29th Apr

Seawatching was the order of the day with another mammoth 15hr session recorded. Overall numbers were not very high but there were some notable records including two Garganey, three Tufted Ducks, a Velvet Scoter, 309 Common Scoters, two Red-breasted Mergansers, 71 Grey Plovers, 95 Whimbrel, 84 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Common Sandpiper, 50 Knot, seven Little Terns, 44 Arctic Terns, a Roseate Tern, 14 Little Gulls, eight Arctic Skuas, 18 Pomarine Skuas and a Great Skua. 

The land produced a pair of flyover Little Ringed Plovers and just six Lesser Whitethroats.

However the highlight for many was a Minke Whale which moved east, close inshore at around 0900hrs. Ten Porpoise and two Grey Seals were also seen.

28th Apr

A lovely day but very quiet for birds. A mammoth ten-hour seawatching session produced just a Long-tailed Duck, 30 Arctic Terns, six Arctic Skuas, a Pomarine Skua of note. Barely a migrant to be seen on the land although a flock of ten Buzzards over the area and two Yellow Wagtails flew through.

Sixteen Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

27th Apr

Migration seems to be at a very low level on both land and sea at the moment. A six-hour seawatch saw just three Red-breasted Mergansers, five Whimbrel, 57 Bar-tailed Godwits, four Mediterranean Gulls, 68 Sandwich Terns, three Arctic Skuas, two Great Skuas and a Great Northern Diver of any interest. It was very quiet on the land with just three Yellow Wagtails of note.

26th Apr

Bright and sunny conditions with a fresh NE breeze resulted in very little on the land and a steady easterly passage offshore. A 13hr seawatch from first light produced a Long-tailed Duck and a Puffin of note while numbers and backup were provided by 20 Shelduck, 143 Common Scoters, three Red-breasted Mergansers, 13 Grey Plovers, 63 Whimbrels, 1612 Bar-tailed Godwits, 153 Common Terns, 210 Sandwich Terns, 20 Little Gulls, five Arctic Skuas, a Great Skua, 12 Fulmars and 103 Gannets. 

It was very quiet on the land with our first Common Sandpiper of the year at the Long Pits, a Jay over the area and a small arrival of Lesser Whitethroats of interest.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

25th Apr

A trickle of birds moved east during the morning but seawatching improved from mid-afternoon with a final total of 3787 Bar-tailed Godwits of note along with ten Shelduck, 11 Grey Plover, six Knot, 203 Whimbrel, 21 Little Terns, 48 Arctic Terns, 48 Little Gulls, two Arctic Skuas and a Black-throated Diver.

More Swallows passed through and a handful of Chiffchaffs arrived.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore,

A Terrapin sp was seen at the Long Pits.

The first Blue-tailed Damselflies, Azure Damselflies and Hairy Dragonflies were seen.

24th Apr

Overcast conditions and a light NNE breeze failed to produce very much with a steady trickle of birds passing east offshore including three Shovelers, 15 Whimbrel, 328 Bar-tailed Godwits, three Little Terns, just singles of Great and Arctic Skuas and a Black-throated Diver of note. There was a small arrival of Lesser Whitethroats and a Garden Warbler on the land while a Greenshank flew over the Long Pits and 102 Swallows came in.

Three Porpoises were feeding offshore.

23rd Apr

With heavy rain and SE winds at first almost all the attention was offshore where 11 hrs of seawatching was achieved. Most of the birds were seen after the worst of the rain and included two Velvet Scoters, 966 Common Scoters, five Grey Plover, ten Whimbrel, 57 Bar-tailed Godwits, 19 Little Terns, eight Black Terns, 152 Arctic Terns, 260 Common Terns, 2612 "commic" Terns, 68 Little Gulls, 19 Arctic Skuas, four Pomarine Skuas, two Great Skuas, ten Black-throated Divers, 27 Fulmars, seven Manx Shearwaters and 681 Gannets. A Hobby also came in. A brief foray into the trapping area after the rain produced our first Garden Warbler of the year but very little else.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

22nd Apr

A ringed White Stork flew over the area along with seven Buzzards. Nine hours of seawatching produced just 357 Common Scoters, 46 Bar-tailed Godwits, eight Knot, two Black Terns, four Arctic Skuas and a Great Skua. 

A Large Tortoiseshell butterfly was seen in the trapping area along with a Grizzled Skipper, a Brimstone and four Green-veined Whites. 

21st Apr

Six hours of seawatching produced 26 Arctic Terns, ten Little Gulls, two Mediterranean Gulls, 14 Arctic Skuas, a Pomarine Skuas and two Great Skuas of note. On the land, two Cuckoos were the first of the year and four Willow Warblers and three Yellow Wagtails were also seen.

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

20th Apr

A full day of seawatching in fresh NE winds produced 48 Oystercatchers, 54 Whimbrel, 790 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Little Tern, 407 Arctic Terns, 134 Common Terns, 421 "commic" Terns, 39 Little Gulls, six Mediterranean Gull, 15 Arctic Skuas, a Pomarine Skua, a Great Skua, three Black-throated Divers, five Manx Shearwaters and a Little Egret. A few passerines came in including 35 Swallows and a Yellow Wagtail.

Singles of Great and Common Seal and six Porpoises were feeding offshore.

19th Apr

Strong north-east winds resulted in some excellent seawatching but very little on the land. Over 13.5hrs of seawatching resulted in some huge numbers of waders but surprisingly very little else. The highlights were 142 Grey Plovers, 596 Whimbrels, 2688 Bar-tailed Godwits and 546 Sandwich Terns. Other bits and pieces included 16 Shovelers, seven Teal, a Velvet Scoter, a Black-tailed Godwit, 27 Arctic Terns, eight Little Gulls, eight Mediterranean Gulls and 11 Arctic Skuas. A Hobby, ten Swallows and two Yellow Wagtails also came in.

Eight Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

18th Apr

A Red Kite flew over the area in the morning but it was otherwise very quiet on the land. A full days seawatching produced a few notable birds including two Velvet Scoters, a Long-tailed Duck, 15 Arctic Skuas, two Pomarine Skuas, five Great Skuas and three Black-throated Divers while numbers were provided by 737 Common Scoters, 78 Whimbrel, 628 Bar-tailed Godwits, four Little Terns, 85 Arctic Terns, 162 Common Terns, 429 Sandwich Terns, six Little Gulls and 86 Mediterranean Gulls.

Seven Porpoise and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

A Grizzled Skipper was also seen., 

17th Apr

Very small numbers of birds on the land but they did include four Buzzards, a Jay, 17 Chiffchaffs, six Sedge Warblers, five Lesser Whitethroats, two Yellow Wagtails, a female Bullfinch and a Serin over the Long Pits of note. Nearly eight hours of seawatching produced two Egyptian Geese, four Velvet Scoters, 655 Common Scoters, eight Whimbrel, 260 Bar-tailed Godwits, 44 Little Gulls, five Mediterranean Gulls and nine Arctic Skuas.

Twelve Porpoise and two Grey Seals were seen offshore.

A Grizzled Skipper and a Brimstone were seen. The rare beetle Hister quadrimaculatus was found - a Dungeness speciality while a search for hymenoptera produced an Andrena pilipes which may well be a new species for the area and two Andrena vaga.

 

16th Apr

A day of mostly seawatching in strong SW winds. The highlights were three Eider, three Velvet Scoters, 562 Common Scoters, five Red-breasted Mergansers, two Little Gulls, 17 Mediterranean Gulls, an excellent total of 38 Arctic Skuas, two Great Skuas, a Little Tern and two Manx Shearwaters. A small arrival of birds on the land included a Lesser Whitethroat and a Ring Ouzel.

Eleven Porpoise and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

15th Apr

There was a small arrival of migrants and included eight Willow Warblers, 11 Blackcaps, a Firecrest, a Ring Ouzel, nine Song Thrushes, a Mistle Thrush, a Nightingale, two Redstarts, a Yellow Wagtail, a Tree Pipit and a Corn Bunting. There was a trickle of birds passing east with nine Velvet Scoters, eight Whimbrel, a Little Gull, four Arctic Skuas and a Shag in six hours of watching.

Six Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

A Paper Wasp Polistes biglumis was found in front of the Observatory. This species was only added to the British list in 2022 when they were found breeding at Samphire Hoe. 

14th Apr

There was a small arrival of birds on the land with 30 Willow Warblers, ten Chiffchaffs, a Firecrest and a Redstart of interest. A Great White Egret and a Little Egret were also seen at the top of the recording area. Seawatching was fairly quiet but eight hours of watching eventually produced 412 Common Scoters, 26 Whimbrels, seven Little Gulls, 17 Mediterranean Gulls, 401 Sandwich Terns, four Little Terns, the first Black Tern of the year, two Great Skuas and 11 Arctic Skuas. 

Eighteen Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen on  the land.

A Grizzled Skipper was seen at the Long Pits.

13th Apr

After a fairly quiet start to the day with just four Velvet Scoters, six Little Gulls and 11 Arctic Skuas of note from the morning seawatch the day suddenly sparked into life with a showy Hoopoe being found in the Desert. A Wood Lark also flew over the Trapping Area and there was a very obvious increase in the number of Whitethroats in the area.

Elsewhere in the general area a Red-rumped Swallow was showing well on Dengemarsh and the Black-winged Stilt was also still present.

12th Apr

Seawatching continues to provide plenty of interest and produced the days highlight in the form of a drake Surf Scoter which passed by with in a small flock of Common Scoters. Other quality birds on the seawatch included 35 Shovelers, a Gadwall, a Velvet Scoter, 12 Red-breasted Mergansers, 154 Little Gulls, seven Mediterranean Gulls and singles of Great Skua, Black-throated and Great Northern Divers while numbers included 1098 Brent Geese, 1586 Common Scoters, 75 Whimbrel, 48 Curlew, 67 Bar-tailed Godwits, 263 Sandwich Terns and 42 Arctic Terns, Also of note was a Serin which flew east along the beach. There was a small arrival of birds on the land with 13 Willow Warblers and nine Chiffchaffs of note.

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.  

Also of note from around the Point was a superb Black-winged Stilt at Hayfied 1 on the RSPB Reserve.

11th Apr

Seawatching was high on quality this morning although numbers were low with the best being four Eiders, five Velvet Scoters, a Red-necked Grebe, a Black-necked Grebe and four Mediterranean Gulls of note. The highlight of the day on the land was a briefly seen Wryneck although a Purple Heron was seen again while searching for the Wryneck and five Sand Martins, six Willow Warblers, 17 Chiffchaffs and a Tree Pipit were also seen.

Five Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

The rae shieldbug Geotomus petiti was also found. 

Later in the day a Purple Heron was seen on the RSPB Reserve.

10th Apr

There was no doubt about the highlight of the day when two Purple Herons were found at the Long Pits and then gave good views at times until mid-afternoon. Migrants on the land remain scarce with just 25 Sand Martins, 100 Swallows, 12 Chiffchaffs, two Reed Warblers, three Song Thrushes, 14 Black Redstarts and 11 Wheatears while seawatching was also uninspiring with just three Red-breasted Mergansers and a Whimbrel of any note.

Three Porpoises were seen offshore.

9th Apr

More NNE winds and the steady stream of birds passing upchannel continued with 211 Brent Geese, nine Shelduck, six Bar-tailed Godwits, 234 Sandwich Terns and four Arctic Skuas of note. Still quiet on the land with just a Willow Warbler, eight Chiffchaffs and three Song Thrushes of interest. 

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

8th Apr

Fresh ENE winds again produced some decent seawatching but it remains hard-going on the land. Nearly ten hours of seawatching resulted in 535 Brent Geese, five Shoveler, a Gadwall, 689 Common Scoters, 11 Red-breasted Mergansers, 66 Little Gulls, 24 Mediterranean Gulls, 504 Sandwich Terns, four Arctic Skuas, a Black-throated Diver, a Cattle Egret roosting on the Bouy, a Little Egret and also a male Hen Harrier. It was quiet on the land with a Red Kite, just two Sand Martins, 17 Swallows, 102 Skylarks, 14 Chiffchaffs, a Redpoll and two Siskins passing through. 

At least 15 Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore while two Brown Hares and a Weasel were seen on the land.

7th Apr

Over ten hours of seawatching in the continuing fresh NE winds produced 311 Brent Geese, four Garganey, 24 Shovelers, 11 Teal, ten Velvet Scoters, 559 Common Scoters, seven Eiders, 13 Red-breasted Mergansers, five Grey Plover, 24 Curlews, 21 Dunlin, 27 Little Gulls, 13 Mediterranean Gulls, 490 Sandwich Terns, three Little Terns, 27 Arctic Terns, two Arctic Skuas, 82 Red-throated Divers, a Black-throated Diver, a Great Northern Diver and  a Little Egret. A male Hen Harrier was also seen. 

A trickle of birds on the land included a Red Kite, 17 Swallows, 14 Chiffchaffs, two Blackcaps, four Yellow Wagtails, two White Wagtails and a Brambling,

Six Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

6th Apr

The strong north-east wind continues and resulted in another six hours of seawatching producing 136 Brent Geese, 11 Shovelers, four Gadwall, six Pintail, 36 Teal, ten Red-breasted Mergansers, three Grey Plovers, two Whimbrels, nine Bar-tailed Godwits, 26 Dunlin, three Little Terns, 180 Sandwich Terns, seven Little Gulls, four Mediterranean Gulls, six Arctic Skuas, two Black-throated Divers and 17 Fulmars of note.

A Merlin, 17 Swallows, a House Martin, a Willow Warbler, 13 Chiffchaffs, a Whitethroat, three White Wagtails and 226 Chaffinches were seen on the land.

Eight Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore and a Weasel was seen on the land. 

5th Apr

Five hours of fairly quiet seawatching produced a Pintail. a Tufted Duck, 14 Grey Plover, ten Little Gulls, eight Mediterranean Gulls, an Arctic Tern, an Arctic Skua and a Great Skua of note. Two first-winter Caspian Gulls came to bread in front of the seawatch hide in the evening. Very little on the land with just 172 Wood Pigeon, a Greenshank and 28 Goldfinches of note.

Seven Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen in the Desert. 

4th Apr

Very few birds on the land but they did include an unringed White Stork which flew in from the west and eventually headed north. A Merlin, ten Chiffchaffs, three Black Redstarts, six Wheatears, a Blue-headed Wagtail, a Yellow Wagtail, a Grey Wagtail, 74 Chaffinches and a Siskin were also seen.

Nearly five hours of seawatching was fairly productive with 226 Brent Geese, nine Shoveler, 11 Pintail, 196 Common Scoters, four Red-breasted Mergansers, two Whimbrel, 405 Sandwich Terns, five Little Gulls, six Mediterranean Gulls, an Arctic Skua, a Black-throated Diver and three Little Egrets.

Fifteen Porpoise and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

3rd Apr

Seawatching again dominated proceedings with a good variety (rather than numbers) passing throughout the day. The highlights were a Garganey, 189 Shovelers, two Gadwall, eight Pintail, 12 Teal, a Pochard, three Eider, a Velvet Scoter, 761 Common Scoters, five Red-breasted Mergansers, five Avocets, five Common Terns, 142 Sandwich Terns, 11 Little Gulls, a Great Skua, two Black-throated Divers and a Great Northern Diver. It was quiet on the land with a Sand Martin, 11 Chiffchaffs, three Blackcaps and a Rock Pipit being the only migrants of note.

Twelve Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

2nd Apr

A strong, biting NW wind brought a surprisingly good seawatch with dabbling ducks including our fourth best-ever spring total of 619 Shovelers. Other ducks included four Gadwall, four Wigeon, 14 Pintail, 41 Teal, a Velvet Scoter, 418 Common Scoters and three Red-breasted Mergansers. A Shag was the best of the rest along with four Grey Plovers, the first Common Tern of the spring, 90 Sandwich Terns, two Mediterranean Gulls, an Arctic Skua and a Black-throated Diver. Two Swallows and four Chiffchaffs were seen on the land.

Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica   Dungeness   2nd April 2025   (Jacob Spinks)

Five Porpoise and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore. 

1st Apr

The highlight of the days seawatching was a surprisingly high total of 28 Garganeys along with 69 Shovelers, nine Pintail, 43 Teal, an Eider, three Velvet Scoters west, 481 Common Scoters and 23 Red-breasted Mergansers, 12 Avocets, ten Little Gulls and 30 Sandwich Terns.

Eleven Porpoise were feeding offshore.

31st Mar

A very quiet morning on the produced just one Willow Warbler, five Chiffchaffs and a Fieldfare while the sea brought just 55 Common Scoters, two Red-breasted Mergansers and 12 Sandwich Terns of interest. 

Six Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

A Red Chestnut and two Small Quakers were trapped overnight.

30th Mar

There was a small arrival of migrants on the land with 12 Willow Warblers, six Chiffchaffs, three Blackcaps, three Black Redstarts, a Firecrest and three Wheatears. A four-hour seawatch this morning produced 215 Brent Geese, six Shovelers, 22 Velvet Scoters, 446 Common Scoters and five Sandwich Terns of note.

Six Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore and a Hedgehog was feeding in the Observatory garden again.

29th Mar

The first two Willow Warblers of the year were of note on the land along with 139 Wood Pigeons, 20 Jackdaws, five Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap and 20 Redwing. The sea was very quiet with just four Shovelers, two Teal and eight Sandwich Terns of any interest.

Four Porpoise and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.

28th Mar

A mainly bright and sunny morning with a fresh SW breeze. The morning seawatch produced 599 Brent Geese, 211 Common Scoters, six Red-breasted Mergansers, 61 Sandwich Terns, 155 Kittiwakes, eight Mediterranean Gulls, an Arctic Skua, 48 Red-throated Divers and also two Little Egrets which flew west of note. Nine Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap, three Black Redstarts and a Wheatear were the only birds of note on the land.

Five Porpoises were seen offshore.

27th Mar

Another foggy start to the day and not a great deal to be seen. The highlights on the land were a Jack Snipe, 18 Chiffchaffs, 28 Redwings, six Song Thrushes, eight Black Redstarts and six Wheatears.

An atmospheric start to the day 

The Hedgehog was feeding in the garden again this evening and ten Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

26th Mar

A Red Kite, a Buzzard and a Swallow flew over the area and grounded migrants included 100 Redwings and seven Black Redstarts.

Over seven hours of seawatching produced ten Shovelers, two Gadwall, 262 Wigeon, 22 Teal, two Velvet Scoters, a flock of five Black-necked Grebes, nine Mediterranean Gulls and an Arctic Skua. 

The mammal highlight was a Hedgehog in the Observatory garden this evening. Fifteen Porpoise and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

Hedgehog   Erinaceus europeaus   Dungeness   26th March 2025

The Hoopoe was seen again at Denge Quarry but was very elusive.

25th Mar

A Red Kite, a Short-eared Owl, a Wood Lark, two Swallows, eight Chiffchaffs, two Fieldfares, 800 Redwings, 12 Song Thrushes, ten Black Redstarts, a party of six White Wagtails, a Brambling, another Hawfinch, a Redpoll and three Siskins.

Six Porpoise were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen on the land.

Elsewhere, a Hoopoe was found at Denge Quarry, Lydd-on-sea.

24th Mar

A quiet day. A small arrival of birds on the land included a Hawfinch of note along with 17 Chiffchaffs, a very early Sedge Warbler, three Firecrests, 11 Goldcrest, 31 Redwings, six Song Thrushes, two Mistle Thrushes, seven Black Redstarts, 80 Chaffinches and five Siskins.

Two Grey Seals were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen in the Desert.

23rd Mar

Drizzle/light rain from the early hours grounded 600 Redwings with many of them singing from the bushes. Also passing over were six Golden Plovers, a Woodcock, a Swallow, 36 Chiffchaffs, ten Firecrests, eight Goldcrests, five Fieldfares, 15 Song Thrushes, a Mistle Thrush, 43 Robins, 18 Black Redstarts, a massive 2,260 Chaffinches, four Bramblings, three Siskins and 15 Reed Buntings.

Redwings Turdus iliacus   Dungeness   23rd March 2025

Seawatching wasn't too good but poor visibility didn't help. Of interest were 472 Brent Geese, three Red-breasted Mergansers, 240 Kittiwakes, 34 Little Gulls and an Arctic Skua.

Eight Porpoise were feeding offshore.

22nd Mar

The clear highlight of the day was an Iberian Chiffchaff in the garden of Southview Cottage (actually seen just before dark last night and confirmed this afternoon). It showed really well at times and was very occasionally heard called or singing. This is the second Dungeness record. There was a decent spread of other grounded migrants with 18 Black Redstarts and six Wheatears were notable along with a Merlin, 12 Chiffchaffs, two Blackcaps, a Firecrest, seven Goldcrests, 18 Redwings, eight Song Thrushes, two Grey Wagtails, a Rock Pipit and two Bramblings.

Over seven hours of seawatching from first light was productive with 2269 Brent Geese, 15 Eider, 1,214 Common Scoters, 23 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Little Ringed Plover, 206 Kittiwakes, 74 Little Gulls, 26 Mediterranean Gulls, 299 Sandwich Terns, three Arctic Skuas, 247 Red-throated Divers and a Black-throated Diver.

Mammals were well represented today with a pod of 11 White-beaked Dolphins passing through in the early morning along with seven Porpoises, a Grey Seal, a Brown Hare and a Weasel.

A Red Chestnut was trapped overnight - only the eighth Observatory record.

Red Chestnut Cerastis rubricosa   Dungeness   21st March 2025

21st Mar

There was a small arrival of migrants on the land with 14 Black Redstarts, three Wheatears and a Hawfinch of note along with a Jack Snipe, a Merlin, six Chiffchaffs, a Firecrest, five Song Thrushes and 323 Chaffinches. 

Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochrurus   male   Dungeness   21st March 2025

Although much quieter offshore than in the previous two days there were still 27 Garganeys, 425 Common Scoters, six Red-breasted Mergansers, three Avocets, 58 Little Gulls, five Mediterranean Gulls, 237 Sandwich Terns, 233 Red-throated Divers and 1,060 Gannets of interest.

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.

20th Mar

Another excellent seawatch in a light south-east breeze produced Brent Geese, a Garganey, 75 Shovelers, 21 Pintails, 120 Teal, four Eiders, 3476 Common Scoters, 11 Red-breasted Mergansers, a party of three Slavonian Grebes, 151 Sandwich Terns, 143 Little Gulls, 33 Mediterranean Gulls, an Arctic Skua and 309 Red-throated Divers. The first Swallow and two Wheatears of the spring arrived and a Pheasant, 95 Carrion Crow, 14 Chiffchaffs, two Firecrest, seven Black Redstarts and two White Wagtails were also of note.  

Brent Geese Branta bernicla   Dungeness   20th March 2025

The non-avian highlight of the day was a pod of about eight White-beaked Dolphins and Porpoises increased to 15. Two Grey Seals and a Common Seal were also seen.

A Hummingbird Hawk-moth was seen on the beach and a Waved Umber was found on a window at the Observatory. A Red Admiral and a Comma were seen at the Long Pits.

Waved Umber Menophra abruptaria   Dungeness   19th March 2025

19th Mar

A fresh SE wind which dropped away during the day resulted in another spectacular seawatch dominated in terms of numbers by 9,290 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, (our second-best ever day total), 105 Pintails, 2,093 Common Scoters, 656 Red-throated Diver, 110 Sandwich Terns, 56 Little Gulls and 554 Kittiwakes. Notable species included a Pale-bellied Brent Goose, eight Garganey, 28 Teal, three Eiders, two Velvet Scoters, a flock of four Black-necked Grebes, the first Arctic Skua of the year and two Black-throated Divers.

Very quiet on the land with just a Merlin, a Wood Lark over the Desert and three Black Redstarts of note.

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

18th Mar

The wind veered slightly into the east and prompted another good movement of birds offshore. Highlights were 163 Pintails, 33 Shovelers, 12 Pochards, a drake Scaup and 30 Avocets while numbers were provided by 836 Brent Geese, 56 Shelducks, 88 Teal, 341 Common Scoters, 374 Dunlins and 158 Red-throated Divers. Other bits and pieces included two Tufted Ducks, a Red-breasted Merganser, two Mediterranean Gulls and 11 Sandwich Terns. It remains quiet on the land although a Red Kite first seen on the RSPB reserve made it into the Observatory area, a Firecrest was seen in the trapping area, six Black Redstarts were spread around the Point and a Grey Wagtail was seen at the power station sewage works.

Four Porpoise and two each of Common Seal and Grey Seal were seen offshore.

17th Mar

A first-winter Caspian Gull and a second-winter Yellow-legged Gull were at the Point this morning along with 64 Dunlins and a Merlin while a Black Redstart and a Rock Pipit came in off the sea.

Eight Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.

16th Mar

There was a little bit of migration overhead including 47 Stock Doves, 11 Jackdaws, a party of 14 Ravens and a Grey Wagtail while a Wood Lark was seen at the Long Pits. 

Four Porpoises were feeding offshore.

15th Mar

Still cold with a strong NE wind. The only birds of note were seven Grey Plovers and 22 Sandwich Terns passing east offshore.

Three Porpoises were also feeding offshore.

14th Mar

Very quiet with seawatching producing just 403 Gannets of any note while the best on the land were three Black Redstarts.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

13th Mar

What was actually a very quiet day came to live in late morning when a White-tailed Eagle first seen on the Reserve flew over the recording area and eventually north over New Romney. It turns out that this was a bird originally released with a satellite tag (G542) on the Isle of Wight. The early seawatch produced just two Mediterranean Gulls of interest.

White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla   Tagged G542   Dungeness   13th March 2025

Three Porpoises were seen offshore.

12th Mar

Seawatching produced 1202 Brent Geese, two Egyptian Geese, five Wigeon, three Teal, two Goosanders, three Little Gulls and 384 Red-throated Divers of interest. A handful of migrants on the land included a Chiffchaff, a Firecrest, six Black Redstarts and a male White Wagtail. 

Five Porpoise and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.

11th Mar

Very quiet on the land with just a Firecrest and a male White Wagtail of interest. A 90 minute seawatch this morning produced seven Teal, a party of five Black-tailed Godwits, a Mediterranean Gull and 254 Gannets.

Five Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.

10th Mar

A handful of birds on the land included two Woodcocks, a Buzzard, a Kingfisher, two Chiffchaffs, four Firecrests, 12 Siskins and 17 Reed Buntings.

9th Mar

The sea was much quieter this morning with a 2.25hr watch producing just four Shovelers, ten Pintail, four Velvet Scoters, three Sandwich Terns, a Little Gull, four Mediterranean Gulls and 359 Gannets of interest. The only notable birds on the land were a Firecrest, three Goldcrests, 50 Chaffinches and 15 Siskins.

One Porpoise was seen.

8th Mar

A decent seawatch again this morning with a fresh SE breeze bringing 778 Brent Geese, six Shelduck, 57 Shovelers, a Gadwall, 31 Wigeon, 98 Pintail, 179 Teal, 447 Common Scoter, four Avocets, two Sandwich Terns, ten Little Gulls, 11 Mediterranean Gulls, 59 Common Gulls, 193 Red-throated Divers and 1912 Gannets. A Merlin was also seen. Still very quiet on the land with just four Woodcocks, two Firecrests, 14 Redwings, a male White Wagtail and 35 Chaffinches of note. 

7th Mar

A fresh SSE wind brought a spectacular easterly movement of wildfowl dominated by flock after flock of Pintails and a final total of 3705 birds. This total smashed the previous record day count which in itself was created earlier this spring with 994 on 21st February. There were plenty of other wildfowl with a notable total of 474 Shovelers (our fourth best spring day total) along with 634 Brent Geese, a Gadwall, 97 Teal, 317 Common Scoters and a Red-breasted Merganser,  Also of note were seven Grey Plover, six Golden Plover, 27 Curlew, 12 Sandwich Terns, five Little Gulls, 58 Mediterranean Gulls, 149 Common Gulls, 320 Red-throated Divers, five Fulmars and 600 Gannets. It was very quiet on the land with just two Chiffchaffs and a Firecrest of interest.

Pintail Anas acuta flocks   Dungeness   7th March 2025

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.

A Small Tortoiseshell was also seen.

6th Mar

With a light southerly wind and early mist the main interests were offshore where over eight hours of watching produced 3756 Brent Geese, 22 Wigeon, eight Shoveler, four Gadwall, 222 Pintails, 38 Teal, a Tufted Duck, four Eiders, 156 Common Scoters, 31 Mediterranean Gulls and 58 Little Gulls (in the afternoon). A first-winter Caspian Gull was also seen on the beach. A Firecrest, two Black Redstarts and a Rock Pipit were the best on offer on the land.

Two Porpoises and a Common Seal were feeding offshore.

5th Mar

A nice day but not much to report. Three Jack Snipe and two Common Snipe were flushed from the Long Pits where a Kingfisher was also seen. Two Firecrests were seen in the bushes, 18 Stonechats were scattered across the Point and a Rock Pipit flew over. The highlights from two hours of seawatching were just 237 Brent Geese, three Shovelers and a Mediterranean Gull.

Two Porpoise were seen offshore.

4th Mar

A Goosander flew east this morning and nine Sandwich Terns were seen offshore. Three Woodcocks were seen in the trapping area. Two Grey Wagtails, a Rock Pipit and three Siskins flew over.

Four Porpoise and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

A Peacock butterfly was seen in the ringing hut.

3rd Mar

Three Gadwall were seen on the Long Pits were a Jack Snipe and a Common Snipe were also seen. A Merlin, a Grey Wagtail and three Siskins flew over and a Firecrest was seen in trapping area. A Great Northern Diver flew east close inshore. 

2nd Mar

A Mediterranean Gull and six Sandwich Terns were seen offshore. A Merlin and six Siskins flew over. 

Three Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

1st Mar

Two Mediterranean Gulls were seen offshore and a Buzzard and a Merlin were seen on the land. 

A Porpoise and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

Elsewhere, the Long-tailed Duck was still on New Diggings, the Smew was on ARC and a female Scaup and a Purple Sandpiper were seen at Scotney

28th Feb

A couple of Mediterranean Gulls offshore were the only birds of note.

27th Feb

Very quiet on both land and sea. Two Mediterranean Gulls were seen offshore.

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.

26th Feb

Very quiet offshore and on the land. A 2.5hr seawatch this morning produced three Pintail, two Velvet Scoters, three Mediterranean Gulls and 112 Red-throated Divers. Two Firecrests were seen in the trapping area.

Two Porpoise were feeding offshore.

The female Smew was seen at ARC again and the female Scaup was still at Scotney.

25th Feb

A fairly quiet day with seawatching producing just six Mediterranean Gulls of note. A flock of 80 Chaffinches arrived in the trapping area and two Black Redstarts were on the power station wall. Surprise of the day came after dark when a Stone-curlew was heard calling from the Observatory. 

24th Feb

 Very quiet with just seven Velvet Scoters offshore of note.

23rd Feb

Seawatching produced 805 Brent Geese, two Pintail, 67 Mediterranean Gulls and 200 Red-throated Divers. A few bits and pieces on the land included a Grey Wagtail and a Rock Pipit.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.

22nd Feb

A miserable day of wind and rain and very little to be seen.

21st Feb

The SSE wind continued and resulted in a superb seawatch with birds passing through until mid-afternoon when rain arrived. Numbers were dominated by Brent Geese with 2283 birds and a record movement of 994 Pintails with back-up in the form of 28 Greylag Geese, 65 Shovelers, seven Teal, a drake Eider, a Velvet Scoter, 65 Common Scoter, 34 Curlews, 186 Kittiwakes, 60 Mediterranean Gulls, a Sandwich Tern, 112 Red-throated Divers, five Fulmars and 130 Gannets. There was also a noticeable increase in gull numbers offshore and roosting on the Point with three Caspian Gulls and two Yellow-legged Gulls among them. 

Brent Geese and Pintails   Dungeness   21st February 2025   (Charlotte Foot)

Brent Geese and Pintails   Dungeness   21st February 2025   (Jacob Spinks)

Two Porpoise, two Grey Seals and a Common Seal were also seen.

20th Feb

The onshore wind continues and more birds passed through with 1141 Brent Geese, two Little Gulls, 47 Mediterranean Gulls, 364 Red-throated Divers, two Sooty Shearwaters and 212 Gannets. A second-winter Yellow-legged Gull was roosting at the Point. 

A Porpoise and a Grey Seal were also feeding offshore.

19th Feb

Nearly five hours of seawatching in a fresh SE wind produced 595 Brent Geese, eight Pintail, two Eiders, 29 Oystercatchers, 485 Kittiwakes, a Little Gull, two Mediterranean Gulls, a Sandwich Tern, 63 Guillemots, 226 Razorbills, 714 auk sp., 287 Red-throated Divers and five Fulmars. 

18th Feb

Fresh, cold ESE winds resulted in more movement offshore with 621 Brent Geese, five Shoveler, an Eider, six Curlew, a Little Gull, a Sandwich Tern, 148 Red-throated Divers and a Great Northern Diver of note.

A Dartford Warbler was seen on the Point and a Woodcock was seen in the trapping area.

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

17th Feb

Two Chiffchaffs in the Lighthouse Garden were likely to be new migrants while a Firecrest was seen at the Long Pits. A Redwing and two Song Thrushes were also seen in the bushes.

The morning seawatch was very slow.

Three Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

Elsewhere, the female Smew reappeared on the ARC this morning and the Long-tailed Duck was still on New Diggings.

16th Feb

Another cold and murky day with a brisk ENE wind. There was a bit of movement offshore with 38 Brent Geese, 37 Pintails, 38 Wigeon, a flock of six adult Little Gulls, a Mediterranean Gull and 93 Red-throated Divers of note. A first-winter Caspian Gull was seen on the beach.  Very little on the land except for a party of 12 Golden Plovers overhead and a Black Redstart on the power station wall.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

15th Feb

Seawatching produced 37 Brent Geese, 35 Pintails, a Velvet Scoter, a Mediterranean Gull, a first-winter Caspian Gull, 222 Red-throated Divers and a Fulmar.

Three Porpoises were feeding offshore.

14th Feb

The first sunny morning for some time but still very cold. Seawatching produced 29 Oystercatchers, eight Dunlin, a Mediterranean Gull, 271 Red-throated Divers, four Fulmars and 193 Gannets. A Merlin was also seen.

A Porpoise, a Common Seal and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

The female Smew was till showing at Dengemarsh.

13th Feb

Two seawatches this morning produced four Wigeon, a Curlew, a Mediterranean Gull, 306 Red-throated Divers and 259 Gannets.

A Porpoise and a Common Seal were feeding offshore.

12th Feb

Limited coverage today but a two hour morning seawatch produced 23 Brent Geese, 85 Pintail and 108 Red-throated Divers.

Of note from the RSPB was the first Smew of the winter at Dengemarsh.

11th Feb

Gloomy conditions and very little to report.

One Porpoise was seen offshore.

10th Feb

Another cold, wet and windy day. The only birds of note at sea were six Dunlin, 33 Kittiwakes, a Mediterranean Gull, 174 Guillemots, 109 Red-throated Diver, two Fulmars and 283 Gannets.

A Porpoise and a Common Seal were feeding offshore.

9th Feb

Little of interest in miserable weather with three hours of seawatching with just four Little Gulls, a Mediterranean Gull, a Yellow-legged Gull and 231 Red-throated Divers of interest.

A Porpoise was feeding offshore.

8th Feb

Three hours of seawatching this morning produced four Pintails, 28 Oystercatchers, 36 Dunlins, seven Mediterranean Gulls, 120 Red-throated Diver, 20 Fulmars and 360 Gannets.

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.

7th Feb

A very cold day with strong ENE winds limited observations to seawatching where a 90 minute watch produced a Pochard, a Velvet Scoter, 177 Great Crested Grebes, ten Golden Plovers, 13 Dunlins, three Mediterranean Gulls and six Fulmars were of note.

Two Porpoises, two Common Seals and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

6th Feb

Sea watching this morning recorded, Black-throated Diver one, Red-throated Diver 20+ 42W, Fulmar two,  Mediterranean Gull one, Kittiwake 2+4W, Mediterranean Gull 1+5W, Common Scoter one, Wigeon seven, Gannet 30+37W 22E and Guillemot two W.

A Black Redstart behind the sea watch hide.

A Grey Seal offshore.

Elsewhere, Black-necked Grebe and 1st winter Caspian Gull at Dengemarsh (RSPB), White-fronted Goose five Lydd Fields, two Dengemarsh and six over ARC (RSPB), Long-tailed Duck and Red-throated Diver on New Diggings (RSPB).

5th Feb

A quiet day in the Obs recording area with very light winds resulting in nothing much happening on the sea.

Elsewhere the flock of Bewick's Swans remain at Coldharbour Lane, Walland Marsh, the long staying Long-tailed Duck on New Diggings (RSPB) with a Red-throated Diver there and two Spoonbills briefly on Boulderwall Fields then Dengemarsh (RSPB). The Black-necked Grebe remains on Dengemarsh (RSPB). 

4th Feb

A 1.5hr sea watch this morning recorded: Brent Goose 61E,2W, Common Scoter two W, Kittiwake 51W,26E, Mediterranean Gull 6W,13E, Razorbill 19W, Guillemot 33W and 3 offshore, auk sp. 35W,19E, Red-throated Diver 108W, 9E and Gannet 51W,83E.

A single Grey Seal and Common Seal offshore.

Elsewhere the flock of 48 Bewick's Swans remain at Coldharbour Lane, Walland Marsh.

3rd Feb

Another tough sea watch for those in the hide this morning. Highlights from an hour recorded: Wigeon four W, Kittiwake three E, Razorbill 10E, Auk sp. 11W,11E, Red-throated Diver 5W, 3E, Fulmar one E, Gannet 17W 5E and Cormorant 672W,14E!

A Woodcock at the Long Pits.

Grey Seal three and Common Seal two offshore.

The Long-tailed Duck remains on New Diggings (RSPB) and 2 Water Pipits on the Hayfields (RSPB).

2nd Feb

Sea watching this morning for an hour recorded: Gannet 36W 49E, auk sp. 27W 17E, Kittiwake two W, Red-throated Diver 10W,6E and a single Shelduck west.

Elsewhere the long staying Long-tailed Duck remains on New Diggings (RSPB), eight White-fronted Goose were on Boulderwall Fields (RSPB), Black-necked Grebe on Dengemarsh (RSPB) and 48 Bewick's Swans on Walland Marsh.

1st Feb

Results from a poor hours sea watch this morning included: Great Crested Grebe three E and 13 offshore, Oystercatcher one E, Kittiwake five W, Guillemot one W, auk sp. five E, Red-throated Diver 7W, 2E and Gannet c.30 feeding offshore.

A single Grey Seal offshore.

Elsewhere, Bewick's Swan 48 Coldharbour Lane, Green Sandpiper four Midley, Red-throated Diver on New Diggings (RSPB), Pink-footed Goose six, White-fronted Goose eight on Boulderwall Fields (RSPB), Black Redstart  three at the Power Station, Black-necked Grebe Dengemarsh (RSPB), Water Pipit three Hayfields (RSPB) and Tundra Bean Goose four at Scotney.

31st Jan

Two sea watch sessions today, covering 3.5 hours.

The morning session recorded: Brent Goose 5W 2E, Shelduck one W, Velvet Scoter five W in a single flock, Common Scoter 7W 3E, Great Crested Grebe 11E, Kittiwake 26W, Mediterranean Gull four W, Guillemot 7W 5E, auk sp. 17W, Red-throated Diver 11W 5E, a single Fulmar and Gannet 68W 11E. 

The afternoon session recorded: Common Scoter seven W, Kittiwake 56W, Guillemot 143W 8E, Razorbill 31W, auk sp. 244W 36E, Red-throated Diver 36W, a single Fulmar and Gannet 186W 11E and still plenty of Cormorants offshore!

A Grey Seal and Common Seal offshore.

30th Jan

Three hours of seawatching today over two sessions. This morning session from the hide, in a cool NNW breeze recorded: Shelduck two E, Great Crested Grebe 17E, Kittiwake 74W, auk sp. 313W,12E, Red-throated Diver 46W,14E and Gannet 24W 8E. The afternoon session from the fishing boats, recorded: Common Scoter three W, Great Crested Grebe 15E, Kittiwake 13W, Red-throated Diver 13W, Guillemot 77W 3E, Razorbill 202W, auk sp. 1,088W and Gannet 28W. 

Two Grey Seals and a single Common Seal recorded from both the hide and Fishing boats.

Elsewhere, six Pink-footed Goose, Long-tailed Duck, Water Pipit and Black-necked Grebe were at RSPB Dungeness and a single Tundra Been Goose at Scotney.

29th Jan

Large numbers of gulls were streaming west past the seawatch hide this morning. With only a single observer, many birds were likely missed but timed counts between 07:45 to 09:15 recorded: Kittiwake 54W, Black-headed Gull c.7,500W, Mediterranean Gull 15W, Common Gull c.800W, Herring Gull c.4,500W and Caspian Gull 3+W. Other species included: Common Scoter four E, Guillemot 18W, Razorbill six W, auk sp. 47W, Red-throated Diver 46W 3E and Gannet 9W.

Elsewhere, 6 Pink-footed Goose, Firecrest, 3 Water Pipits, Great Northern Diver and at least 23 Goldeneye were recorded at RSPB Dungeness and 48 Bewick's Swans remain on Walland Marsh.

   

28th Jan

A challenging first two hour morning sea watch session with salt spray entering the sea watch hide this morning. However, persistence recorded: Common Scoter two W, a flock of 120W Dunlin, Kittiwake 42W, Great Black-backed Gull 83W, Lesser Black-backed Gull five W, auk sp. 68W,21E, Red-throated Diver 37W, Fulmar 15W, Sooty Shearwater three W and Gannet 321W,27E.

A second afternoon two hour session recorded: Brent Goose two W, Kittiwake 32W, Black-headed Gull 1,231W, Mediterranean Gull seven W, Common Gull 546W, Caspian Gull three W (2x1w + 2w), Great Black-backed Gull 67W, auk sp. 41E,22W, Red-throated Diver 6W,2E, Fulmar one W.

A Little Gull was seen from the Fishing Boats.

A Grey Seal and Common Seal offshore. 

 

27th Jan

Two sea watching sessions covering just over three hours recorded: Brent Goose 10E, a drake Red-breasted Merganser, Kittiwake 256W,22E, Caspian Gull four (3W, 2x1W, 2W), auk sp. 86W,73E, Red-throated Diver 68W, Fulmar 11W,2E and Gannet 504W, 37E.

A single Grey Seal off shore.

Elsewhere, 5 White-fronted Goose at Cockles Bridge.

26th Jan

A three hour sea watch recorded Brent Goose six E, Red-necked Grebe one flew in from the west and lost in the troughs, Kittiwake 457E, Mediterranean Gull four E, Great Black-backed Gull 46E, Great Skua one E along the shoreline, auk sp. 94E 22W, Red-throated Diver 102E 2W and Gannet 1,831E 105W.

Singles of Grey and Common Seal and two Harbour Porpoise.

Elsewhere 11White-fronted Goose on Lydd Fields from Cockles Bridge.

25th Jan

Sea watching from the Fishing Boats recorded Greylag Goose three W, Common Scoter 12W, Kittiwake nine W, Red-throated Diver 367W (including one flock of 270) and Gannet 27 W.

Grey Seal two offshore.

Elsewhere it was a day of Geese with 11 White-fronted Goose at Boulderwall Fields, Dungeness RSPB Reserve, 4 Tundra Bean Goose at Scotney and 8 Pink-footed Goose from the Viewing ramp at Dungeness RSPB Reserve also 48 Bewick's Swans remain at Coldharbour Lane on Walland Marsh with 4 Green Sandpipers there.

24th Jan

In the wake of Storm Eowyn, two sessions of sea-watching recorded Brent Goose 90E,4W, Common Scoter five W, Kittiwake 103W, 9E, Black-headed Gull c. 300W, Common Gull c. 200W, Herring Gull c. 2,000W, Caspian Gull 7W (6x1w and a 3w), Yellow-legged Gull one W (3w), Great Black-backed Gull 373W, Lesser Black-backed Gull five W, Fulmar 1W 4E, Gannet 307W, Guillemot nine W, auk sp. 27W, Red-throated Diver 33W,4E. A Black Redstart again behind the seawatching hide at the Power Station. 

Grey Seal 2, Common Seal 1.

Elsewhere, 13 Goldeneye, the long staying Long-tailed Duck and 2x1w Caspian Gulls on the RSPB Reserve.

23rd Jan

Results of a seawatch between 07:50 and 09:20 included: Brent Goose 11E, Common Scoter 12E, Kittiwake 39W,12E, Red-throated Diver 258E,12W and Gannet 152E,34W, three Velvet Scoter off-shore. A Black Redstart was seen at the Power Station fence and two Grey Seals offshore.

Elsewhere, Goldeneye remain on the RSPB Reserve along with a 1w Caspian Gull on Burrowes. Four Goosander where seen at Northpoint Beach pit between Rye and Camber.

20th Jan

A check of the Long Pits produced three Woodcocks in the bushes and a Golden Plover was feeding on the beach at the Point. Over three hours of seawatching resulted in 446 Red-throated Divers being seen.

Two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

19th Jan

Little change with 17 Kittiwakes, 356 Red-throated Divers and 151 Gannets offshore.

A Grey Seal was seen offshore again.

18th Jan

It remains very quiet in the calm but very murky conditions. Limited movement offshore included 120 Wigeon and 201 Red-throated Divers.

A Grey Seal was seen offshore.

17th Jan

Very quiet with 166 Red-throated Divers passing by but very little of note being seen in fairly miserable conditions.

A Grey Seal was seen.

16th Jan

Still very quiet with just a bit of movement offshore including 89 Wigeon and 184 Red-throated Divers of interest.

A Grey Seal was seen offshore.

15th Jan

Very quiet with just 50 Wigeon offshore and a first-winter Caspian Gull at the boats of note.

A Grey Seal was feeding offshore.

14th Jan

A bit of movement offshore with 50 Wigeon and two Velvet Scoter east and a Mediterranean Gull, two first-winter Caspian Gull and 191 Red-throated Divers west. 

13th Jan

 Very quiet.

12th Jan

 A Woodcock at the Long Pits was the only bird of note reported today.

11th Jan

A very heavy frost and clear skies this morning. A Jack Snipe, a Common Snipe and a Woodcock were found at the Long Pits and two Dartford Warblers were seen at the Point.

10th Jan

A check of the land produced six Water Rails and a Chiffchaff in the Trapping Area, a Little Grebe at the Long Pits and a Snipe.

9th Jan

 Very quiet.

8th Jan

Very quiet with just a Jack Snipe at the Long Pits of note. A Mediterranean Gull was also seen offshore.

Single Common and Grey Seals were seen.

7th Jan

A cold, clearer day with seawatching producing 127 Kittiwakes, two Mediterranean Gulls, two first-winter Caspian Gulls and 90 Red-throated Divers.

Two Common Seals were feeding offshore.

6th Jan

Gale-force winds and lots of rain again. Seawatching was the only sensible option with a Grey Plover, 109 Kittiwakes, two Little Gulls east, two Caspian Gulls and ten Fulmars of note.

5th Jan

 Heavy rain and strong winds all day and just ten Shovelers and three Wigeon of any note.

4th Jan

Another very cold, frosty morning. A check of the land produced a Jack Snipe, a Long-eared Owl, two Dartford Warblers and a Firecrest while seawatching produced two Pintails, 265 Red-throated Divers and 98 Gannets.

3rd Jan

Very little to report on a very cold, frosty morning.

A Grey Seal was feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen on the land.

2nd Jan

Seawatching was the most productive option today with 300 Brent Geese, two Shovelers, a Red-necked Grebe, 81 Kittiwakes, two Mediterranean Gulls, 889 Red-throated Divers and 169 Gannets of note. A Black Redstart was feeding by the Seawatch Hide.

A Grey Seal was seen offshore.

1st Jan

An abysmal start to the New Year with heavy rain and gale-force winds all day. Seawatching produced just 85 Brent Geese and two Velvet Scoters but very little else of any note except for a new Polish-ringed Black-headed Gull in the roost at the Point.

Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus   Dungeness   1st January 2025
This colour-ringed bird was ringed at Lodz, Poland on 7th May 2024

Happy New Year 2025

 A Very Happy New Year to all our ‘Friends’ and many thanks for your continued support. We hope to see many of you this year. 

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