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)