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.