A Bee-eater was heard calling at the Point this morning and 71 Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore.
The clutch of Kestrel chicks had all finally fledged this morning but were still around the tower so we returned the sixth individual to the site where it successfully flew off and was later seen with its siblings back at the nest.
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| Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Dungenesss 30th June 2025 The rescued bird successfully returned into the wild. |
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| Acrobasis repandana Dungeness 30th June 2025 |
A bit of passage overhead included 26 Swifts, 54 Sand Martins and three Grey Wagtails while 35 Mediterranean Gulls and a Manx Shearwater were seen offshore.
Two Porpoise and three Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
Thirty Mediterranean Gulls feeding offshore were the only birds of note.
Singles of Porpoise and Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
Two Small Mottled Willows were the best from the moth traps.
There were large numbers of Mediterranean Gulls feeding offshore with at least 127 birds counted and four Manx Shearwaters also seen. There was also a nice early movement of 160 Sand Martins and a Grey Wagtail passing through.
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| Mediterranean Gulls Larus melanocephalus Dungeness 27th June 2025 Belgian and German colour-ringed individuals |
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| Sand Martins Riparia riparia Dungeness 27th June 2025 |
Porpoise and Grey Seals were seen offshore.
The moth traps were productive with the highlights of a Bright Wave (third Observatory record), 21 Sussex Emeralds and five Small Mottled Willows.
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| Bright Wave Idaea cantiata Dungeness 27th June 2025 |
Six Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore and 38 Swifts passed overhead.
The Kestrels are now getting quite big but a combination of crowding and a strong wind resulted on one of the chicks falling to the ground. It was decided to take it into care with a view to releasing it again when the rest of the brood had fledged.
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| Kestrel Falco tinnunculus chick Dungeness 26th June 2025 |
A Grey Seal was seen offshore.
The moth traps produced the tortrix Acleris kochiella, (the second area record), a Small Ranunculus, an Obscure Wainscot and two Small Mottled Willows of note.
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| Acleris kochiella Dungeness 26th June 2025 |
The only birds of note were two Egyptian Geese over the area and 15 Mediterranean Gulls offshore.
Porpoise and Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
A Lesser Emperor and two Norfolk Hawkers were notable.
A similar day to yesterday with 138 Mediterranean Gulls, an Arctic Skua and two Manx Shearwaters offshore and 1620 Swifts and a Grey Wagtail passing overhead.
Three Porpoises were seen offshore.
A bit of interest offshore again with 39 Mediterranean Gulls, two Arctic Skuas and three Manx Shearwaters. A Little Egret and 243 Swifts flew overhead.
Two Porpoises, three Grey Seals and a Common Seal were feeding offshore.
The moth traps produced a Delicate and a Scarce Bordered Straw of note.
A White Stork (presumably a release bird) came in over the fishing boats flew over the area and then headed inland while seawatching produced 103 Mediterranean Gulls and three Manx Shearwaters.
Two Porpoise and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
The moth traps produced a Brown Scallop (only the second Observatory record, a Beautiful Hook-tip and the pyralids Doryrictria abietella and Palpita vitrealis of note.
Two Norfolk Hawkers were seen in the Trapping Area.
Two Mediterranean Stick-insects were found in the Observatory garden.
A Little Egret and a Yellow Wagtail flew over the area while 41 Common Scoters flew east offshore. Thirty-three Mediterranean Gulls were also feeding offshore.
The moth traps produced a Blue-bordered Carpet, the tortrix Gypsonoma aceriana and a Bird Cherry Ermine of note.
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| Gypsonoma aceriana Dungeness 21st June 2025 A new species for the shingle. |
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| Blue-bordered Carpet Plemyria rubiginata Dungeness 21st June 2025 Somewhat surprisingly this is only the secord for the Observatory traps with the first being seen in 1989. |
There was a bit of interest offshore with four Teal moving west and 45 Common Scoters passing east. At least 120 Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore and roosting on the beach..
A pair of Kestrels are nesting on the Point with at least four young visible in the nest.
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| Mediterranean Gulls Larus melanocephalus Dungeness 20th June 2025 |
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| Kestrel Falco tinnunculus chicks in nest Dungeness 20th June 2025 |
Three Porpoises and four Grey Seals were feeding offshore today.
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| Grey Seals Halichoerus grypus Dungeness 20th June 2025 |
A Greenshank, 310 Mediterranean Gulls and four Grey Herons passed overhead.
Three Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
The moth traps were productive again with our fourth-ever Small Marbled being the highlight along with a Green Silver-lines, a Beautiful Hook-tip, a Delicate and another Argyresthia retinella of note.
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| Green Silver-lines Pseudoips prasinana and Small Marbled Eublemma parva Dungeness 19th June 2025 |
Fifteen Swifts, a Little Ringed Plover, a Curlew and eight Grey Herons flew over while 208 Mediterranean Gulsl flew west offshore this evening (with another 33 birds loitering).
Two Porpoise, seven Grey Seals and two Common Seals were feeding offshore.
The moth traps produced another Striped Hawkmoth, a Four-spotted Footman and the micro Argyresthia retinella of note.
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At least 100 Swifts and a Grey Wagtail passed overhead and 11 Mediterranean Gulls flew west offshore.
Two Bordered Straws were trapped overnight.
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| Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Dungeness 17th June 2025 The breeding male. |
Another quiet day with just three Little Ringed Plovers and a Mediterranean Gull of note.
Moth trapping remarkably produced another Speckled Footman along with a Clouded Silver (only the eighth Observatory record), a Bordered Straw and a Palpita vitrealis.
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| Speckled Footman Coscinia cribraria and Clouded Silver Lomographa temerata Dungeness 16th June 2025 |
Two Norfolk Hawkers were also seen.
Very quiet on the bird front with just two Manx Shearwaters offshore of any note.
A Brown Hare was seen on the land.
However, the moth traps rescued the day with the catching of the very rare micro-moth Aproaerema polychromella. This is the first record for Dungeness and only the third county record.
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| Aproaerema polychromella Dungeness 15th June 2025 |
Very quiet with just a Mediterranean Gull offshore of note.
A pair of Kestrels are nesting on "Mr.T" at the Point and are now feeding at least four young birds.
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| Kestrel Falco tinnunculus chicks Dungeness 14th June 2025 |
A Golden Plover flew over the Observatory, even singing as it went by and a Mediterranean Gull was feeding offshore.
The highlight from the moth traps was our third-ever Speckled Footman while two Small Seraphims, an Oak Nycteoline and an L-album Wainscot provided some padding.
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| Speckled Footman Coscinia cribraria Dungeness 13th June 2025 |
Two Mediterranean Stick-insects were showing in the Observatory garden.
The run of rarities continued with another Bee-eater over the Point and a Serin giving good views at times around the Observatory. A flock of six Crossbills also passed overhead.
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| Serin Serinus serinus Dungeness 12th June 2025 |
A brilliant day with a Bee-eater seen/heard on several occasions during the morning followed by a superb adult Rose-coloured Starling among a large flock of Starlings feeding around the Point. A Great Northern Diver in summer plumage which flew over the Point for a few minutes was also unexpected. Also of interest were 17 Swifts and six Mediterranean Gulls.
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| Rose-coloured Starling Sturnus roseus Dungeness 11th June 2025 |
Two Porpoise and a two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
The moth traps produced a Water Ermine and a Chamomile Shark of note.
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| Chamomile Shark Cuculia chamomillae and Water Ermine Spilosoma urticae Dungeness 11th June 2025 |
Strong westerly winds brought a bit of seawatching with four Whimbrel, a Mediterranean Gull, six Fulmars and a Manx Shearwater of note. A Teal seen was on the Long Pits.
Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
Two Mistle Thrushes were flying around the Point this morning. A couple of seawatching sessions produced eight Mediterranean Gulls and two Arctic Skuas of interest.
Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.
Another very early butterfly was seen again in the form of a Marbled White. There were also hundreds of Small Skippers.
Two Crossbills flew over the trapping area this morning along with 12 Swifts and a Song Thrush and an evening seawatch produced a Mediterranean Gull, two Arctic Skuas, eight Manx Shearwaters and a Balearic Shearwater.
Two Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
A very early Gatekeeper butterfly was seen in the Moat and 21 Variable Damselflies were seen at the Long Pits.
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Seawatching again dominated proceedings with over eight hours of coverage producing 63 Sandwich Terns, nine Mediterranean Gulls, two Arctic Skuas and an excellent total of 27 Manx Shearwaters.
Two Porpoises and two Grey Seals were seen offshore.
Another breezy day but much quieter offshore with just two Arctic Skuas, three Mediterranean Gulls and a Manx Shearwater of interest. The most unusual record of the day was a White-fronted Goose which flew over the Long Pits with six Greylag Geese.
Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
A Norfolk Hawker was seen at the Long Pits.
With fresh westerly winds and drizzle for much of the day most of the interest was offshore. Nearly nine hours of seawatching produced a very early Balearic Shearwater and 37 Manx Shearwaters along with 79 Common Scoters, 94 Sandwich Terns, 18 Mediterranean Gulls, five Arctic Skuas, seven Fulmars and 220 Gannets.
Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
A Mediterranean Stick-insect was still showing in the Observatory garden.
A quiet day again. Seawatching produced just 11 Mediterranean Gulls of interest. Very little to be seen on the land.
A fresh Grizzled Skipper was seen and a Rest Harrow was seen at the Long Pits.
Five Norfolk Hawkers were seen.
Very quiet on the land. As the wind increased throughout the day and rain arrived there was a notable increase in passage offshore with 56 Common Scoters, a female Long-tailed Duck, 40 Mediterranean Gulls, ten Arctic Skuas and 19 Manx Shearwaters of note. Swifts were moving out to sea through the day with a final total of 315 birds seen.
Three Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
Two Hummingbird Hawk-moths were also seen
A Mediterranean Gull was seen offshore. and three Buzzards, a Hobby and a Corn Bunting were seen on the land.
A Striped Hawk-moth was the obvious highlight from the moth traps while two Norfolk Hawkers and two Red-veined Darters were also seen.
Three Mediterranean Gulls and a Manx Shearwater were seen offshore.
Three Porpoises were seen offshore.
Eleven Mediterranean Gulls flew over the area and an Arctic Skua passed offshore. A Hobby was seen in the trapping area and six Sand Martins, a Tree Pipit and a Corn Bunting flew over.
A Small Mottled Willow was of note from the moth traps.
A Norfolk Hawker was seen at the Long Pits and a Mediterranean Stick-insect was found in the Observatory garden.
Very quiet with fog for much of the day. Seawatching produced just two Mediterranean Gulls of note in over 3.5 hours of coverage. A Corn Bunting was the only bird of note on the land.
Three Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.