Very quiet again although the early morning was dominated by some pretty powerful thunderstorms.
21st June
Ten Swifts and a Little Ringed Plover flew over and five Mediterranean Gulls were seen offshore.
The highlight from the moths traps was a Bright Wave - the fourth Observatory record.
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| Bright Wave Idaea ochrata Dungeness 21st June 2026 |
A Norfolk Hawker was seen at the Long Pits and four Red-veined Darters were seen around the Point.
20th June
Very quiet with just 120 Swifts of note on the land.
The moth traps provided all the interest today with a couple of very rare pyralids being the highlights. The first of these was a superb Chrysocrambus linetella. This was probably the ninth British record but with two of the previous records also coming from Dungeness. The second moth was a Catoptria verellus, of which there have been a few area records, but this was new for Observatory traps.
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| Chrysocrambus linetella Dungeness 20th June 2026 |
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| Catoptria verellus Dungeness 20th June 2026 |
A Lesser Emperor dragonfly was seen at the Long Pits.
19th June
A trickle of passage overhead included 75 Swifts, four Sand Martins and a Yellow Wagtail.
A Miller and an L-album Wainscot were of note from the moth traps.
Five Norfolk Hawkers and a Lesser Emperor were seen in the area.
18th June
A Little Ringed Plover flew over the Observatory along with 60 Swifts and four Curlews and seven Mediterranean Gulls were seen offshore. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen in the trapping again.
Three each of Porpoise and Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
The first two Sussex Emeralds of the summer were trapped. A Banded Demoiselle came in off the sea and landed at the fishing boats.
17th June
A quiet day with a Little Egret on the beach, 87 Swifts and eight Curlews overhead and the first Great Spotted Woodpecker in the trapping area for some time.
A Striped Hawkmoth flew off the the trap before it could be potted and the first Delicate was trapped. A Norfolk Hawker and a late instar Great Green Bush-cricket were seen at the Long Pits.
16th June
The obvious highlight of the day was a first-summer Squacco Heron which was first seen at the Pumphouse and then later refound as it fed among the lily pads at the north end of the Long Pits. This is the second Observatory and sixth Dungeness record. Fifty Swifts, three Curlews and five Sand Martins also flew over.
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| Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides Dungeness 16th June 2026 |
A Grey Seal was seen offshore and three Brown Hares were seen on the land.
The moth traps produced yet another Eastern Bordered Straw and three Small Mottled Willows of note.
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| Eastern Bordered Straw Heliothis nubigera Dungeness 16th June 2026 |
An excellent array of dragonflies were seen including eight Norfolk Hawkers, four Lesser Emperors (including an ovipositing pair) and a Red-veined Darter.
15th June
Very quiet on the land but a bit of seawatching produced two Mediterranean Gulls, an Arctic Skua and 11 Manx Shearwaters.
A Brown Hare was seen.
The moth traps produced most of the days highlights with the star being a Purple Marbled (new for the trap) along with our fifth Small Marbled and Pale Oak Beauty. A Large Tortoiseshell butterfly was a great find at the Long Pits and five Norfolk Hawker dragonflies were also seen..
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| Purple Marbled Eublemma ostrina Dungeness 16th June 2026 |
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| Pale Oak Beauty Hypomrcis punctinalis Dungeness 16th June 2026 |
14th June
Very quiet on the bird front.
Two Brown Hares were seen at the entrance to the estate.
Moth trapping produced a Clancy's Rustic and two Rest Harrow moths were seen by day at the Long Pits,.
Dragonfly watching was very good with seven Norfolk Hawkers and five Red-veined Darters found,
13th June
A Spotted Flycatcher was caught in the Moat and ten Sand Martins were feeding over the Long Pits.
Four Manx Shearwaters flew west in the evening.
Five Norfolk Hawkers were seen around the Trapping Area.
12th June
The clear highlight of the day was a Quail flushed from vegetation near the Old School House but there was very little else to be seen on the land. Nearly five hours of seawatching produced four Curlew, an Arctic Skua, six Fulmars and 24 Manx Shearwaters.
A Grey Seal and two Porpoises were seen offshore.
11th June
More fresh to strong, mainly westerly winds and rain from late morning brought more seawatching with a Mediterranean Gull, an Arctic Skua and 49 Manx Shearwaters of note. There was no sign of any migrants on the land.
Three Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
A check of the trapping area for insects proved surprisingly with a Box Bug, several Mottled Shieldbugs, a few early instar nymphs of Sickle-hearing Bush-cricket and the tortrix moth Acleris logiana which is only the fourth Dungeness area record.
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| Acleris logiana Dungeness 11th June 2026 |
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| Box Bug Gonocerus acuteangulatus Dungeness 11th June 2026 |
10th June
Very quiet in more dismal weather with 80 Swifts overhead being the only birds of note.
Three Brown Hares were seen in the Desert.
9th June
Very quiet. Two Manx Shearwaters were seen offshore and a Spotted Flycatcher was seen in the trapping area.
Elsewhere of note was a Quail which came in off the sea this at the end of Galloways Road on the Lydd Ranges.
8th June
More fresh SW winds produced 65 Common Scoters, eight Mediterranean Gulls and nine Manx Shearwaters during the day. A Little Egret was feeding on the beach but no sign of any migrants on the land.
A Grey Seal was seen offshore.
7th June
Strong WSW winds saw a bit of early morning movement offshore which included two Mediterranean Gulls, six Fulmars, 35 Manx Shearwaters and a Balearic Shearwater. A first-summer Yellow-legged Gull was among the gulls on the beach and a Grey Wagtail flew over.
A Shelduck with 14 ducklings was of note.
A Grey Seal was feeding offshore.
Two Green-eyed Hawkers were seen at the Long Pits.
6th June
Strong to near gale force winds with frequent rain restricted observations to the sea again which proved very productive. Nearly 13 hours of coverage saw 58 Common Scoters, 25 Common Terns, 26 Sandwich Terns, three Mediterranean Gulls, two Arctic Skuas, 60 Guillemots, 39 Fulmars and 292 Gannets and highlights in the form of two Puffins, eight Balearic Shearwaters and 324 Manx Shearwaters. Swifts also flew out to sea with 172 seen along with six House Martins.
Ten Porpoises and three Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
5th June
Very quiet. Eight Manx Shearwaters were seen offshore and a Spotted Flycatcher and a Yellow Wagtail were seen on the land.
A Porpoise and four Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
Nine Green-eyed (Norfolk) Hawkers were seen in the bushes and a Red-veined Darter was found amongst the broom near the Sanctuary.
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| Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii Dungeness 5th June 2026 |
4th June
Strong to near gale force winds and heavy showers restricted observations to the sea again where 33 Common Scoters, 79 Sandwich Terns, six Fulmars and 63 Manx Shearwaters were of note. Forty-four Swifts also flew through.
Four Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
3rd June
Strong SW winds mostly limited observations to the sea where 25 Kittiwakes, a Mediterranean Gulls, 45 Sandwich Terns, four Fulmars, 23 Manx Shearwaters and five Balearic Shearwaters were noted. A Siskin flew over.
Two Porpoises and singles of Common Seal and Great Seal were feeding offshore.
2nd June
Nothing to report on the bird front.
Another Eastern Bordered Straw was trapped overnight.
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| Eastern Bordered Straw Heliothis nubigera Dungeness 2nd June 2026 |
1st June
Very quiet. A Little Ringed Plover flew over.
The moth traps provided most of the interest with another Striped Hawk-moth, a Bordered Straw and a Pine Beauty of note.
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| Pine Beauty Panolis flammea Dungeness 1st June 2026 Only the third to be trapped at the Observatory. |
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