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Local weather

Update

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31st Jan

Seawatch Hide (07:45 to 09:15): 2 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 19 Gannet (W), 3 Common Scoter, 3820 Cormorant, 279 Red-throated Diver, 21 Oystercatcher, 1 Fulmar, 3 Curlew and 49 Great Crested Grebe. All heading eastwards unless stated. Per RW/OL/AJG

Dungeness Point: 1 Black Redstart, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Grey Wagtail

RSPB Reserve: A Tundra Bean Goose was seen on Denge Marsh this morning. 2 Glossy Ibis were on Cook's Pool, 4 Cattle Egrets still present at Cockles Bridge and the redhead Smew was elusive on ARC Pit. 

30th Jan

Seawatch Hide (07:45 to 09:15): All heading east unless stated 2 Dark-bellied Brent Goose , 3 Common Scoter, 279 Red-throated Diver, 1 Fulmar, 49 Great Crested Grebe, 19 Gannet (W), 3820 Cormorant, 21 Oystercatcher and 3 Curlew per AJG/OL/RW

Dungeness Point: Black Redstart still by Seawatch Hide as well as a single Chiffchaff and Grey Wagtail.

RSPB Reserve: 2 Glossy Ibis still on Cook's Pool, 5 Cattle Egret at Cockles Bridge and 36 Bewick's Swan came in to roost on ARC Pit this evening. 

29th Jan

Dungeness Point: Black Redstart still by Seawatch Hide this morning

Seawatch Hide: 2 Red-breasted Merganser (W), 2 Fulmar (W), 54 Red-throated Diver (E) and 81 Oystercatcher (E). Also 100’s of Gannet, Kittiwake and Auks feeding offshore per OL.


28th Jan

Dungeness Point: Black Redstart still in situe around the Seawatch Hide.

Observatory Ringing Totals: 1 Starling, 2 Dunnock, 6 House Sparrow (+5 Retraps) and a retrap Great Tit. (OL/JT-M)

RSPB Reserve: 2 Glossy Ibis still on Cook’s Pool, 4 Cattle Egret still at Cockles Bridge and several Great White Egrets in the vicinity. Redhead Smew still on ARC Pit

27th Jan

RSPB Reserve: 31 Bewick's Swan into roost this evening on Burrowes Pit and the redhead Smew was still present on ARC Pit.

26th Jan

Seawatch Hide (07.45-09.45): 2 Shelduck (W), 4 Wigeon (E), 6 Common Scoter (E), 192 Red-throated Diver (54E/138W), 19 GC Grebe (4E/13W/2os), 1 Fulmar (W), 68 Gannet (21E/47W), 6 Oystercatcher (E), 26 Kittiwake (17E/9W), 135 Guillemot (98E/37W), 402 Razorbill (253E/149W) and 1482 Auk sp. (1,345E/137W)

2 Grey Seal, 1 Common Seal and 2 Harbour Porpoise per MC/RW

Dungeness Point: Black Redstart still on Power Station perimeter fence

RSPB Reserve: 6 Cattle Egret at Cockles Bridge

25th Jan

Dungeness Point: Black Redstart along access track to the Observatory this morning

RSPB Reserve: 6 Cattle Egret still present at Cockles Bridge 

24th Jan

Seawatch Hide (08:15 to 10:00): 9 Dark-bellied Brent Goose (E), 104 Red-throated Diver (61W/43E), 45 Gannet (E), 3 Oystercatcher (E), 42 Kittiwake (E) and 3450 Auk sp. (2450E). Also 2 Harbour Porpoise and 1 Grey Seal per MC

Dungeness Point: 2 Peregrine, 1 Black Redstart and 1 Grey Wagtail  per MC

Long Pits: Jack Snipe, 2 Common Snipe and 2 Chiffchaff

Observatory Ringing Totals: 10 House Sparrow (OL)

RSPB Reserve: Red-throated Diver on New Diggings, Redhead Smew still on ARC Pit, 5 Cattle Egret at Cockles Bridge and 2 Glossy Ibis from the Visitor Centre

23rd Jan

Seawatch Hide: 40 Red-throated Diver (31W/9E), 46 Gannet (5W/41E), 32 Kittiwake (E), 164 Guillemot (E), 58 Razorbill (E), 1737 Auk sp. and 1000+ Cormorant feeding offshore.

4 Harbour Porpoise and a Grey Seal also noted. 

On the land 2 Dartford Warbler were the highlight and the Black Redstart remains by the Seawatch Hide. 

Redhead Smew still present on ARC Pit and the 2 Glossy Ibis were around but mobile, finishing the day on Cook's Pool.

22nd Jan

Quite around the Point with a single Black Redstart still around the Seawatch Hide/Power Station in the company of a handful of Chiffchaff

Meanwhile on the RSPB Reserve 2 Glossy Ibis still on Cook's Pool, redhead Smew still on ARC Pit and 4 Cattle Egret around Cockles Bridge.

21st Jan

Fishing Boats: All heading east 206 Red-throated Diver, 84 Gannet, 89 Kittiwake, 147 Guillemot, 29 Razorbill and 2110 Auk sp. 

2 Harbour Porpoise, 2 Grey Seal and 1 Common Seal

The Patch: 1st Win Caspian Gull present this morning and a single Black Redstart noted behind the seawatching hide.

20th Jan

More of the same on the land with five Chiffchaffs and two Fieldfares being the highlights. There was a bit more interest on the sea again this morning with 11 Pintail, three Velvet Scoters, 500 Red-throated Divers, a Great Skua and over 2,500 auks passing through.

Two Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

19th Jan

 Three Chiffchaffs, a Black Redstart and two Stonechats were the best on offer on the land.

18th Jan

Another fine, cold day but not a great deal to be seen on the land with just a Marsh Harrier, three Chiffchaffs and three Black Redstarts of note. Seawatching produced 64 Brent Geese, a Shoveler, 30 Wigeon, 22 Common Scoter and two Mediterranean Gulls of note and huge numbers of Cormorants again.

17th Jan

Two Jack Snipe at the Long Pits were the highlight of the day and a Black Redstart and a Grey Wagtail were seen at the power station. At sea, 56 Wigeon and 1,495 auk species flew east but the most spectacular sight was a massive feeding frenzy of Cormorants close inshore with at least 8,000 birds being involved.






Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo   Dungeness   17th January 2022
Just a small part of themasses of birds feeding close inshore this morning.


16th Jan

A fairly quiet day offshore although 26 Wigeon, 73 Teal, four Fulmars and 425 Kittiwakes were seen. Three Black Redstarts were seen around the power station and five Chiffchaffs were seen.

A Porpoise and a Grey Seal were seen offshore and two Brown Hares were seen in the Desert.

15th Jan

Another spring-like day and 160 Brent Geese moved up-channel along with 22 Wigeon. Three Black Redstarts were feeding around the power station.

14th Jan

A Dartford Warbler was seen again along with four Chiffchaffs and a Black Redstart.

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

13th Jan

Another fine but cold morning. A Dartford Warbler was seen again and five Chiffchaffs were found including one on the power station wall. A Redwing was also seen and four Black Redstarts and a Grey Wagtail were feeding around the small sewage treatment site in the power station.

A Common Seal was seen offshore.

12th Jan

A bright and sunny but cold day with a decent scatter of birds across the Point. Two Dartford Warblers and a flyover Snow Bunting were of note and a Jack Snipe, four Chiffchaffs, a Fieldfare and two Black Redstarts were also seen. A party of five White-fronted Geese flew west offshore and a Little Gull was feeding at the Patch.

A Porpoise was feeding offshore.

11th Jan

A quieter day offshore with just a single Caspian Gull and a Little Gull at the Patch and three Mediterranean Gulls, two Great Skuas and 800 Razorbills passing through.

A Grey Seal was also seen.

10th Jan

Most of the day's interest was at the Patch again with the Iceland Gull still present along with a Little Gull and five Caspian Gulls.


Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides   Dungeness   10th January 2022


9th Jan

A bright and sunny but cold day. There were lots of Red-throated Divers, 850 Gannets, 1100 Kittiwakes, 1900 auks and six Velvet Scoters offshore. Large numbers of gulls were feeding at the Patch with the Iceland Gull and five Caspian Gulls of note along with a Little Gull, two Mediterranean Gulls and a Yellow-legged Gull. Two Black Redstarts and the Grey Wagtail were seen around the power station again and a Chiffchaff was seen in the Trapping Area.

8th Jan

A thoroughly miserable day of wind and rain. Seawatching produced 115 Red-throated Divers, 490 Gannets, 369 Kittiwakes, a Mediterranean Gull, four Great Skuas and 1100 Guillemots. The Iceland Gull and two Caspian Gulls were seen at the Patch again.

A Porpoise was seen offshore.

7th Jan

The Patch was the place to be this morning with the second-winter Iceland Gull from two days ago reappearing along with at least three Mediterranean Gulls and five first-winter Caspian Gulls. A Great Skua also flew west. A Black Redstart and a Grey Wagtail were seen at the Power Station today.

6th Jan

A Mediterranean Gull at the Patch and a Chiffchaff, a Black Redstart and a Grey Wagtail on the land were the only birds of note.

5th Jan

A cold, frosty morning. A Chiffchaff and two Black Redstarts were seen on the land and two first-winter Caspian Gulls and three Mediterranean Gulls were seen at the Patch.

4th Jan

There was very little movement offshore but the Patch came up with the goods with a second-winter Iceland Gull making a brief appearance and three first-winter Caspian Gulls among the throng of gulls feeding there.

Two Black Redstarts were feeding at the corner of the power station wall and a Chiffchaff was seen in the Trapping Area. 

3rd Jan

A breezy, damp day with more seawatching being the best option which produced three White-fronted Geese, three Velvet Scoters, 21 Fulmars, a Shag, a Mediterranean Gull, 245 Kittiwakes and three Great Skuas. A Woodcock was seen in the Trapping Area.

Single Porpoise, Common Seal and Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

2nd Jan

The morning was spent seawatching with plenty of birds feeding offshore and moving mainly west including six Wigeon, 565 Red-throated Divers, five Fulmars, 200 Gannets, 650 Kittiwakes, two Mediterranean Gulls, a first-winter Caspian Gull and 1600 auks. A Great Spotted Woodpecker and three Chiffchaffs were seen in the Trapping Area.

A Grey Seal was seen offshore.

1st Jan

Lots of birds offshore today with the morning seawatch remarkably producing the first spring upchannel movement of 835 Brent Geese along with 19 White-fronted Goose, eight Shoveler, 50 Teal, a Shag, 150 Kittiwakes, 15 Mediterranean Gulls, a Great Skua and 1000 Guillemots west. 

Elsewhere, ten Goosanders were seen on Lade Pit along with one at ARC for a while and a red-head Smew stopped briefly on Burrowes Pit. Six Cattle Egrets were still present in a small horse paddock at Cockles Bridge.

31st Dec

Another miserable day but a bit less breezy than of late. The best from the land were a Jack Snipe and a Common Snipe at the Long Pits and two Chiffchaffs. Seawatching produced just four Mediterranean Gulls and 154 Razorbills of interest.

30th Dec

Limited coverage in miserable conditions again but seawatching produced 157 Kittiwakes and three Great Skuas of note.