Dungeness Bird Observatory

8th Dec

Not a great deal report today. A Great Skua and a Mediterranean Gull were seen offshore.

Another day with most of the coverage looking to the sea but apart from lots of Gannets, Cormorants and auks the only other bits of note were two Teal, 111 Red-throated Divers, a few Kittiwakes and a Great Skua. Two new Caspian Gulls (a first winter and a second-winter) were also seen around the fishing boats.

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans first-winter Dungeness 7th December 2018
A slightly odd-looking individual which may have some hybrid influence in it.

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans second-winter Dungeness 7th December 2018

6th Dec

After the riches of yesterday the sea seemed a bit disappointing this morning but in fact there were actually more birds to be seen but just lacked any rarer ducks and auks. A four- hour watch this morning produced a Red-breasted Merganser, 292 Red-throated Divers, 772 Gannets, a Great Skua flying into the bay, three Mediterranean Gulls, 122 Kittiwakes, 718 Guillemots, 281 Razorbills and 925 auk sp. In addition, on the beach was another colour-ringed first-winter Caspian Gull and two Yellow-legged Gulls.

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans first-winter Dungeness 6th December 2018
This will probably turn out to be a Polish-ringed bird.

Gannets Morus bassana Dungeness 6th December 2018
For much of the morning there was a huge feeding flock of Cormorants
and these attracted large numbers of Gannets at times.

A Common Seal, a Grey Seal and at least one Porpoise was feeding close inshore.

A Satellite was the only moth trapped overnight.

Elsewhere, the Hume's Warbler was seen again at Lade Pit and a Cattle Egret was seen in the fields at Boulderwall.

5th Dec

A return to wet and windy conditions but this time producing a memorable five hour seawatch. There were several highlights with the birds of the day being a Black Guillemot and a remarkable total of seven Puffins. There was considerable back up in the form of a Long-tailed Duck, two Velvet Scoters, a flock of eight Goosanders, singles of Black-throated and Great Northern Diver and a Grey Phalarope. Numbers were provided by 587 Gannets, 346 Kittiwakes, 673 Guillemots, 160 Razorbills and 266 auk sp. Gulls were also a notable feature with a Little Gull, two Mediterranean Gulls, three Yellow-legged Gulls and two first-winter Caspian Gulls. A late Sandwich Tern was also seen.

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans first-winter Dungeness 5th December 2018
Colour-ringed 365:U from the Czech Republic.

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans first-winter Dungeness 5th December 2018
An unringed bird.

Caspian Gulls Larus cachinnans first-winters Dungeness 5th December 2018
Both individuals in this shot.

A Common Seal and a Porpoise were also feeding offshore.

A Dark Swordgrass moth was trapped overnight.

The Hume's Warbler at Lade was seen again.

4th Dec

After a long spell of wind and rain today dawned clear, calm and frosty. The fine weather resulted in a reasonable overhead movement with 600 Wood Pigeons, 115 Stock Doves, 260 Starlings, two Tree Sparrows, eight Siskins, two Redpolls and 14 Reed Buntings and a nice surprise in the form of eight Pink-footed Geese. There was also a small increase in grounded migrants with a Fieldfare and five Song Thrushes of note along with three Chiffchaffs, five Firecrests and a Bullfinch.
Large numbers of birds were feeding offshore and included 70 Mediterranean Gulls, 1100 Kittiwakes and 20 Razorbills of note.

Mediterranean Gulls Larus melanocephalus Dungeness 4th December 2018

Singles of Common and Grey Seal and a Porpoise feeding offshore.

Elsewhere, the Hume 's Warbler was showing well at Lade Pit in the fine weather and the Red-necked Grebe was still on the North Pit. The two Whooper Swans were still in the fields at the back of Scotney with two Pink-footed Geese and four White-fronted Geese still present. Two Cattle Egret were feeding in the wet fields at Boulderwall again

Hume's Warbler Phylloscopus humei Lade Pit 4th December 2018

3rd Dec

More wind and rain and fairly limited coverage again. The only birds of note were a Mediterranean Gull, a first-winter Caspian Gull and 32 Turnstones at the fishing boats and two Firecrests in the trapping area.

A Common Seal and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

There was no sign of the Hume's Warbler at Lade today.

2nd Dec

Another fairly miserable day. Six Firecrests were seen in the trapping area and at the Long Pits and two Little Egrets which came in from the east.were about the only birds of note.

Most of the interest elsewhere around the area was at Lade Pits where a Hume's Warbler was found along with a Red-necked Grebe, two Goosanders, two Great White Egrets and two Caspian Gulls. The gull roost on Burrowes this afternoon produced three Caspian Gulls where a party of eight Goosanders were also seen.

Hume's Warbler Phylloscopus humei Lade Pit 2nd December 2018
A very ropey shot of this bird. Fortunately it was heard calling on several occasions which helped to confirm its identity.
Tthis is only the fourth Dungeness area record.

1st Dec

Not a great deal to report on another breezy day with almost continuous rain and very poor visibility. A morning seawatch produced 750 Gannets and a second-winter Mediterranean Gull came to the offerings of bread at the fishing boat.

30th Nov

A calmer morning for a change but offshore passage was fairly limited with a flock of 44 Grey Geese (thought most likely to be Pink-feet), a Velvet Scoter, an Eider, a Great Northern Diver and two Mediterranean Gulls of note. A Merlin was also hunting around the fishing boats. Another three Velvet Scoters were seen in the afternoon.

A check of the bushes produced a Woodcock, two Chiffchaffs, three Firecrests and 25 Goldcrests. Overhead passage was very light but included 20 Skylarks and a Siskin.

A Porpoise, two Common Seals, and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

Elsewhere, geese and swans continue to provide most of the interest. Two Whooper Swans can still be seen in the fields behind Scotney Pit and up to five Bewick's Swans have been with the Mute Swans at Cockles Bridge. Nine Pink-footed Geese were also seen at Scotney today. The gull roost at Burrowes on the RSPB Reserve has been fairly quiet this week but this evening produced six Caspian Gulls. One Cattle Egret remains with the cattle in the fields alongside the RSPB Entrance Track.

29th Nov

Another very windy day with almost all the coverage being on the seafront. There was a steady westerly passage during the morning and with final totals of 98 Common Scoters, six Velvet Scoters, six Red-breasted Mergansers, seven Fulmars, 313 Gannets, 870 Cormorants and 547 Kittiwakes. Two Caspian Gulls (at least one first-winter and a third-winter) were seen around the fishing boats.