28th Aug

With an increasingly strong north-easterly wind blowing most of the interest was offshore today with two juvenile Caspian Gulls of particular note along with 16 Teal, a Balearic Shearwater, 19 Mediterranean Gulls, four Yellow-legged Gulls, two Little Terns, six Black Terns and five Arctic Skuas. Singles of Tree Pipit and Siskin were the only birds of note on the land.

Three Porpoises and singles of Grey and Common Seal were feeding offshore.

A Mediterranean Stick-insect was seen on the garden again.

27th Aug

Migrant numbers were reduced today but there was still plenty to be seen with 40 Willow Warblers, 15 Blackcaps, three Garden Warblers, singles of Spotted and Pied Flycatchers and Redstart and four Whinchat on the ground and a Hobby, 45 Sand Martins, 150 Swallows, 55 Yellow Wagtails, two Grey Wagtails and a Tree Pipit overhead. It remains quiet offshore with just 12 Mediterranean Gulls, a Yellow-legged Gull and an Arctic Skua of interest.

Eight Porpoises and two Grey Seals were seen offshore and a Brown Hare was seen at the Point.

The highlights from a small catch of moths were a Rosy Wave and a Cypress Pug.

Rosy Wave Scopula emutaria   Dungeness   27th August 2022

Cypress Pug Eupithecia phoeniceata   Dungeness   27th August 2022

The evening search for orthoptera produced eight singing Large Cone-heads and six Sickle-bearing Bush-crickets. The chorus from the Tree Crickets continues to amaze. The regular Mediterranean Stick-insect was seen in the garden again.

26th Aug

Commoner migrants arrived in excellent numbers again today with a juvenile Cuckoo, 200 Willow Warblers, two Grasshopper Warblers, 15 Reed Warblers, 11 Blackcaps, three Garden Warblers, 26 Lesser Whitethroats, another early Goldcrest, 11 Spotted Flycatchers, two Pied Flycatchers, eight Redstarts and three Whinchats on the land and five Buzzards, 77 Yellow Wagtails, three Grey Wagtails and 11 Tree Pipits passing overhead. The sea was very slow-going with just a Balearic Shearwater, 15 Mediterranean Gulls and a first-winter Caspian Gull of note.  

The moth traps produced a Convolvulus Hawkmoth and a Delicate whilst the regular evening search for crickets found three Large Coneheads and eight Sickle-bearing Bush-crickets. A Mediterranean Stick-insect was seen again.

A Firebug was found in the Old Lighthouse garden.

Fire Bug Pyrrhocorus apterus   Dungeness   26th August 2022

25th Aug

The threatened thunderstorms never really materialized except for a few minutes of rain in mid-morning. A handful of migrants were grounded and included 40 Willow Warblers, a Pied Flycatcher and four Whinchats and 125 Swallows, 78 Yellow Wagtails and four Tree Pipits flew over. The sea was generally quiet but it did produce the bird of the day in the form of a Dotterel which came in and landed briefly on the beach as well as 11 Teal, four Pochard, five Sanderling, a juvenile Caspian Gull, an Arctic Skua and a Balearic Shearwater. An anting flock of gulls this evening held at least 50 Mediterranean Gulls.

Seven Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare and a Stoat were seen on dry land. 

Three singing Large Cone-heads and six Sickle-bearing Bush-crickets were found in a short search this evening.

24th Aug

There were a good number of migrants around again this morning although numbers were dominated by Willow Warblers with at least 100 seen. Other migrants included 25 Reed Warblers, nine Blackcaps, a very early Goldcrest, a Pied Flycatcher and a Whinchat while a Honey Buzzard, two Common Buzzards, 120 Swallows, 40 Yellow Wagtails and two Tree Pipits passed overhead.

The nocmig recorder has been out most nights and has been picking up a few waders passing over but it was very quiet last night apart from a burst of seven calls which sounds like a Dotterel.

23rd Aug

There was a large arrival of migrants concentrated around the Trapping Area and Long Pits but weather conditions inhibited any serious ringing activities. Of note were 130 Willow Warblers, ten Blackcaps, 45 Lesser Whitethroats, 100 Common Whitethroats and a Pied Flycatcher. A Hen Harrier flew out to sea and 170 Sand Martins also passed overhead. Seawatching was slow-going with just a Grey Plover, four Whimbrel and a Black Tern passing through and two Mediterranean Gulls and five Yellow-legged Gulls at the fishing boats.

Four Grey Seals and ten Porpoises were feeding offshore.

The highlight from the moth traps was a Beautiful Marbled and a Clouded Yellow was seen at the Railway Car Park.

Beautiful Marbled Eublemna purpurina   Dungeness   23rd August 2022

22nd Aug

There was another good arrival of migrants this morning. with 70 Willow Warblers, two Sedge Warblers, 12 Reed Warblers and two Pied Flycatchers and Sand Martins trickled through during the day. Four Buzzards and a Snipe also flew over and three Mediterranean Gulls and six Yellow-legged Gulls were seen at the boats where a flock of 17 Arctic Skuas were a surprise. The gulls at the fishing boats included colour-ringed Herring Gulls from Felixstowe and Portland and an interesting small, dark adult Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Herring Gulls Larus argentatus   Dungeness   22nd August 2022
Colour-ringed birds from Felixstowe, Essex and Portland Harbour, Dorset

Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus   Adult   Dungeness   22nd August 2022
Small, dark and long-winged and appears to be showing an arrested moult pattern with P1-2 moulted. Unfortunately it is not colour-ringed.

At least 15 Porpoises were feeding offshore and included a white (albino?) youngster.

A Bordered Straw was of note from the moth traps.

21st Aug

An early morning arrival of migrants on the land included 40 Willow Warblers, two Pied Flycatchers, 45 Yellow Wagtails and four Tree Pipits.

An afternoon check of gulls along the beach produced two juvenile Caspian Gulls, along with four Little Gulls, a Mediterranean Gull and six Yellow-legged Gulls and also a single Balearic Shearwater flying west. An Osprey also flew over and out to sea in the afternoon.

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans   juvenile/first-winter   Dungeness   21st August 2022

 Twelve Porpoises and three Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

Two Pearly Underwings were the highlight from the moth-traps.

20th Aug

This morning saw an excellent arrival of commoner migrants on the land with numbers dominated by 120 Willow Warblers and a sprinkle of scarcer birds in the form of a Wood Warbler, two Garden Warblers, a Spotted Flycatcher, two Pied Flycatchers, a Whinchat, five Tree Pipits, two Tree Sparrows and a Crossbill. A White Stork seen at ARC the previous evening turns out to be a different individual (colour-ring GB1Z) to the one seen a couple of days ago and flew around the Point this morning before remarkably joining up with a flock of 17 birds which all then gained height and eventually flew out to sea in the direction of France. The sea was very quiet other than a westward trickle of Sandwich and Common Terns.

Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix   Dungeness   21st August 2022

Seven Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore and a Brown Hare was seen at the Point.

The moth traps produced singles of Bordered Straw and Scarce Bordered Straw and a Jersey Tiger was seen by during the day. A Mediterranean Stick-insect was found in the garden again.

Scarce Bordered Straw Helicoverpa armigera   Dungeness   21st August 2022

19th Aug

A breezier morning restricted ringing operations but allowed for some seawatching but it was fairly slow going with seven hours of observation eventually producing three Balearic Shearwaters, a Black-tailed Godwit, two Mediterranean Gulls, 290 Sandwich Terns, 294 Common Terns, three Little Terns, 13 Black Terns and two Arctic Skuas. A juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was on the beach. On the land 60 Sand Martins, 35 Willow Warblers, a Whinchat and 35 Yellow Wagtails were of note.

Five Porpoises and a two Grey Seals were seen offshore and a Common Pipistrelle bat was feeding around the Observatory in the evening.

18th Aug

A calm but foggy start to the day brought a decent and  varied arrival of migrants on the land. Of particular note were seven Pied Flycatchers and singles of Redstart and Whinchat with numbers made up with 45 Willow Warblers, 35 Reed Warblers, 27 Lesser Whitethroats and 55 Whitethroats, The  colour-ringed White Stork GBA2 made several sorties around the Point this morning and a party of four Spoonbills flew over in the afternoon. An evening seawatch produced our first Balearic Shearwater of the autumn along with four Arctic Skuas.

Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca   Dungeness   18th August 2022

Six Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

There was a small incrase in he numbers of migrant moths in the traps with singles of Scarce Bordered Straw, Bordered Straw and Pearly Underwing of note.

Scarce Bordered Straw Helicoverpa armigera   Dungeness   18th August 2022

An afternoon search for othoptera was surprisingly productive with two Large Cone-heads and ten Sickle-bearing Bush-crickets seen. A Wasp Spider was also found..

17th Aug

Another pleasant arrival of migrants this morning with 35 Willow Warblers, two Sedge Warblers, two Garden Warblers, a Redstart and 50 Yellow Wagtails of note. Yesterdays White Stork made it firmly into the log here with a flight down to and around the Point before returning back to its telephone mast roost site at Lade. Three Common Sandpipers and a Redshank also flew over and seven Mediterranean Gulls were seen offshore. The afternoon saw the arrival of a massive thunderstorm from the east bringing with it 22mm of rain in a couple of hours - the first significant rain in weeks.

Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus   first-year male   Dungeness   17th August 2022

Nine Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore and a Brown Hare was seen on the land..

16th Aug

There was a decent arrival of migrants on the land today with 70 Willow Warblers, 20 Reed Warblers, seven Garden Warblers, two Pied Flycatchers and four Redstarts of note. Whilst out checking the moth trap at 0030hrs a Bittern was heard calling as it passed overhead and a Little Egret flew over during the day. A White Stork which spent a good part of the day roosting on the telephone mast at Lade was easily discernible from the Observatory through a telescope. Not so long ago this would have been an exciting sighting but this (like nearly all recent UK sightings) was a released bird from the "reintroduction" project based at Knepp in Sussex. Five Common Sandpipers also passed through the day and 14 Mediterranean Gulls and two Arctic Skuas were seen offshore.

Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus   Dungeness   16th August 2022

The moth of the day was a superb Spurge Hawkmoth which came to a light at Southview Cottage.

Spurge Hawkmoth Hyles euphorbiae   Dungeness   17th August 2022

A -Southern Oak Bush-cricket and a Mediterranean Stick-insect were seen at the Observatory.

15th Aug

Another hot and sunny day after a cloudy start but surprisingly quiet on the migrant front with just 15 Willow Warblers of note on the land and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats.

Two Grey Seals and a Porpoise were feeding offshore.

The moth-traps were also fairly quiet but did produce an Agonopteryx  nanatella which is rarely recorded here.   

14th Aug

The very hot weather combined with clear skies and a bright full moon all night continue to limit migrant numbers on the land. Reed Warblers were the most obvious with 25 along with just 15 Willow Warblers in the Trapping Area and Moat. Singles of Marsh Harrier, Snipe, Redshank and Common Sandpiper and 12 Yellow Wagtails flew over.  Two Arctic Skuas flew east this morning and a one-hour seawatch this afternoon produced 45 Mediterranean Gulls moving east.

The moth traps were very quiet but the Heligoland Trap provided the best record again with a Gypsy Moth flying around the catching end of the trap.

Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar   Dungeness   14th August 2022

13th Aug

Quiet in very hot, stuffy conditions again. Two Spotted Flycatchers were seen at the northern end of the Long Pits and a Buzzard and a Common Sandpiper flew over.

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.

The moth traps produced our first Box-tree Moth of the autumn but the Heligoland Trap provided the two insect highlights with a Convolvulus Hawkmoth caught in the business end of the trap while a Western Conifer Seed-bug was found on the roof of the same trap.

Convolvulus Hawkmoth Agrius convolvuli   Dungeness   13th August 2022

Western Conifer Seed Bug Leptoglossus occidentalis   Dungeness   13th August 2022

The evening survey of orthoptera produced eight singing Large Cone-heads, ten Sickle-bearing Bush-crickets and a superb chorus from the Tree Crickets. Three Mediterranean Stick-insects were found in the Observatory garden.

12th Aug

There was a nice arrival of migrants this morning but ringing activities were reduced by a rapidly freshening breeze. Of note were 30 Willow Warblers, 20 Reed Warblers, a Garden Warbler, 15 Lesser Whitethroats, a Whinchat and our first two Pied Flycatchers of the autumn. Overhead was limited to just 25 Swallows and 12 Yellow Wagtails. It was very quiet offshore except for three Arctic Skua heading east into Lade Bay.

Three Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.

The moth traps remain disappointing but at least 12 Hummingbird Hawkmoths were seen during the day.

11th Aug

There was another small arrival of migrants with a Redstart, a Whinchat and a Spotted Flycatcher of note along with 200 Sand Martins overhead. It was very quiet offshore.

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.

Another evening search for orthoptera produced eight male Large Cone-heads and a Mediterranean Stick-insect was seen again in the Observatory garden. The moth traps were disappointing although a Jersey Tiger was flying around the garden at first light and at least ten Hummingbird Hawk-moths were seen during the day. A Lesser Emperor dragonfly was seen on the southern Long Pit.

10th Aug

A few migrants continue to arrive with a juvenile Cuckoo, 20 Willow Warblers, five Reed Warblers and four Yellow Wagtails of interest. An evening seawatch produced five Mediterranean Gulls flying east and two juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls feeding at the Fishing Boats.

Three Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore and a Common Pipistrelle bat was feeding over the Long Pits after dark.

An evening survey for orthoptera produced two Large Cone-heads and a Great Green Bush-cricket at the north end of the recording area and a further Large Cone-head in front of the Observatory. A Mediterranean Stick-insect was also found in the garden. The moth-traps were unbelievably quiet with just five moths caught from two traps. 

9th Aug

Coverage was reduced today but early morning saw a Redshank and seven Yellow Wagtails overhead and a handful of grounded migrants including 20 Willow Warblers, eight Reed Warblers and a Garden Warbler.

8th Aug

There was another small arrival of migrants overnight with 35 Willow Warblers, ten Reed Warblers and a Garden Warbler of interest. Overhead passage was limited to five Ringed Plovers, nine Redshanks, a Hobby and eight Yellow Wagtails. The sea was very quiet except for four Mediterranean Gulls and two juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls feeding at the fishing boats.

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.

A Willow Emerald Damselfly was seen in the Trapping Area and seven Small Red-eyed Damselflies were seen at the southern end of the Long Pits. A nymph Rhomboid Shieldbug was also caught in the trapping area.

Rhomboid Shieldbug Syromastes rhombeus   nymph   Dungeness   8th August 2022

7th Aug

There was another decent little arrival of migrants in the bushes with 50 Willow Warblers, 12 Reed Warblers and two Garden Warblers of note and 200 Sand Martins flew through.

There were six Mediterranean Gulls and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull feeding offshore.

Six Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

6th Aug

Migrants continue to arrive on the land with a Grasshopper Warbler, two Garden Warblers and 80 Willow Warblers of note. 

There was some passage of waders overhead including six Lapwings, eight Ringed Plovers and two Redshanks and two Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore.

A Grey Seal and four Porpoises were feeding offshore.

A Mediterranean Stick-insect was seen in the Observatory garden and three Large Cone-heads were singing in the Trapping Area.

5th Aug

There were a few migrants including 40 Willow Warblers in the bushes but mist netting was limited by windy conditions and a total of 550 Sand Martins passed through during the day.

There was a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull and eight Mediterranean Gulls offshore and single Arctic Skua and Great Skua were chasing the handful of Sandwich Terns offshore

Six Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.

A Willow Emerald damselfly was seen in the Trapping Area and a Southern Oak Bush-cricket was caught in one of the moth traps..  

4th Aug

Today saw the first decent drop of migrants into the bushes with 125 Willow Warblers, an excellent 22 Sedge Warblers and a Garden Warbler of note. Birds passing overhead included a Golden Plover, 350 Sand Martins and 16 Yellow Wagtails. Three juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls were seen on the beach.

A pair of Kestrels have nested in the area. Their first attempt was on a window-ledge at the Old Lighthouse where eggs were laid but they quickly failed. They then moved to the electricity pylon between the Observatory and Power Station, taking over a crow's nest, and quickly tried again. There are now five young and all are very close to fledging. One individual actually made its virgin flight this afternoon.

Kestrel Falco tinnunculus   nest with young about to fledge   Dungeness   4th August 2022

Six Porpoises were feeding offshore and a Badger was seen in the Trapping Area.

A Brimstone butterfly was seen on the Point and a Lesser Emperor dragonfly was seen on the northern Long Pit again.

3rd Aug

Three Mediterranean Gulls and three juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls were seen offshore along with the first juvenile Arctic Tern of the autumn. It was very quiet on the land.

Two Grey Seals and a Porpoise were feeding offshore.

An Antler was the highlight from the moth traps.

Antler Cerapteryx  graminis   Dungeness   3rd August 2022

However, the insect highlight came with finding of an Ant-lion Euroleon nostras in the trapping area - only the second Observatory recording area record

Ant-lion Euroleon nostras   Dungeness    3rd August 2022

The evening search for the rarer orthoptera produced five Large Cone-heads and three Mediterranean Stick-insects were seen in the Observatory garden. of note, one of the cone-heads was of the rarely seen brown morph.

Large Cone-head Ruspolia nitidula   Dungeness   3rd August 2022

Large Cone-head Ruspolia nitidula brown morph male   Dungeness   3rd August 2022

Mediterranean Stick-insect Bacillus rossius   Dungeness   3rd August 2022

2nd Aug

A strong SW wind was blowing and with more heavy cloud the result was an increase in birds passing offshore with 145 Gannets, a Sanderling, a Snipe, 21 Kittiwakes, 81 Common Terns and the surprise of the day in the form of a Black Guillemot (the eighth Observatory record) which flew in and landed on the sea for a minute or so before it dived and was not relocated. The juvenile Caspian Gull and five juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls gave brilliant views at the fishing boats. 

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans   juvenile   Dungeness   2nd August 2022

Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis   Juvenile   Dungeness   2nd August 2022

A Common Seal and two Porpoises were also feeding offshore.

A Jersey Tiger and seven Hummingbird Hawkmoths were seen during the day.

Another night-time check for orthoptera produced eight Large Coneheads and ten Sickle-bearing Bush-crickets and three Mediterranean Stick-insects were found in the Observatory garden.

Large Conehead Ruspolia nitidula   male   Dungeness   2nd August 2022

1st Aug

Heavy cloud and a fresh SW breeze brought a small arrival of migrants on the land with 15 Willow Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, 15 Reed Warblers and a Garden Warbler of note while 800 Sand Martins gathered at the Point in the afternoon. A Marsh Harrier, two Buzzards and eight Yellow Wagtails also passed overhead. The colour-ringed juvenile Caspian Gull and four juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls were feeding at the fishing boats.

Three Porpoises and a Grey Seal  were feeding offshore and a Badger visited the garden in the evening.

The moth traps were very quiet but six Hummingbird Hawkmoths, three Jersey Tigers and amazingly our seventh Dark Crimson Underwing of the year were seen during the day.

Dark Crimson Underwing Catocala sponsa   Dungeness   1st August 2022

An evening survey for orthoptera produced eight Large Coneheads, two Sickle-bearing Bush-crickets, a loud chorus of Tree Crickets and a Southern Oak Bush-cricket. In addition a Mediterranean Stick-insect was seen in the Observatory garden. 

31st July

Very quiet on both the land and at sea although the colour-ringed (X37V) juvenile Caspian Gull was feeding at the fishing boats along with three Yellow-legged Gulls and 14 juvenile Mediterranean Gulls flew west..

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

30th July

A Garden Warbler, a Sedge Warbler and five Reed Warblers were seen in the Trapping Area while 100 Sand Martins, ten Swallows, five Yellow Wagtails and a Grey Wagtail flew over. Three Mediterranean Gulls and two juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls were seen at the fishing boats.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

The moth traps were fairly quiet but they did produce a Channel Islands Pug and a Jersey Tiger. Three adult Mediterranean Stick-insects were found in the Observatory garden after dark and the Tree Cricket numbers are increasing with their "chorus" audible from the Observatory. in the calm conditions.