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.
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.
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)
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| 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.
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.
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