yellow-legged Gull were seen at the Patch. 

 Meadow Pipits are busy feeding young in the nest and a few juvenile Stonechats are starting to appear.

Meadow Pipt Anthis pratensis   Dungeness  12th May 2020
Four Porpoises and singles of Grey and Common Seal were feeding offshore and two Brown Hares were seen on the land.

 With the calm and sunny conditions there was plenty of insects to look at. A Box Bug was an unusual find in the Trapping Area and a Rhombic Leatherbug was found in the Observatory garden. A Wasp Beetle was a smart looking beetle found on Hawthorn blossom in the Trapping Area and a Celery Fly was also of note. Three Grizzled Skippers were also seen.
Box Bug Gonocerus acuteangulatus   12th May 2020
I think this is only the second record for the Observatory area.

Rhombic Leatherbug Syromastes rhombeus   Dungeness   12th May 2020

Wasp Beetle Clytus arietis   Dungeness   12th May 2020

Celery Fly Euleia heraclei   Dungeness   12th May 2020
This may well be a new species for the area.
A colony of Common Twayblades discovered last year appears to be doing well with at least 43 plants although many of these are just leaves.
Common Twayblade Lestera ovata   Dungeness   12th May 2020
The views across the Channel this evening were superb with France so near but so seemingly so far away.

Elsewhere, the fourth Black Kite of the spring was seen on the RSPB Reserve but was not seen from the Observatory and a Glossy Ibis also appeared.



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