26th Aug

Thunderstorms with torrential rain from first light grounded a few migrants included 21 Willow Warblers, 17 Reed Warblers, ten Blackcaps, 30 Lesser Whitethroats, 45 Whitethroats, a Dartford Warbler, a Spotted Flycatcher, two Nightingales, two Pied Flycatchers, a Redstart, five Whinchats and 29 Wheatears. 

Raptors provided most of the interest overhead with at least four Honey Buzzards, 18 Common Buzzards, A Green Sandpiper, 636 Sand Martins, 1450 Swallows, 193 House Martins, 32 Yellow Wagtails and three Tree Pipits. 

Eight Pintails, six Knot, 45 Mediterranean Gulls and two Balearic Shearwaters were of note offshore while the beach held 44 Ringed Plovers, seven Sanderling and 40 Dunlin,

Three Clouded Yellows were seen during the day while the Observatory moth-traps produced a super Tamarisk Peacock, (a new species for the traps), along with an Oak Hook-tip, four Small Mottled Willows, two Delicates, a Scarce Bordered Straw and two Palpita vitrealis.

Tamarisk Peacock  Godonela aestimaria   Dungeness   26th August 2026

The White-winged Black Tern was still showing well on the RSPB Reserve.

25th Aug

A bit more of an autumn feel to today's seawatching with six Wigeon, 72 Teal, 35 Common Scoters, a Grey Plover, a Redshank, a Little Gull, 377 Mediterranean Gulls, five Caspian Gulls, 3,088 Sandwich Terns, two Little Terns, three Black Terns, 28 Arctic Skuas and a Sooty Shearwater. An Osprey was seen again along with 243 Sand Martins, 344 Swallows, two House Martins and 32 Yellow Wagtails overhead. 

Grounded migrants were limited to nine Willow Warblers, three Reed Warblers, ten Lesser Whitethroats, a Pied Flycatcher and a Redstart.

Six Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore, two Brown Hares were seen in the Desert and the Grey Squirrel was seen again.

The White-winged Black Tern was still showing well on the RSPB Reserve.

24th Aug

Four Shelducks, five Shovelers, a Tufted Duck, a party of eight Avocets, a Sanderling, 200 Mediterranean Gulls, a massive count of 4,650 Sandwich Terns, 324 Common Terns, ten Black Terns, 24 Arctic Skuas and a Sooty Shearwater all passed by offshore and 35 Ringed Plovers, three Bar-tailed Godwits, five Turnstones, three juvenile Caspian Gulls and three Yellow-legged Gulls were seen on the beach.

Fairly quiet on the land although an Osprey and a Honey Buzzard provided excitement along with 120 Sand Martins and 79 Swallows overhead. Grounded migrants included 13 Willow Warblers, three Reed Warblers, an early Firecrest, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Whinchat.

Three Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore and a Grey Squirrel was seen in private gardens.

The White-winged Black Tern was still showing well on Burrowes Pit, RSPB Reserve.

Access to the Observatory

 Please be aware that we now have scaffolding around the building, due to roof works, so care is needed with parking and access. 

Thank you. 

23rd Aug

There was a reasonable arrival of grounded migrants with 50 Willow Warblers, ten Reed Warblers, eight Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler, 16 Lesser Whitethroats, 60 Whitethroats and 21 Wheatears and a Wood Warbler seen at the Long Pits was of note. 

An Osprey, a Greenshank, 510 Sand Martins, 270 Swallows, 70 Yellow Wagtails and three Tree Pipits flew over. There were 35 Ringed Plovers, three Bar-tailed Godwit and two Sanderling on the beach and 100 Mediterranean Gulls, four juvenile Caspian Gulls, a Black Tern, 1,000 Sandwich Terns and 14 Arctic Skuas were feeding offshore. A ringed Turnstone was seen on the beach and after considerable effort the ring number was read. It was originally ringed at Terrington Marsh, Norfolk on 18th October 2020.

Turnstone Arenaria interpres   SX71493   Dungeness   23rd August 2026

Five Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen on the land.

The moth traps produced a Vestal, a Small Mottled Willow and two Delicates while 22 Hummingbird Hawkmoths were seen during the day and four Clouded Yellows were seen in the Desert.

Vestal Rhodometra sacraria   Dungeness   23rd August 2026

The White-winged Black Tern was still showing well from Firth Screen on the RSPB Reserve.

22nd Aug

There were decent numbers of migrants in the bushes during the morning including 55 Willow Warblers, three Sedge Warblers, four Reed Warblers, a Garden Warbler, 22 Lesser Whitethroats, 40 Whitethroats, a Spotted Flycatcher, two Pied Flycatchers, a Redstart, two Whinchats and 17 Wheatears. However, the birds of the day both appeared in the Moat in the afternoon in the form of a superb Wryneck and a Wood Warbler. A few birds also passed overhead with a Buzzard, 116 Sand Martins, 16 House Martins, 60 Yellow Wagtails and a Tree Pipit.

Wryneck Jynx torquilla   Dungeness   22nd August 2026

Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix   Dungeness   22nd August 2026

Of note offshore were eight Sanderling, a Knot, four Mediterranean Gulls, 400 Sandwich Terns and a Black Tern.

Two Porpoises and four Grey Seals were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen in the Desert.

The moth traps produced ten Small Mottled Willows, six Delicates and a Small Ranunculus and a Clouded Yellow was seen in the Desert.

21st Aug

There was a decent arrival of migrants in the bushes with 60 Willow Warblers, 11 Sedge Warblers, ten Reed Warblers, two Grasshopper Warblers, a Garden Warbler, 30 Lesser Whitethroats, 23 Whitethroats, five Spotted Flycatchers, two Redstarts, two Whinchats and 27 Wheatears. Two Little Egrets, a Short-eared Owl, a Hobby, 70 Yellow Wagtails and three Tree Pipits flew over.

There were 38 Ringed Plover, a Little Ringed Plover, four Whimbrel, five Bar-tailed Godwits, eight Turnstones, 30 Sanderling and ten Dunlins were on the beach and a Common Sandpiper and a Greenshank were seen at Long Pits. Five Mediterranean Gulls and five Black Terns were seen offshore.

The moth traps continue to produce migrants with a Ni Moth of note along with 36 Small Mottled Willows and six Delicates.

Ni Moth Trichoplusia ni   Dungeness   21st August 2026

The White-winged Black Tern was still present on Burrowes Pit on the RSPB Reserve.

20th Aug

Rain from first light until mid-morning felt like it should have grounded a few migrants but there was very little to be seen with just 16 Willow Warblers and 14 Lesser Whitethroats. Nearly nine hours of seawatching produced a Grey Plover, 11 Dunlin, four Mediterranean Gulls, 1975 Sandwich Terns, three Little Terns, an Arctic Skua, two Manx Shearwaters east and two Balearic Shearwater.

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

The moth traps continue to provide with 51 Small Mottled Willows and ten Delicates of particular note.

Elsewhere, the first-winter White-winged Black Tern was still showing well from the Firth Screen on the RSPB.

19th Aug

A wet morning but still very warm. Disappointing on the land with just 22 Willow Warblers, 18 Lesser Whitethroats and 12 Wheatears in the bushes and 15 Yellow Wagtails overhead of interest. Three Whimbrels, 27 Turnstones, three Mediterranean Gulls, 415 Sandwich Terns, 41 Common Terns and an Arctic Skua of note.

Four Porpoises were feeding offshore.

The moth traps produced a Portland Ribbon Wave, 30 Delicates, 18 Small Mottled Willows and a Small Ranunculus.

The White-winged Black Tern was still showing very well on the RSPB Reserve.

18th Aug

Hot and sunny again. Very quiet on the land with just 15 Willow Warblers, 19 Lesser Whitethroats and a Pied Flycatcher in the bushes and 405 Swallows, 143 Sand Martins and 36 Yellow Wagtails overhead. Seawatching produced a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Common Sandpiper, 21 Mediterranean Gulls, 190 Sandwich Terns, 34 Common Terns and an Arctic Skua.

Two Porpoises and five Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

The moth traps produced 16 Small Mottled Willows, 26 Delicates, a Small Ranunculus and a Scarce Bordered Straw.