28th Jan

Most coverage was of the sea where nine Pintails, eight Mediterranean Gulls, 2000 Guillemots, 1330 auks and 342 Red-throated Divers. Thousands of gulls continue to feed along the beach and included another four Mediterranean Gulls, a second-winter Yellow-legged Gull and four first-winter Caspian Gulls. 

And some late info. Whilst preparing some images of the masses of gulls for the web page I noticed a previously unseen gull in their midst - a second-winter Iceland Gull. It must have flown almost straight through as it has not been seen in the flesh either before or after these were taken. 

Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides   second-winter   Dungeness   28th January 2024
Unfortunately not noticed through the camera lens at the time,

Gulls and Cormorants   Dungeness   28th January 2024
I don't think there is anything hiding in plain sight in these images.

Three Grey Seals were feeding just offshore.

Elsewhere, the six Pink-footed Geese were seen again at Dengemarsh.

27th Jan

Searching of the pools at the north end of the recording area produced a Jack Snipe and three Snipe, a Water Rail was calling in the trapping area and a Chiffchaff was seen in a private garden. Seawatching produced six Pintail, three Velvet Scoters and 570 Guillemots and 150 Dunlin were seen at the fishing boats.

A Porpoise was feeding offshore.

Elsewhere, a party of six Pink-footed Geese were seen briefly at Dengemarsh and the Great Northern and Black-throated Divers remain on Burrowes Pit. A Glossy Ibis and a Cattle Egret continue to be seen.

26th Jan

Not a great deal to be seen other than large numbers of gulls feeding offshore again. Seawatching produced 42 Brent Geese, three Teal, 116 Kittiwakes, six Mediterranean Gulls and 1000 auks. Twenty Sanderlings and 50 Turnstones were feeding on the beach. A Water Rail was calling in the trapping area and a Chiffchaff was seen in the Lighthouse Garden.

Four Grey Seals and Common Seal were feeding offshore.

Fire-bugs were showing in the Observatory garden in the sunny conditions. 

25th Jan

Another fairly miserable day but with huge numbers of gulls feeding along the shore line again. Of note were seven Caspian Gulls (six first-winters and a second-winter), three Yellow-legged Gulls along with 90 Brent Geese east, 12 Pintails west, four Mediterranean Gulls and 218 Red-throated Divers. At least 85 Turnstones and 26 Sanderlings were also feeding on the beach.

A Porpoise, a Common Seal and four Grey Seals were also seen. 

24th Jan

A better day for a change although still very quiet on the land with just two Water Rails in the Trapping Area of note. After two severe storms in quick succession there were suddenly thousands of gulls feeding offshore and with four first-winter Caspian Gulls and a second-winter Yellow-legged Gull of note.

A Common Seal and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

23rd Jan

Another wet and windy day with seawatching producing a Red-breasted Merganser, 64 Kittiwakes, four Mediterranean Gulls, a first-winter Caspian Gull, a second-winter Yellow-legged Gull, 1229 Guillemots, 552 Razorbills and 177 Red-throated Divers of note.

22nd Jan

Storm Isha passed through overnight but wasn't quite so bad here as had been predicted and fortunately there was little sign of any damage. It did remain windy throughout the day and restricted to coverage to the sea again where three Pintails, seven Velvet Scoters, a Great Skua, 591 Red-throated Divers and six Fulmars of interest. Two Mediterranean Gulls and two first-winter Caspian Gulls were also seen.

21st Jan

Mostly seawatching again with the rapidly approaching Storm Isha on the horizon. A 2.5hour watch this morning produced 89 Great Crested Grebes, 475 auks, four Fulmars and 435 Red-throated Divers. A first-winter Caspian Gull was also seen off the fishing boats.

20th Jan

Most of the coverage was offshore again where four Curlews, 48 Kittiwakes, two Mediterranean Gulls, 919 auks, 1030, six Red-throated Divers, six Fulmars and 712 Gannets were seen. A first-winter Caspian Gull briefly came into the roost on the Point in the morning.

A Porpoise was feeding offshore.

19th Jan

A Little Egret flew over the Point and two Chiffchaffs were feeding around the Lighthouse Garden.

Two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

18th Jan

 A brief visit to the trapping area produced two Fieldfares, two Redwings and a Siskin.

17th Jan

Seawatching produced a Mediterranean Gull, 919 auks and 939 Red-throated Divers but little to be seen.

16th Jan

Very quiet but a first-winter Caspian Gull was on the beach at the Patch and a Chiffchaff was feeding in the Observatory garden.

Four Grey Seals were seen offshore.

15th Jan

Limited coverage today but an adult Caspian Gull was seen at the Point and two Water Rails were heard in the trapping area.

14th Jan

 Very quiet.

13th Jan

Only the sea was covered where 2.75hrs of watching this morning produced two Gadwall, 1890 auks and 892 Red-throated Divers.

Six Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

A Mediterranean Stick-insect was found in the Observatory garden again.

12th Jan

The morning seawatching produced three Wigeon, 256 Great Crested Grebes, three Mediterranean Gulls, a Sandwich Tern, 2129 auks, 1300 Red-throated Divers and 3500 Cormorants.

Three Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

11th Jan

Very quiet. Several seawatches during the day produced five Shovelers, 26 Wigeon, an Eider, 110 Razorbills, 532 Red-throated Divers and 3000 Cormorants.

A Porpoise and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.

10th Jan

A slightly improved day weatherwise but not a great deal to be seen. A check of the the land produced just six Teal on the Long Pits, a Water Rail and two Collared Doves. One Mediterranean Gull and 415 Red-throated Divers were of note offshore.

9th Jan

Another bitterly cold day and limiting most of the observations to the sea although a Dartford Warbler was seen. Four Mediterranean Gulls, 138 Razorbills, 1870 auks, 328 Red-throated Divers and 3160 Cormorants were of note.

A Grey Seal was also seen.

8th Jan

A biting, cold day with very strong NE wind and snow from mid-morning. The only coverage was on the sea where two hours produced a Sandwich Tern, just under 3000 auks and 128 Red-throated Divers. First-winter Caspian Gulls were seen at the Patch and coming to offerings at the fishing boats.

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans   first-winter   Dungeness   8th January 2023

7th Jan

A cold, wet and windy day with most of the coverage offshore again. Five Wigeon, eight Mediterranean Gulls, a first-winter Caspian Gull, 336 Razorbills, 2000 auks sp., and 107 Red-throated Divers.

A Chiffchaff was seen in the Observatory garden.

A Grey Seal was feeding offshore.

6th Jan

Seawatching was the order of the day with the unusual sighting of two Sooty Shearwaters being the highlight along with five Shelducks, 81 Wigeon, three Velvet Scoters, a Red-breasted Mergansers, 18 Mediterranean Gulls, a first-winter Caspian Gull, 423 Red-throated Divers and a Great Northern Diver.

A Siskin flew over the Observatory.

A Porpoise was feeding offshore.

An unexpected find was a lingering Mediterranean Stick-insect in the Observatory garden.

5th Jan

A decent westerly movement of birds offshore this morning with 15 Shovelers, 373 Red-throated Divers and 277 Gannets. A check of the Patch in the afternoon produced an adult Little Gull and eight Caspian Gulls.

Five Water Rails, a Jack Snipe, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Firecrest were seen on the land. 

4th Jan

There was little sign of any passage offshore with just three Red-breasted Mergansers, three Fulmars and 201 Red-throated Divers seen during the morning. However there were huge numbers of gulls feeding at the Patch and with a minimum of 14 Caspian Gulls seen along with ten Mediterranean Gulls, a Little Gull and a Yellow-legged Gull. A Dartford Warbler was seen at the Point.

One Porpoise was seen offshore. 

3rd Jan

Strong winds and heavy showers for much of the day again. Kittiwakes and Common Gulls  passed through in large numbers but other movement was mainly limited to Red-throated Divers and Gannets. Good numbers of gulls were feeding offshore again and included a first-winter Little Gull, three Mediterranean Gulls and at least two first-winter Caspian Gulls. A check on the land produced a few goodies in the form a Jack Snipe, four Snipe, a Woodcock and a Firecrest.

A Grey Seal was feeding offshore.

The highlight from elsewhere on the shingle was a Dotterel seen briefly amongst several thousand Golden Plovers at Scotney. The two Great Northern Divers and a Black-throated Diver continue to show very well on Burrowes Pit and 12 Cattle Egrets were feeding alongside the access road to Lydd Airport again.

2nd Jan

Very wet and windy yet again. Seawatching was the only option with a Sooty Shearwater and six Caspian Gulls of note.

1st Jan

Wishing all our followers a Happy New Year.

No change in the weather with strong to gale force SW winds and lots of rain limiting coverage to the sea again. A Little Gull, two Mediterranean Gulls, a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull, three Caspian Gulls, a Great Skua and 100 Red-throated Diver. A Merlin was also seen at the fishing boats and three Peregrine Falcons were in dispute over the power station.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were also seen offshore.

Elsewhere on the Point, two Great Northern Divers and a Black-throated Diver were still on Burrowes, anther Great Northern Diver was seen at Scotney, 13 Cattle Egrets were around a manure heap alongside the Lydd Airport access road and four Glossy Ibis were seen in the Cockles Bridge area.