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Local weather

Update

The Observatory can accommodate up to 9 people in two dormitories, you need to bring your own sleeping bags and it is self-catering. As well as Birdwatchers, we welcome people from many areas of interest including Moths, Butterflies, Bugs and Beetles or just a general interest in Nature and the local environment. Please forward any Dungeness recording area records to the Warden.
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28th Oct

Today was very quiet with no notable sightings and changeable weather led to poor coverage.

27th Oct

There was some overhead passage today with 16 Skylark, 14 'Alba' Wagtails, seven Chaffinches, six Brambling, 42 Redpoll and four Siskin. On land it was quieter with nine Dartford Warblers, two Firecrests and a Short-eared Owl the only notable sightings.

26th Oct

Eleven Dartford Warblers were scattered around the recording area, mostly at the Point. There was also a nice arrival of crests with 16 Firecrests and 12 Goldcrests present. There was some overhead passage mainly consisting of Redpolls with 80 counted throughout the day.

The highlight from the moth traps was a Figure Of Eight - a rare visitor to the greater Dungeness area.

Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla Dungeness 26th October 2024
Figure of Eight   Diloba caeruleocephala   Dungeness   26th October 2024


25th Oct

There was a noticeable decrease of migrants with just 15 Chiffchaffs, six Goldcrests and one Firecrest in the bushes. Some wildfowl were moving over the sea with one Shelduck, eight Common Scoter and 17 Pintail. A Barn Owl was seen and heard late evening when checking the moth traps at the Observatory.

Three Palpita vitrealis, one Scarce Bordered Straw, one Radford's Flame Shoulder and a Vestal were the highlights from the moth traps.

24th Oct

 A small arrival of migrants in the bushes with 40 Goldcrests, seven Firecrests and 20 Chiffchaffs along with six Dartford Warblers scattered around the Point and Desert. The only noticeable species moving over head were Swallows, with 80 heading mostly south. A Jack Snipe was seen in flight before landing near the Long Pits, our first of the autumn.

A single Radford's Flame Shoulder and two Scarce Bordered Straw were the highlights from the moth traps.

 

23rd Oct

A small arrival of migrants in the bushes with 40 Chiffchaffs, seven Blackcaps, another elusive 'eastern-type' Lesser Whitethroat and 11 Song Thrushes along with two Dartford Warblers in the Desert. A trickle of birds passing overhead included 88 Stock Doves, 150 Swallows, 21 House Martin, two Tree Sparrows, a Grey Wagtail, four Rock Pipits, a Brambling and eight Siskins. Very quiet offshore with just two Arctic Skuas of note.

More interest in the moth traps a Gem, two Vestals, a Radford's Flame Shoulder, two Scarce Bordered Straws, two Delicates, a Blair's Shoulder-knot (last recorded in 2018), nine Palpita vitrealis and 13 Udea ferrugalis.

The Mediterranean Stick-insect was seen in the Observatory garden again.

22nd Oct

A nice, bright morning allowed for a decent ringing session with the obvious highlight of our third Yellow-browed Warbler to be ringed of the autumn. Other bits in the bushes included 30 Chiffchaffs and five Goldcrests and unusual records of a Barn Owl in the Trapping Area and two Bearded Tits in the bushes at the Polish War Memorial. Birds passing overhead included 83 Stock Doves, a Great White Egret, a Woodlark, 23 Skylarks, 122 Swallows, five House Martins, three Grey Wagtails, three Rock Pipits, six Bramblings, 245 Goldfinches, 93 Siskins and 14 Reed Buntings.

Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus   Dungeness   22nd October 2024

The sea was very quiet with just two Mediterranean Gulls, an Arctic Tern and an Arctic Skua of any interest.

The moth traps continue to provide some good records with two Palpita vitrealis, a Gem, three Scarce Bordered Straws and a Radford's Flame Shoulder of note.

21st Oct

Yet another day of dismal weather. Seawatching produced just a single Balearic Shearwater of any note. Nothing much to be seen on the land.

Two Porpoises and three Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

20th Oct

Strong SSW winds and heavy rain for most of the day meant most of the effort was spent looking at the sea. Six hours of watching brought the highlight of the day in the form of a Leach's Petrel and with backup including a Sooty and seven Balearic Shearwaters, two Little Gulls and singles of Great and Arctic Skua. A first-winter Caspian Gull was also in the small roost at the Point. It was quiet on the land with just a Merlin, 39 Swallows, ten Redwings, six Song Thrushes and 330 Goldfinches of note.



Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans   first-winter   Dungeness   20th October 2024

Two Porpoise and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

The moth traps continue to provide interest with eight Palpita vitrealis, two Musotima nitidalis, a Vestal, a Scarce Bordered Straw and two Radford's Flame Shoulders. A Western Conifer Seed-bug was also attracted to the light.

Vestal Rhodometra sacrairia   Dungeness   20th October 2024


19th Oct

With wet and windy conditions for most of the day seawatching was the main option with nearly five hours of coverage producing three Shelduck, six Pintails, three Avocets, five Mediterranean Gulls, 85 Sandwich Terns, an Arctic Tern, six Arctic Skuas, a Sooty Shearwater and 516 Gannets of interest. Grounded migrants were fairly scarce in the bushes with just 12 Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap, a Dartford Warbler, three Goldcrests, eight Song Thrushes and a Rock Pipit of note. Visible migration consisted of 42 Stock Doves and 47 Swallows.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore and Nathusius's Pipistrelles were hunting around the moth traps this evening.

The moth traps produced five Palpita vitrealis and three Radford's Flame Shoulders and also a Southern Oak Bush-cricket while a Western Conifer Seedbug was found inside the Observatory.

18th Oct

The highlight of the day was another Yellow-browed Warbler trapped in the Moat. Grounded migrants were otherwise fairly scarce with 30 Chiffchaffs, five Blackcaps, three Dartford Warblers, two Firecrests, eight Goldcrests, 14 Redwings, 24 Song Thrushes and a Wheatear of note. Birds passing overhead included 550 Stock Doves, six Buzzards, two Woodlarks, 33 Skylarks, ten Tree Sparrows, five Grey Wagtails, a Rock Pipit, seven Bramblings, 100 Goldfinches, 16 Siskins, a Yellowhammer and 29 Reed Buntings. The sea remained quiet with just six Pintails and a Sooty Shearwater of note.

Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus   Dungeness   19th October 2024

The moth traps were surprisingly productive overnight with eight Palpita vitrealis, a Musotoma nitidalis, five Gems,a Scarce Bordered Straw and a Delicate. In addition, a Diasemiopsis ramburalis and a Crimson-speckled were trapped at South View Cottage. A Mediterranean Stick-insect was seen in the Observatory garden again.

Crimson Speckled Utethesia pulchella   Dungeness   18th October 2024


17th Oct

Massive thunderstorms overnight. There were a few grounded migrants in the bushes in the morning with a Woodcock, 20 Chiffchaffs, four Blackcaps, 70 Redwings, 20 Song Thrushes and three Wheatears and of much more interest, an "Eastern" type Lesser Whitethroat, which unfortunately failed to find its way into a net. Two Long-eared Owls were hunting after dark at the Long Pits. Overhead passage included 31 Stock Doves, three Merlins, a Woodlark, 16 Skylarks, three Grey Wagtails, two Rock Pipits, nine Bramblings, 150 Goldfinches, 20 Siskins and 25 Reed Buntings. A Little Gull and two Arctic Skuas were lingering offshore.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore and in the evening there was an almost continuous presence of Nathusius's Pipistrelles, Common Pipistrelles and Soprano Pipistrelles.

An unusual record was a dead Common Toad on the road.

The moth traps were very productive with 24 Palpita vitrealis, five Gems, four Delicates and a Radford's Flame Shoulder. A Hawthorn Shieldbug was also found in the traps and a Western Conifer Seedbug was found at Delhi Cottage. A Mediterranean Stick-insect was seen in the Observatory Garden.

16th Oct

With a strong south-easterly wind in the morning hopes were fairly high for some good bird but it never really happened. Six hours of seawatching produced just 118 Brent Geese, three Shovelers, two Wigeon, three Teal, 163 Mediterranean Gulls, a Yellow-legged Gull, 61 Sandwich Terns, a Great and 15 Arctic Skuas and 287 Gannets. Numbers of birds in the bushes were much reduced with just 14 Chiffchaffs, two Firecrests, five Goldcrests, 40 Redwings, ten Song Thrushes and a Wheatear of note. Birds passing overhead were dominated by the first big movement of 2500 Goldfinches along with a Merlin, 13 Skylarks, 275 Swallows, 215 Meadow Pipits, three Bramblings, two Siskins and eight Reed Buntings.

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.

15th Oct

A pretty decent morning with a good number of birds in the bushes and passing overhead and a very decent movement of birds offshore. The highlights from the bushes were a Yellow-browed Warbler and a Siberian Chiffchaff (trapped), 100 Chiffchaffs, a late Willow Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Dartford Warbler, 14 Firecrests, 38 Goldcrests, 600 Redwings, 30 Song Thrushes and two Wheatears. A Woodcock and three Snipe were also seen. Birds passing overhead included 24 Skylarks, two Rock Pipits, seven Bramblings, 65 Goldfinches, seven Siskin and 11 Reed Buntings. A three-hour seawatch this morning saw a large westerly movement of mainly wildfowl including 3011 Brent Geese, 81 Shelduck, 14 Shoveler, 105 Wigeon, 28 Pintail, 11 Teal and the first Red-breasted Merganser of the autumn along with a Little Gull, 166 Mediterranean Gulls, an Arctic Tern, four Arctic Skuas and a Sooty Shearwater.





Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita tristis   Dungeness   15th October 2024

Three Porpoises and three unidentified dolphins and two Grey Seals were seen offshore. A Brown Hare was seen on the land.

14th Oct

A thoroughly miserable day with heavy rain from first light and until late afternoon. A Little Gull and two Arctic Skuas were the best of the meagre offerings offshore while two Firecrests in the Trapping Area were the only bits of interest on the land.

The moth traps produced a Radford's Flame Shoulder, two Delicates and a Scarce Bordered Straw of note. 

13th Oct

A bright, sunny morning with a light NW breeze. The more unusual records were a Barn Owl in the Trapping Area and a Dartford Warbler in the Moat while other grounded migrants included a Hobby, 35 Chiffchaffs, five Goldcrests, ten Song Thrushes and a Wheatear. There was a trickle of migrants passing overhead with 37 Stock Doves, a Grey Wagtail, two Rock Pipits, 40 Siskins and eight Reed Buntings. The sea was very quiet with just 30 Mediterranean Gulls feeding offshore of any note.

Three Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore. 

12th Oct

A wet and windy day with very little on the land and good numbers of birds feeding offshore including 200 Mediterranean Gulls, three first-winter Caspian Gulls, a Great Skua, four Arctic Skuas and a Balearic Shearwater.

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore. 

11th Oct

An excellent morning on the land with the highlight of two Yellow-browed Warblers (one caught), along with 150 Chiffchaffs, 13 Blackcaps, a Lesser Whitethroat, two Whitethroats, two Dartford Warblers, two Firecrests, eight Goldcrests, a Ring Ouzel in the Moat, three Redwings, a late Redstart and a Wheatear. There was also a decent bit of passage overhead with 46 Stock Doves, a Short-eared Owl, five Bramblings, 60 Goldfinch, 50 Siskins, a Yellowhammer and 30 Reed Buntings. A Little Gull and 40 Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore in the evening.

Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus   Dungeness   11th October 2024

A Porpoise was seen offshore.

A Mediterranean Stick-insect and a Mottled Shieldbug were found in the Observatory garden.

10th Oct

A fairly quiet day with 13 Mediterranean Gulls and four Arctic Skuas offshore, 35 Chiffchaffs and two Firecrests in the bushes and singles of Tree and Rock Pipit, two Bramblings, 75 Goldfinch, 21 Siskins and 23 Reed Buntings overhead.

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

There was a surprisingly good catch of moths overnight with 34 Delicates, a Scarce Bordered Straw, a Radford's Flame Shoulder, nine Udea ferrugalis and two Palpita vitrealis of note.

9th Oct

The highlight of the day was the seemingly overdue arrival of Yellow-browed Warblers with two in the Trapping Area and one at the north end of the Long Pits. Other notable grounded migrants included a Snipe, a Jay, 50 Chiffchaffs, 11 Blackcaps, a Whitethroat, seven Firecrests, four Song Thrushes and four Wheatears. There was also some overhead passage with a Golden Plover, 37 Skylarks, 500 Swallows, three Tree Sparrows, a Yellow Wagtail, three Grey Wagtails, three Bramblings, 240 Goldfinches, 70 Siskins and eight Reed Buntings. The sea was fairly quiet with a two-hour watch producing just 14 Mediterranean Gulls, 80 Sandwich Terns, four Arctic Skuas, 51 Razorbills, three Balearic Shearwaters and 431 Gannets.

Three Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore and a Grey Squirrel was seen in the Trapping Area.

8th Oct

The land was dominated by another sizable movement of hirundines with 6600 Swallows and 1050 House Martins during the day while other visible migrants included a Grey Wagtail, 155 Goldfinches and ten Siskins. Grounded migrants were in short supply with just 30 Chiffchaffs, a Whitethroat, a Firecrest and a Wheatear of interest. A decent seawatch in the morning produced 18 Mediterranean Gulls, 246 Sandwich Terns, two Little Terns, 13 Arctic Skuas, 109 Razorbills, a Sooty Shearwater, nine Balearic Shearwaters and 663 Gannets.

Two Porpoises and two Common Seals were feeding offshore.

The moth traps produced 11 Delicates but not much else.

 




7th Oct

A disappointing day. Seawatching produced two Balearic Shearwaters of note along with 22 Mediterranean Gulls, two Arctic Terns, five Arctic Skuas and 229 Gannets. There was a steady trickle of birds passing overhead including a Great White Egret, nine Skylarks, 340 Swallows, two Yellow Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail, 120 Meadow Pipits, a Tree Pipit, 28 Goldfinches three Siskins and six Reed Buntings. Migrants in the bushes remain few in number with just 20 Chiffchaffs, six Blackcaps, a Dartford Warbler, a Firecrest, three Goldcrests, a Whinchat and three Wheatears

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

6th Oct

With a strong SSE wind blowing there was hope for the sea but it wasn't that productive with five hours of watching revealing just 16 Teal, a Little Gull, 14 Mediterranean Gulls, 215 Sandwich Terns, 81 Common Terns, three Arctic Terns, three Black Terns, 12 Arctic Skuas and 538 Gannets. A second-winter Caspian Gull and an adult Yellow-legged Gull were in a small roost of gulls on the beach. Birds passing overhead included 14 Skylarks, 3200 Swallows, 230 House Martins, three Grey Wagtails, 100 Meadow Pipits, three Redpolls, 15 Goldfinches, a Siskin and seven Reed Buntings. Grounded migrants were fairly few and far between with just 20 Chiffchaffs, four Firecrests, three Goldcrests, a Whinchat and seven Wheatears of note.

Three Porpoises and Brown Hare leveret were seen.

Elsewhere, a Yellow-browed Warbler was seen at the Pines at ARC.


5th Oct

A bright, sunny morning produced a decent bit of visible migration and good numbers of grounded migrants in the bushes. The highlights on the land were the first Ring Ouzel of the autumn, 120 Chiffchaffs, late Sedge and Reed Warblers, 35 Blackcaps, a Dartford Warbler, three Firecrests, two Whinchats and two Wheatears. Of note among the birds passing overhead were 20 Skylarks, 1500 Swallows, 50 House Martins, two Yellow Wagtails, 150 Meadow Pipits, two Bramblings, a Redpoll, 35 Goldfinches, 27 Siskins and 70 Reed Buntings. The best from a very quiet sea were two Shelduck, seven Wigeon, a Little Gull, five Mediterranean Gulls and three Arctic Skuas.

A Porpoise and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

The moth traps were surprisingly productive with a Gem, seven Delicates and a Scarce Bordered Straw and 15 Udea ferrugalis of note.

Seven Mottled Shieldbugs were seen in the Old Lighthouse garden

4th Oct

The first calm morning for a few days and there were good numbers of birds on the land and passing overhead. There were at least 120 Chiffchaffs and 40 Blackcaps on the land and variety provided by a party of eight Bearded Tits in the Trapping Area, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Dartford Warbler, three Redwings, three Song Thrushes, a Spotted Flycatcher, two Whinchats and four Wheatears. Overhead migration also picked up with 1500 Swallows, two Tree Sparrows, a Yellow Wagtail, a Grey Wagtail, 140 Meadow Pipits, a Tree Pipit, two Rock Pipits, the first Brambling of the autumn, 30 Goldfinches, seven Siskins and 32 Reed Buntings. The sea remains extremely quiet though with just 12 Wigeon, a Little Gull, 11 Mediterranean Gulls and five Arctic Skuas of any interest.

Four Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

Two Mediterranean Stick-insects were found in the Observatory garden.

3rd Oct

Twenty Chiffchaffs and 80 Meadow Pipits were the only birds of note on the land while seawatching produced just 248 Brent Geese, three Shelduck, 24 Wigeon, a Little Gull, two Mediterranean Gulls and three Arctic Skuas of interest.

A Brown Hare was seen on the land. 

2nd Oct

Still very little on the land and only marginally better offshore. Highlights from three hours of seawatching were just 304 Brent Geese, 21 Wigeon, a Little Gull, six Mediterranean Gulls and three Arctic Skuas. A Jay and a Buzzard were of note from the Trapping Area but only 20 Chiffchaffs were found in the bushes and a Rock Pipit, seven Siskins and nine Reed Buntings flew over.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

1st Oct

Very quiet. Seventy Chiffchaffs were the only migrants on the land in any numbers and just a Merlin, a Hobby, a Yellow Wagtail, two Grey Wagtails and three Reed Buntings passing overhead of note. Very little offshore with just two Little Gulls and three Mediterranean Gulls of any interest.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore. 

30th Sep

A foul day of strong SSE winds and almost constant rain. The only sensible option was seawatching but this was ultimately underwhelming with eight hours of coverage producing just 51 Brent Geese, seven Teal, two Red-breasted Mergansers, a Knot, two Dunlin, a Little Gull, seven Mediterranean Gulls, two Little Terns, three Black Terns, 312 Sandwich Terns, six Arctic Skuas, a juvenile Pomarine Skua, a Great Skua, four Sooty Shearwaters, 21 Balearic Shearwaters and a Merlin in off.

Four Porpoise and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

29th Sep

With a fresh increasing to strong SW wind most of the interest was offshore with over six hours of watching producing 178 Brent Geese, six Shelduck, nine Shoveler, two Wigeon, a Pintail, two Teal, an excellent total of 263 Little Gulls, 57 Mediterranean Gulls, 30 Common Gulls, an Arctic Tern, 16 Black Terns, a Great Skua, seven Arctic Skuas, seven Sooty Shearwaters, five Balearic Shearwaters and a Manx Shearwater. Movement on the land was more or less limited to Swallows with 16,000 passing out to sea along with 85 Meadow Pipits and 30 Goldfinches. Seventy Chiffchaffs and a Lesser Whitethroat were the only noteworthy birds in the bushes.

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


28th Sep

Today was the day of the Big Kent Bird Migration Watch and we were able to contribute through the morning's ringing, visible migration counts and seawatchng. Most of the interest was on the land with a Jay, a flock of ten seemingly migrant Long-tailed Tits (all unringed), 110 Chiffchaffs, seven Blackcaps, a Goldcrest and the first two Redwings of the autumn. Birds passing overhead included a Golden Plover, a Snipe, an Osprey, eight Buzzards, a Hobby, 500 Swallows, a Tree Sparrow, a Grey Wagtail, 400 Meadow Pipits, two Rock Pipits, two Redpolls, 33 Goldfinches, two Siskins and 18 Reed Buntings. The sea was fairly slow going and produced just seven Wigeon, two Mediterranean Gulls, an Arctic Tern and three Arctic Skuas of note.

Six Porpoise and a Grey Seal were seen offshore. 

27th Sep

With a fresh NW wind most of the interest was offshore where seven hours of watching produced two Avocets, a Little Gull, 173 Mediterranean Gulls, 92 Common Gulls, 813 Sandwich Terns, three Arctic Terns, a Great Skua, 27 Arctic Skuas, singles of Sooty and Manx Shearwaters and three Balearic Shearwaters. Two first-winter Caspian Gulls were also seen at the fishing boats where four Merlins and four Kestrels also came in off the sea. It was fairly quiet on the land with just 260 Swallows, a Willow Warbler, 38 Chiffchaffs, a Yellow Wagtail and 120 Meadow Pipits of note.




Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans   first-winter   Dungeness   27th September 2024

Six Porpoise and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.