A murky and increasingly windy day. Nearly four hours of seawatching produced 215 Brent Geese passing east, three Shelducks, nine Wigeon and a Red-breasted Merganser, 392 Kittiwakes, a Mediterranean Gull, two Yellow-legged Gulls, 309 Red-throated Divers , two Great Northern Divers and 782 Gannets. Three Caspian Gulls were seen in the roost on the beach.
 |
| Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans first-winter Dungeness 31st December 2024 |
A Grey Seal was seen offshore.
A check of the land produced a Merlin, a Chiffchaff, two Dartford Warblers, two Fieldfares and a Mistle Thrush.
Just a Mediterranean Gull and 411 Gannets offshore of any note at sea. A total of 20 Fieldfares also arrived.
A Grey Seal was feeding offshore.
Very little to report. Seawatching produced just 164 Red-throated Divers and 321 Gannets of any interest.
A Grey Seal was feeding offshore.
A miserable day that never really got light and with rain throughout. A Yellow-legged Gull was seen at the fishing boats and 388 Gannets passed through.
A quiet day although a short seawatch in the afternoon produced two Velvet Scoters and a Great Northern Diver. Two Chiffchaffs and a Siskin were seen in the Trapping Area.
As we approach the time to renew your membership we are reluctantly having to increase our membership charges. The fees have remained the same since 2016 and, with the cost of living increases we have decided we can no longer absorb the rises. Membership will now cost £20.00 a year, with a similar increase in accommodation charges of £20 a night for non-members and £15.00 for members. Please remember to update your Standing Order if that’s how you pay.
We are very grateful for your continued support of the Observatory.
Two Egyptian Geese, 170 Kittiwakes, a Yellow-legged Gull, 600 Red-throated Divers and 460 Gannets were the highlights from the sea. A Chiffchaff and a Siskin were seen in the Trapping Area.
A Grey Seal was feeding offshore.
There were plenty of birds offshore including 129 Kittiwakes and 1080 Gannets moving west but nothing else of any great note..
One Grey Seal was also feeding offshore.
A check of the Trapping Area produced singles of Woodcock, Snipe and Chiffchaff. The sea was fairly quiet with just six Mediterranean Gulls and a Great Northern Diver of note. A Caspian Gull was seen on the beach.
Two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
A flock of 600 Gannets were feeding offshore and two first-winter Caspian Gulls were on the beach at the fishing boats. A Merlin was also seen on the beach. A Brambling was in and around the Observatory garden and five Redpolls flew over.
A Grey Seal was seen offshore.
Six Shelducks, eight Pintails, two Teals and 128 Red-throated Divers offshore. A Buzzard was on the beach at the Point and a Firecrest was seen at the north end of the Long Pits.
A Grey Seal was feeding offshore.
The Hume's Warbler was still present around the Observatory while seawatching produced 15 Wigeon, a Velvet Scoter, a Mediterranean Gull and 3500 Cormorants.
 |
| Hume's Warbler Phylloscopus humei Dungeness 12th December 2024 |
A Grey Seal was feeding offshore.
The Hume's Warbler was still feeding in the gardens around the Observatory and a Chiffchaff was seen in the Trapping Area.
A Grey Seal was seen offshore.
Very little change in the weather or the birds. The Hume's Warbler was calling fairly frequently around the Observatory gardens but was very difficult to see again. Seawatching produced 22 Wigeon, a Tufted Duck, two Mediterranean Gulls, a Great Northern Diver and 699 Gannets. A flock of 80 Starlings also came in.
Two Common Seals and two Grey Seals were seen.
The strong NE wind with almost continuous rain goes on and more or less limiting observations to the sea where eight Pintail, 11 Wigeon, a Red-breasted Merganser, three Mediterranean Gulls and 657 Gannets were best on offer. The Hume's Warbler was still in situ around the Observatory garden but was very hard to get good views in the strong winds.
Two Common Seals and three Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
The miserable weather continues with a howling northerly wind and frequent rain. The Hume's Warbler continues to be seen but remains fairly elusive in the winds but the front garden was quite sheltered and this was the best place to see it today. Little coverage otherwise.
 |
| Hume's Warbler Phylloscopus humei Dungeness 8th December 2024 |
Yet another very wet and windy day and very little coverage. The Hume's Warbler was still around the Observatory but was very difficult to see in the poor conditions. A Black Redstart was seen on the power station wall.
The Hume's Warbler continues to show around the Observatory gardens or in the Moat but is quite skulking for most of the time. A Woodlark which flew over the Observatory was unexpected. Two Chiffchaffs and a Dartford Warbler were seen in the bushes and two Black Redstarts were feeding along the power station wall. The sea was pretty quiet in terms of passage with just two Eiders and eight Mediterranean Gulls of note while a first-winter Caspian Gull was feeding at the fishing boats. A spectacular flock of Gannets were also feeding offshore.
 |
| Hume's Warbler Phylloscopus humei Dungeness 6th December 2024 |
 |
| Gannets Morus bassana Dungeness 6th Deember 2024 |
Four Grey Seals and a Common Seal were feeding offshore.
 |
| Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus Dungeness 6th December 2024 |
A Painted Lady and a Red Admiral were also seen.
The Hume's Warbler continues its stay around the Observatory but in the thoroughly miserable weather it was even more elusive than previously. The sea was very quiet but the first-year Glaucous Gull was seen at the fishing boats in the morning.
The Hume's Warbler continues to show around the cottages but remains very difficult to get decent photos of it. Three Chiffchaffs were seen in the trapping area.
The Hume's Warbler was still around the Observatory and cottage gardens and although showing out in the open on numerous occasions it remained very difficult to photograph. Five Black Redstarts were feeding along the power station wall and three Merlins were seen on the beach. The sea was pretty quiet today although a Purple Sandpiper made a brief visit to the beach, two Mediterranean Gulls flew west, two Sandwich Tern flew east and 183 Red-throated Divers passed through.
 |
| Hume's Warbler Phylloscopus humei Dungeness 3rd December 2024 |
Three Grey Seals and two Common Seals were feeding offshore.
A walk around the Trapping Area produced a couple of Chiffchaffs but little else. Shortly after my return to the Observatory the Hume's Warbler announced its presence in the back garden. It was very active but keeping inside the cover for most of the time but eventually gave a few seconds view out in the open. Shortly afterwards it made its way into the Heligoland Trap where it was quickly caught, ringed, photographed in the hand and released and it continued to show around the gardens afterwards. This the fifth Observatory record.
There was very little offshore but the Glaucous Gull was seen at the fishing boats again.
 |
| Hume's Warbler Phylloscopus humei Dungeness 2nd December 2024 (in-hand |
Two Grey Seals and a Common Seal were feeding offshore.
Today's highlight was a Hume's Warbler which was first heard calling from the front garden of the Observatory as I was checking through an empty moth-trap. It was very difficult to see but eventually we were able to get good enough views to confirm its identity but it soon disappeared as the weather closed in and was not seen again after 0830hrs.
Seawatching produced an easterly movement of 268 Brent Geese, (surely not returning birds already?), three Mediterranean Gulls and 323 Gannets.
Two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
No question about the highlight of the day when a superb Humpback Whale was found feeding close inshore off the fishing boats and gave some superb views for several hours before it eventually headed off to the west. As far as I can tell this is the first Observatory record.
 |
| Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Dungeness 30th November 2024 |
Strong easterly winds and rain later limited observations to the sea where 26 Shelducks, four Wigeon, a Long-tailed Duck, a Red-breasted Merganser, 37 Dunlin, four Sandwich Terns, 31 Red-throated Diver and a Sooty Shearwater flew west in just under four hours of recording. The first-year Glaucous Gull was feeding at the fishing boats again and a Merlin was hunting the Point.
Single Porpoise and Common Seal and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
Light NW winds and clear conditions meant for a fairly slow seawatch with just two Mediterranean Gulls, 55 Red-throated Divers, two Great Northern Divers west and the first-year Glaucous Gull and an adult Caspian Gull feeding at the boats. The only notable birds on the land were a Merlin, five Chiffchaffs, a Dartford Warbler and 1360 Starling coming in.
Four Grey Seals were feeding offshore.