30th Aug

A day of seawatching with seven hours of coverage producing 1887 Sandwich Terns, seven Black Terns, 41 Arctic Skuas, ten Balearic Shearwaters and 307 Gannets. A few birds passed overhead including four Swifts, 119 Sand Martins, 180 Swallows, five House Martins, four Grey Wagtails and two Siskins. A Kingfisher was seen at the Long Pits where two Spotted Flycatchers and a Redstart were also seen.

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

Elsewhere, a Dotterel was found on the Lydd Ranges, accessible with care from Jury's Gap.

29th Aug

With strong winds virtually all the interest was offshore were nearly ten hours of coverage produced eight Ringed Plovers, 76 Bar-tailed Godwits, five Knot, 29 Dunlin, 1859 Sandwich Terns west, three Little Terns, an Arctic Tern, 11 Black Terns, 76 Arctic Skuas (mainly west), 34 Balearic Shearwaters and 885 Gannets, The Caspian Gull was showing at the fishing boats again. The only obvious migrants on the land were two Spotted Flycatchers at the Long Pits.

Two Convolvulus Hawkmoths at the mothtraps was a very nice surprise given the dismal overnight conditions.

Convolvulus Hawkmoths Agrion convolvuli   Dungeness   29th August 2025   

28th Aug

There was a small arrival of migrants on the land with 32 Willow Warblers, four Grasshopper Warblers (all ringed), 13 Blackcaps, three Garden Warblers, three Spotted Flycatchers, a Pied Flycatcher, two Redstarts and nine Tree Sparrows. A light overhead passage included six Swifts, three Buzzards, 70 Sand Martins, 183 Swallows, ten Yellow Wagtails, four Grey Wagtails and a Tree Pipit.  

Seawatching provided a bit of interest again today with 25 Whimbrel, two Mediterranean Gulls, four Black Terns, 20 Arctic Skuas and four Balearic Shearwaters. The Caspian Gull was still present at the fishing boats.

Five Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

A Small Copper (considered to be of the form cuprinus) was found in the moat where two Clouded Yellows were also seen. A Holly Blue was seen at the Long Pits.

Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas    ab.cuprinus   Dungeness   28th August 2025   (image by Allan Ward)

27th Aug

Over fours seawatching eventually produced three Mediterranean Gulls, 330 Sandwich Terns, a juvenile Arctic Tern, five Black Terns, 20 Arctic Skuas and 11 Balearic Shearwaters. A first-winter Caspian Gull came onto the beach at the fishing boats. There was a bit of migration overhead and included 16 Swifts, 410 Sand Martins, 700 Swallows, nine House Martins and 35 Yellow Wagtails.

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans   first-winter   Dungeness   27th August 2025

Three Porpoise and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

The moth traps were fairly quiet but still produced a Gypsy Moth, two Scarce Bordered Straws and a Bordered Straw. 

26th Aug

Very quiet in the bushes although the first Firecrest of the autumn arrived. Hirundines passed through in good numbers again with 1600 Sand Martins and 1250 Swallows and were joined by 20 Swifts and a juvenile Hen Harrier. Four Arctic Skuas were lingering offshore.

Three Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

The moth traps provided much of the excitement with a super Striped Hawkmoth of great note along with an Evergestis limbata, a Clay Triple-lines, a Four-spotted Footman, an Oak Nycteoline and an odd-looking Green Silver-lines.

Clay Triple-lines Cyclophora linearia   Dungeness   26th August 2025

Green Silver-lines Pseudoips prasinana   Dungeness   26th August 2025

Striped Hawkmoth Hyles livornica   Dungeness 26th August 2025

25th Aug

Very quiet on the land except for a good movement of hirundines with 1627 Sand Martins and 779 Swallows seen. A Merlin, a Hobby, three Tree Sparrows and 15 Yellow Wagtails were also seen. In the bushes, a Pied Flycatcher and a Redstart were of note. Two Mediterranean Gulls, a Black Tern and four Arctic Skuas were of note offshore. 

A Porpoise was feeding offshore.

24th Aug

A Little Egret, a Marsh Harrier and three Buzzards and 20 Yellow Wagtails flew over and two Redstarts and two Whinchats were of note on the land. Good numbers of waders were roosting on the beach near the Lifeboat Station and including 180 Ringed Plovers, seven Knot, five Turnstones, five Sanderling and 120 Dunlin. Five Mediterranean Gulls flew east and three Arctic Skuas were loitering offshore.

Two Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

23rd Aug

There was a decent scatter of migrants with a Grasshopper Warbler and a Tree Pipit ringed of note while passage overhead included 110 Sand Martins, 100 Swallows, 16 Yellow Wagtails and three Grey Wagtails. A Great Skua and seven Arctic Skuas were seen offshore.

A Grey Seal was feeding offshore.

The clear highlight from the moth traps was a superb Bedstraw Hawkmoth - only our send-ever record. Back-up included a Palpita vitrealis, a Vestal and a Scarce Bordered Straw.

Bedstraw Hawkmoth Hyles gallii   Dungeness   23rd August 2025

 

22nd Aug

Another little arrival of migrants this morning saw 22 Willow Warblers, two Sedge Warblers, 10 Reed Warblers, 13 Blackcaps, two Garden Warblers, 20 Lesser Whitethroat, 25 Whitethroat, a Pied Flycatcher, a Redstart and five Wheatears. Some overhead passage included singles of Golden, Ringed and Little Ringed Plover, a Little Egret, four Buzzards, an Osprey which flew east out to sea (as did another from Lydd-on-sea), 134 Sand Martins, 18 Swallows, two Tree Sparrows and 11 Yellow Wagtails. The sea was very uninspiring today, with just eight Curlew in/west. 

Just a single Porpoise offshore.

Unfortunately no sign of the Zitting Cisticola at Galloways, however a Dotterel flew from there calling towards the Point early morning and so did an Osprey, which was presumably one of the birds later seen further east. Elsewhere there was six Black-necked Grebes on Lade Pit south and the RSPB had waders like Wood Sandpiper and six Ruff. 

Redstart (1st year male) Phoenicurus phoenicurus   Dungeness   (John Young)

Osprey Pandion haliaetus   Dungeness   (John Young)

21st Aug

Some light offshore passage with the first proper movement of Teal west as 26 passed the seawatching hide, also west over the sea was a Gadwall, seven Grey Herons plus small numbers of terns and gulls, which contained one Little Gull. Overhead passage was fairly quiet with just one each of Redshank and Greenshank about the only birds of note. The bushes were mostly very quiet for migrant birds, but four Pied Flycatchers were notable as was a Redstart. 

Feeding offshore there was four Porpoise and a Grey Seal. 

The Zitting Cisticola was seen again in the early morning in its usual place at Galloways. 

20th Aug

The highlight of today being a juvenile Osprey that spent a while late morning going between the reserve and the Long Pits looking for its next meal. A decent passage of Yellow Wagtails occurred in the morning with 75 flying east otherwise overhead passage was limited to a Ringed Plover, two Dunlin, a Greenshank and a few Sand Martins. On the land was very quiet, just a Common Sandpiper, one Pied and two Spotted Flycatchers and six Wheatears of note. There was some light passage offshore, again most birds heading in an easterly direction with a Grey Plover, two Black Terns, 210 Sandwich Terns and two Arctic Skuas the highlight. 

There was very little to be seen away birds, just four Hummingbird Hawkmoths were noted while offshore three Porpoise and a Grey Seal fed. 

Over at Galloways, the Zitting Cisticola is still present in its usual place by the large X post. A few waders on the RSPB reserve included Little Stint and four Ruff also Greatstone beach was covered in Mediterranean Gulls again, with two thousand seen plus lots of Sandwich Terns, other Gulls and waders. 

Osprey Pandion haliaetus   Dungeness   (Martin Casemore)

19th Aug

A mostly quiet day in strong north-easterlies although there was still a hint of some movement going on, most of which being overhead passage, this included three Lapwing, two Golden Plover, a Ringed Plover, three Redshanks, 106 Sand Martins, a Swallow, a Tree Pipit and six Yellow Wagtails. There was a slight increase in grounded migrants, 11 Willow Warblers, 15 Reed Warblers, 18 Lesser Whitethroats, 32 Whitethroats and a Whinchat about best. 

18th Aug

The day of more quality than quantity started with a stiff ENE wind and drizzle occurring for most of the morning, easing up for a pleasant afternoon. The stand out bird of the day being a superb and mostly well showing Icterine Warbler in the Moat which was found in the afternoon, unfortunately it then disappeared early evening. A Pied Flycatcher was also in the Moat, feeding in and around the net rides. Elsewhere in the recording a slight increase in common migrant numbers included a Redstart, seven Willow Warblers and 11 Lesser Whitethroats. There was some slight overhead passage with a Golden Plover, 12 Ringed Plover (more flocks after dark), a Whimbrel and a Green Sandpiper all heading west, while 14 Yellow Wagtails moved out to sea south-east. The sea was still fairly quiet, but four Teal, a Grey Plover, three Dunlins, 108 Common Terns and 422 Sandwich Terns were of note. 

Three Porpoises were seen offshore and two Brown Hares were seen on the land.

Elsewhere, the Zitting Cisticola was still performing at Galloways in the morning, giving brief views by the X post. There was a few waders on the RSPB reserve with six Ruff, a Little Stint, a Greenshank and three Little Ringed Plovers on the ARC pit. 

Icterine Warbler   Hippolais icterina   Dungeness   (Martin Casemore)

17th Aug

Another blustery day on the Point resulted in very little to be seen in the recording area with a Pied Flycatcher and two Wheatears in the Moat the only birds worth mentioning. The day came to life however when news broke of an excellent discovery by Barry Wright at Galloways on the Lydd Ranges of a Zitting Cisticola (Fan-tailed Warbler) which showed well on occasion between 08:30hrs and 10:15hrs as it flew around a large area singing regularly, but then became far more elusive as the wind increased and it seemed to settle in a grassy field. It was seen again at 10:55hrs and 14:05hrs, although not since. This represents the first long awaited record for the wider area, and in a spot that's long been mooted as the place to find one! 

Zitting Cisticola    Cisticola juncidis    Galloways    (Barry Wright)

16th Aug

A mostly windy day, with the winds originating from the north-east meant seawatching was seemingly the only worthwhile thing to do for the most part. After nearly eight hours recording, birds mostly moving in an easterly direction included 19 Oystercatchers, four Ringed Plovers, a Turnstone, a Knot, two Sanderling, five Dunlin, 1097 Black-headed Gulls, three Little Gulls, 923 Mediterranean Gulls, 751 Sandwich Terns, 12 Little Terns, 882 Common Terns, a Arctic Tern, two Arctic Skuas, two Fulmars, a Balearic Shearwater (west) and 216 Gannets. The land was very quiet and hard work, with just 29 Sand Martins, a Swallow and a Yellow Wagtail flying over and only a Willow Warbler, three Reed Warblers, a Whinchat and 11 Wheatears grounded. 

A Grey Seal and four Porpoise were offshore, and a Brown Hare was seen in the Desert.

Little Tern Sternula albifrons   Dungeness   (Martin Casemore)

15th Aug

A day of much improvement with warm, light winds which suddenly picked up this evening from the north-east. Migrants included 45 Willow Warblers, two Sedge Warblers, 16 Reed Warblers, a Garden Warbler, 15 Lesser Whitethroats, a Song Thrush, a Pied Flycatcher, two Whinchats and four Wheatears. There was plenty of passage over land as well which included 15 Swifts, four Ringed Plovers, a Little Ringed Plover, two Whimbrels, a Wood Sandpiper, a Greenshank, eight Grey Herons, two Marsh Harriers, 785 Sand Martins, 210 Swallows, six Tree Sparrows, six Yellow Wagtails and two Tree Pipits. A Kingfisher was at the Long Pits also. Passage over the sea was mostly slow during the hour seawatch, but a juvenile Black Tern did fly west past. 

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore, while the Observatory moth traps held a Striped Hawkmoth and a Vestal, amongst other common migrants. A Bedstraw Hawmoth was caught in Lydd by Martin Casemore. 

Whinchat   Saxicola rubetra   Dungeness   (Martin Casemore)

14th Aug

A slower day for grounded migrants, with only seven birds ringed in the first four hours of the day in seemingly good conditions! However, the Cuckoo was still touring the Point otherwise just 14 Willow Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, seven Reed Warblers, a Garden Warbler, two Redstarts, two Whinchats, seven Wheatears and a Tree Pipit were logged. Passage over land in the morning consisted of a Grey Heron, 160 Sand Martins, 40 Swallows and six Yellow Wagtails. At the latter stages of the day, a large number of Sand Martins descended onto the Point and 520 were counted feeding. A morning seawatch showed passage over the sea had slightly improved, the best being 177 'commic' Terns past, moving mostly west. 

Three Porpoises were logged feeding offshore while a Clouded Yellow butterfly and five Hummingbird Hawkmoths were seen on the land.  

13th Aug

A lack of visibility and dense cloud resulted in a better day, which could almost be predicted by the fact a Sedge Warbler was hoping around the moth traps at 3am in the morning! It was actually fairly quiet in the bushes at dawn, but birds started to appear as the morning progressed with a light drizzle drifting in and out. In the bushes by the end of the day were two Cuckoos, 70 Willow Warblers, four Chiffchaffs, 10 Sedge Warblers, 23 Reed Warbler, five Garden Warblers, 13 Lesser Whitethroats, 34 Whitethroats, three Spotted Flycatchers, a Nightingale, a Pied Flycatcher, a Redstart, just one Wheatear and two Tree Pipits. Birds passing overhead was on a much slower rate and resulted in a Grey Plover, a Ringed Plover, a Curlew, a Wood Sandpiper, 48 Sand Martins, 13 Swallow and five Yellow Wagtail. 

The observatory moth traps were far busier than recently, the best being four Vestals, a Pearly Underwing, two Palpita vitrealis and a Antigastra catalaunalis. However, the moth of the night went to Bob Arnfield who trapped at the Long Pits with this stunning Three-humped Prominent. A very rare migrant to Britain. 

Three-humped Prominent    Notodonta tritophus    Dungeness (Martin Casemore)

Spotted Flycatcher  Muscicapa striata    Dungeness (Martin Casemore)

12th Aug

A seemingly slower day, considering the seemingly decent conditions of easterlies and a light shower at dawn. Birds on the land included a Green Sandpiper briefly landed on the Long Pits, only eight Willow Warblers, three Sedge Warblers, 18 Reed Warblers, five Lesser Whitethroats, 13 Whitethroats, a Pied Flycatcher, a Whinchat and 11 Wheatears. Visible migration was yielding interest but it was set to just a trickle throughout the day with a Whimbrel, two Grey Herons, a Hobby (that flew south out to sea), 30 Sand Martins, 70 Swallows and 13 Yellow Wagtails. The sea was deadly quiet, with the only bird of note at the Fishing Boats being a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull. 

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

The moth traps were quiet however a fantastic total of 27 Hummingbird Hawkmoths were noted during the day, mostly heading north but a dozen along the Power Station wall again, where there was also five Clouded Yellow Butterflies. 

11th Aug

A quiet day in the recording area, with just a trickle of birds on the land and overhead. In the bushes, a slight improvement in the number of birds from the previous day, as 17 Willow Warblers, three Chiffchaffs, 35 Reed Warblers, a Garden Warbler, 21 Lesser Whitethroats, 56 Whitethroats, a Redstart, a Whinchat, 30 Stonechats and 14 Wheatears were seen. There was a light passage of hirundines during the day, with 83 Sand Martins and 87 Swallows passing through, also 12 Yellow Wagtails flew over. A juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was at the Fishing Boats again. 

A couple of Brown Hares and 15 Hummingbird Hawkmoths were noted, but it was generally slow on the non-bird front too. 

10th Aug

Most of the days interest for the recording area came from overhead passage as a decent variety was recorded including two Ringed Plovers, two Whimbrel, a Dunlin, a Green Sandpiper and a Greenshank on the wader front otherwise a Hobby, a Marsh Harrier, two Common Buzzards, 28 Sand Martins, 66 Swallows, three Yellow Wagtails and another three Crossbills. This being the first day this autumn that Swallows have outnumbered Sand Martins, a sign that things are ticking along. 

There was a handful of new arrivals with three Redstarts, a Whinchat, eight Wheatears, and a Spotted Flycatcher, otherwise numbers were mostly down on previous days with 11 Willow Warblers, two Chiffchaffs, four Sedge Warblers, just eight Reed Warblers, two Garden Warblers, nine Lesser Whitethroats and 46 Whitethroats. Not a migrant, but it was nice to have Collared Doves confirmed as successfully breeding in the recording area with two juveniles seen, not an annual occurrence here. 

On the insect side of things, five Hummingbird Hawkmoths and a Clouded Yellow were logged, as well as the regular Lesser Emperor at the Long Pits. 

The RSPB reserve held a juvenile Black Tern, three Greenshanks, four Turnstones, three Redshanks, eclipse drake Red-crested Pochard and a Black-necked Grebe - all of which on Burrowes Pit. Elsewhere, a Honey Buzzard was seen over New Romney heading towards Littlestone, a Nightingale was seen at Galloways and 22 Wheatears noted at Galloways. 

9th Aug

A light north-westerly wind overnight and slightly cooler conditions brought an arrival of common migrants into the area during the first few hours of light. These included 29 Willow Warblers, six Chiffchaffs, four Sedge Warblers, a great total of 40 Reed Warblers of which 26 were trapped and ringed, five Garden Warblers, 20 Lesser Whitethroats, 56 Whitethroats and a Tree Pipit. Overhead passage was noted with 84 Sand Martins and two Yellow Wagtails, all flew out to sea in a south-easterly direction. 

The sea was fairly quiet still, but still plenty of Terns, mostly Sandwich Terns going moving west with 411 passing. A juvenile gull, seemingly a hybrid Caspian x Herring Gull was at the Fishing Boats as well as a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull. 

Other bits of interest, there was four Porpoise and a Grey Seal offshore, but on the land an excellent minimum of eight Clouded Yellows were seen across the recording area, one of which was egg-laying and a larva was found. A 'radiata' Small Copper was seen along the Power Station wall amongst a small increase in them and eight Hummingbird Hawkmoths were logged. The moth traps still proved to be fairly quiet. 

Tree Pipit    Anthus trivialis    Dungeness (Martin Casemore)

'radiata' Small Copper    Lycaena phlaeas    Dungeness

Clouded Yellow Colias croceus    Dungeness

8th Aug

A mostly quiet day, with just a small arrival of warblers across the area with 16 Willow Warblers, three Chiffchaffs, a Sedge Warbler, 20 Reed Warblers, a Garden Warbler, a good count of 32 Lesser Whitethroats which outnumbered Common Whitethroat totalling 30. A juvenile Whinchat was seen in the Desert, as were three Wheatears.  

Overhead passage was slow, but a trickle of Sand Martins heading out during the afternoon totalled 121, a couple of Yellow Wagtails followed suit and a Crossbill flew north. Offshore passage was limited, mostly to just a light trickle of Terns moving west which contained two Black Terns. 

On the RSPB reserve, an eclipse drake Red-crested Pochard on Burrowes Pit and a juvenile Black Tern there also, before going onto ARC. 

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.

7th Aug

A sunny day with winds coming from the south-west in varying strength. It was generally much quieter, with a reduction in migrants seen from the last couple of days with just four Wheatears, a Redstart, a Spotted Flycatcher and 45 Whitethroats, plus a small scattering of other common warblers. A bit more passage overhead yielded 115 Sand Martins, 24 Swallows, nine Yellow Wagtails and yet more Crossbills with five west. A very smart juvenile Buzzard, which was incredibly pale underneath, mooched about the area before turning back north.

Movement over the sea, had a slight increase on the recent days as 195 Common Terns, 280 Sandwich Terns, 49 Kittiwakes and three Fulmars flew past, mostly west. A total of three juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls came to bread at the Fishing Boats. The most notable sighting of the day came from the seawatching hide but was not a bird with nine Bottle-nosed Dolphins travelling west.  

Other animal news included two Porpoise and a Grey Seal feeding offshore, but another exciting discovery being 80 Wasp Spiders between the Observatory and the Power Station. The moth traps contained the third Lunar Thorn for the Observatory, as well as the years first Tree-lichen Beauty.

Yellow-legged Gull    Larus michahellis    Dungeness

6th Aug

A mostly sunny day of light variable winds, although with a cooler start it soon warmed up. A day of thinly spread birds, particularly once the temperature increased after the first few hours. The grounded migrants consisted of a Cuckoo, 21 Willow Warblers, 13 of both Reed and Sedge Warblers, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Garden Warbler, 15 Lesser Whitethroats, 55 Whitethroats, the first three Spotted Flycatchers of the autumn and the same as previous Redstart and three Wheatears. Passage overhead was very light, but included five Ringed Plovers, 13 Sand Martins, five Swallows, a Yellow Wagtail and a Tree Pipit. Offshore passage was at a standstill, but birds feeding offshore included eight Mediterranean Gulls as well as 50 of each Common and Sandwich Terns. 

A total of eight Porpoise and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

A Lesser Emperor was seen at the Long Pits, where a Clouded Yellow was also seen. 

Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope 6th August 2025

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe 6th August 2025

Juvenile Cuckoo Cuculus canorus 6th August 2025 (Dave Gower)

 

5th Aug

Another mostly fine day, which started relatively calm but the wind gradually increased to fairly strong from the west and north-west. An arrival of warblers into the Trapping Area during the first few hours of light included 30 Lesser Whitethroats, 50 Whitethroat, 25 Willow Warblers, four Garden Warblers, ten Reed Warblers, two Sedge Warblers, a Redstart and four Wheatears. Overhead, a Green Sandpiper, 30 Swifts, a few Sand Martins and a Yellow Wagtail flew over. The sea was very quiet, with just a Common Sandpiper west along the beach of note.

A Grey Seal was feeding offshore.

On the insect front, the first adult Sickle-bearing Bush Crickets were out this evening with four located. Otherwise, 13 Hummingbird Hawkmoths and a Clouded Yellow were seen, mostly along the Power Station wall. 

Clouded Yellow flushed by a Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Martin Casemore) 

4th Aug

Hard going today in fairly miserable weather with the sea producing two juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls, 274 Sandwich Terns, four Little Terns, 243 Common Terns, an Arctic Tern, two Arctic Skuas and a Shag. Fifteen Swifts and 40 Sand Martins flew through and a Cuckoo was seen again.

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

Only one moth trap was put out last night but it was surprisingly productive with the second Observatory record of Lunar Thorn, a Small Mottled Willow, a Scarce Bordered Straw and three Bordered Straws.

Lunar Thorn Selenia lunularia   Dungeness   4th August 2025

3rd Aug

A fairly quiet day with a Little Gull, two Mediterranean Gulls and two juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls feeding offshore and 850 Sandwich Terns, 662 Common Terns and two Arctic Skuas passing through. Grounded migrants included a Cuckoo, 18 Willow Warblers, two Sedge Warblers and two Garden Warblers and 23 Sand Martins and two Yellow Wagtails overhead.

Eight Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

2nd Aug

There was a decent bit of movement offshore where the highlight would have been a large shearwater species but unfortunately it was too distant for a positive identification. Waders were a feature of the morning with two Golden Plovers, two Whimbrel, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Greenshank while numbers were provided by 23 Mediterranean Gulls, 1040 Sandwich Terns, 491 Common Terns and 15 Black Terns. Two juvenile Caspian Gulls and two juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls were on the beach. Other bits and pieces included seven Teal, a Tufted Duck and an Arctic Tern. Fifty-eight Swifts passed through while migrants on the land included a Cuckoo, an early juvenile Merlin, six Willow Warblers, two Sedge Warblers and a Garden Warbler.

At least eight Porpoises and three Grey Seals were feeding close inshore.

Porpoise Phoca phoceana   Dungeness   2nd August 2025

Five Clouded Yellows (inc two of the helice form) were along the power station wall and moths of note included another Acrobasis tumidana and the fifth Observatory record of Narrow-winged Pug.

Clouded Yellow Colias croceus   Dungeness   2nd August 2025 

1st Aug

Most of the days action was offshore where three Whimbrels, 123 Mediterranean Gulls, 843 Sandwich Terns, 317 Common Terns and three Little Egrets passed through and two juvenile Caspian Gulls and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls were on the beach. Just ten Willow Warblers were seen in the bushes and two Yellow Wagtails passed overhead.

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

A Southern Oak Bush-cricket was seen in the Observatory garden.

31st July

Most of the coverage was on the land today where there was decent arrival of migrants including 65 Willow Warblers, a Grasshopper Warbler, a few Reed Warblers, four Garden Warblers, a Redstart and a Whinchat.

A Brown Hare was seen.

A Common Frog in the Observatory garden was an unusual sighting.

Remarkably, yet another Dark Crimson Underwing was trapped overnight. 

Dark Crimson Underwing Catocala promissa   Dungeness   31st July 2025

30th July

There was a steady trickle of birds overhead this morning including a Golden Plover, three Little Ringed Plovers, 48 Ringed Plovers, three Sanderlings, 52 Dunlin and two Greenshanks, 74 Sand Martins and four Yellow Wagtails. Grounded migrants were limited to a few Willow Warblers and two Garden Warblers. Ten Mediterranean Gulls, 445 Sandwich Terns and two Black Terns were seen offshore.

Two Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

Elsewhere, the adult Pectoral Sandpiper was still feeding at the southern end of ARC Pit.

29th July

Very quiet. Two Little Egrets, a Hobby, 15 Sand Martins, six Yellow Wagtails and two Crossbills flew over and a small arrival of migrants in the bushes included 22 Willow Warblers and three Garden Warblers.

Singles of Black Arches and Plumed Fan-foot were in the moth traps this morning.

Elsewhere, an adult Pectoral Sandpiper was found at the southern end of ARC Pit.

28th July

Another juvenile Cuckoo was seen in the Trapping Area and there was an obvious arrival of Willow Warblers with at least 70 birds seen along with two Garden Warblers, a Whinchat and also a Crossbill overhead. Only one Mediterranean Gull was seen (despite at least 2,000 on the beach at Lade again) along with a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull.

Three Grey Seals and a Common Seal were feeding offshore.

A Small Mottled Willow was trapped overnight.

27th July

The highlight from the Trapping Area was a Grasshopper Warbler along with a scatter of commoner migrants including two Garden Warblers. A trickle of birds overhead included a Green Sandpiper and 42 Sand Martins.

A superb male Southern Migrant Hawker was found in the bushes to the east of the Long Pits and a Lesser Emperor was seen at the causeway between the Long Pits.

Southern Migrant Hawker Aeshna affinis   male  Dungeness   27th July 2025

26th July

A juvenile Cuckoo, a pretty scarce migrant these days, was seen in the Trapping Area and a Whinchat was seen at the Long Pits but the only other migrants in the bushes of note were nine Willow Warblers. Passage overhead was very light but did include 24 Swifts, a Hobby, 31 Sand Martins, eight Yellow Wagtails and a Grey Wagtail. The Mediterranean Gull bonanza continues with 2,500 birds over the area in the evening and seven Black Terns flew west offshore.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

The highlight from the moth traps was a superb Dark Crimson Underwing along with a Four-spotted Footman.

Dark Crimson Underwing Catocala promissa   Dungeness   26th July 2025

25th July

A Greenshank, 75 Sand Martins and five Crossbills flew over the area this morning and at least 1000 Mediterranean Gulls flew over the area this evening (having flushed from Lade Sands). Ten Willow Warblers and another Pied Flycatcher were seen in the bushes.

The moth traps produced a Pine Hawk-moth, another Four-spotted Footman and an Ear Moth of note.

Of note elsewhere was an adult Black-crowned Night Heron at Hookers Pit on the RSPB Reserve and the spectacular sight of at least 4,400 Mediterranean Gulls on Lade Sands with 38 colour-rings read..

Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax   
adult   Hooker Pit, RSPB Reserve   25th July 2025

Mediterranean Gulls Larus melanocephalus   Lade Sands    25th July 2025

24th July

At least 150 Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore. A Kingfisher was seen at the Long Pits. Migrants in the bushes included an early Pied Flycatcher and eight Willow Warblers. A bit of passage overhead included 75 Swifts, 30 Sand Martins and eight Yellow Wagtails.

The moth traps were quiet productive with a Channel Island Pug, a Dusky Thorn, a Rosy Footman, a Small Mottled Willow and two Plumed Fan-foots of note.

Plumed Fan-foot Pechipogo plumigeralis   Dungeness    24th July 2025

A Lesser Emperor Dragonfly and ten Small Red-eyed Damselflies were seen at the Long Pits.

23rd July

There was a bit of passage overhead with 500 Swifts and 310 Sand Martins of note while grounded migrants included ten Willow Warblers. The sea was fairly quiet but did produce a flock of 25 Shelduck heading east and a Black Tern and a Balearic Shearwater heading west.

Six Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

A Four-spotted Footman and a Rosy Footman were of note in the moth traps.

A Clouded Yellow butterfly was seen in the Trapping Area.

An evening visit to look for orthoptera was a bit disappointing with around 25 Tree Crickets heard and only one nymph Sickle-bearing Bush-cricket seen. 

22nd July

A quiet day with just 45 Swifts and three Yellow Wagtails passing overhead and two Willow Warblers in the bushes. Three Mediterranean Gulls and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull were feeding offshore.

Two Porpoises and three Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

Porpoise Phoca phoceana    Dungeness   22nd July 2025

21st July

The sea continues to provide most of the interest with a bit of movement and birds feeding offshore. Birds passing through included four Shoveler, two Teal, 39 Common Scoters, 100 Sandwich Terns and singles of Manx and Balearic Shearwaters while 20 Mediterranean Gulls, four Yellow-legged Gulls and two Arctic Skuas feeding. Birds moving overhead included 25 Swifts, a Little Ringed Plover, 26 Sand Martins and four Yellow Wagtails. It was very quiet in the bushes.

Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus   juvenile   Dungeness   21st July 2025

Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis   juvenile   Dungeness   21st July 2025

Ten Porpoises and four Grey Seals were feeding offshore.