13th Sep

The highlights from the the seawatching were two Long-tailed Skuas, 20 Black Terns and two Balearic Shearwaters with backup in the form of two Little Gulls, eight Mediterranean Gulls, 754 Sandwich Terns, 498 Common Terns and 105 Arctic Skuas. Grounded migrants included a Cuckoo, 50 Chiffchaffs, five Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler and two Whinchats.

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

The moth traps produced a Vestal and four Small Mottled Willows and two Clouded Yellows were seen during the day.

Elsewhere, an adult American Golden Plover was seen in a stubble field at Jury's Gap.

12th Sep

The morning began well with a few migrants in the bushes followed by a large movement of hirundines with 7000 House Martins (145 ringed), 5080 Swallows and 154 Sand Martins and also 14 Grey Wagtails. A Short-eared Owl and a Wryneck were seen in the Desert and Merlin and Hobby were hunting around the Observatory. Grounded migrants included 31 Chiffchaffs, 17 Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler, three Song Thrushes, two Spotted Flycatchers, two Redstarts, two Whinchats and ten Wheatears.

The sea was fairly quiet during the morning but came to life in spectacular fashion in the afternoon with an incredible sighting of a Brown Booby which spent about 30 minutes offshore as it slowly drifted west and even allowed a few locals to get to the boats to witness the event. A first record for Dungeness. Also of note on the seawatch was a juvenile Long-tailed Skua, a Little Tern, 15 Black Terns, 465 Common Terns, 761 Sandwich Terns, three Little Gulls, three Mediterranean Gulls and 46 Arctic Skuas.

Brown Booby Sula leucogaster   Dungeness   12th September 2026
Thanks to Martin Casemore for these images.

Seven Porpoises, two Grey Seals and a Common Seal were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen on the land.

A Common Frog was seen in the Observatory garden.

The moths produced five Vestals, a Delicate and four Small Mottled Willows of note. One Clouded Yellow was also seen.

There have been a handful of sightings of the very rare paper-wasp Polistes biglumis in the last year or so and a couple of days ago an active nest was found.  

Polistes biglumis nest and adults   Dungeness   12th September 2026

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. 

Kent Big Migration Day

Join us for the Kent Big Migration Day!

 

11th Sep

The Wryneck was still showing occasionally in the Desert but grounded migrants were scarce with just 13 Willow Warblers, 21 Chiffchaffs, a Whinchat and 12 Wheatears of interest. Birds passing overhead included a Swift, two Golden Plover, 3700 Swallows, 2000 House Martins and four Grey Wagtails. 

An adult Sabine's Gull was the obvious highlight of the morning seawatch and two Shovelers, 243 Kittiwakes, a Little Gull, eight Mediterranean Gulls, 885 Sandwich Tern, eight Little Terns, 615 Common Terns, three Black Terns and 63 Arctic Skuas also passed through. There were a few waders on the beach including 16 Ringed Plover, three Bar-tailed Godwit and 12 Turnstone. A Norwegian colour-ringed Redshank was also noted.

10th Sep

A Wryneck in the Desert was probably a new arrival along with 16 Willow Warbler, 35 Chiffchaffs, a Sedge Warbler, four Reed Warblers, 60 Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler, 11 Lesser Whitethroats, 16 Whitethroats and two Spotted Flycatchers. Passage overhead included six Swifts, a Spotted Redshank, a Grey Heron, a Little Egret, five Marsh Harriers, 100 Sand Martins, 1660 Swallows, 119 House Martins, 15 Yellow Wagtails, five Grey Wagtails, 40 Meadow Pipits and a Tree Pipit.

Seawatching produced a Grey Phalarope in the evening of note and during the rest of the day seven Knot, 115 Kittiwakes, five Little Gulls, a Mediterranean Gull, 617 Sandwich Terns, three Little Terns, 161 Common Terns, five Black Terns, a Great Skua and 19 Arctic Skuas passed through.

Five Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

The moth traps produced a Palpita vitrealis and a Small Mottled Willow and five Hummingbird Hawkmoths, five Clouded Yellows and 20 Painted Ladies were seen during the day.

The Red-necked Phalarope was still on Burrowes Pit, RSPB Reserve.

9th Sep

Grounded migrants included a Short-eared Owl, 72 Willow Warblers, 57 Chiffchaffs, a Sedge Warbler, two Reed Warblers, 11 Blackcaps, two Garden Warblers, 11 Lesser Whitethroats, 25 Whitethroats, seven Spotted Flycatchers, 60 Robins, four Whinchats and 25 Wheatears. Although not necessarily migrants three Dartford Warblers were of note as was an impressive count of 41 Stonechats.

It was also a day of notable overhead passage with five Grey Herons, three Little Egrets, two Cattle Egrets and three White Storks, four Buzzards, 37 Sand Martins, 150 Swallows, 17 Yellow Wagtails, 48 Meadow Pipits and two Tree Pipits.

Waders on the beach or flying over included a Grey Plover, a Whimbrel, three Bar-tailed Godwits, five Turnstone, 14 Sanderlings and two Snipe while 25 Mediterranean Gulls, 100 Sandwich Terns and five Arctic Skuas were feeding offshore.

Two Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

Eleven Clouded Yellows were seen.

Elsewhere, a Red-necked Phalarope was of note on Burrowes Pit, RSPB.

8th Sep

A mostly wet and windy day with most observations coming from the sea where the highlight was a first-winter Sabine's Gull along with four Wigeon, six Sanderlings, two Little Gulls, five Mediterranean Gulls, 1395 Sandwich Terns, three Little Terns, 347 Common Terns, 15 Black Terns, 53 Arctic Skuas and a  Balearic Shearwater. A juvenile Caspian Gull was seen at the fishing boats.

The bushes were generally quiet with 35 Chiffchaffs and 12 Blackcaps of note.

7th Sep

The highlight from nearly 11 hours of seawatching was an adult Sabine's Gull but with considerable back-up in the form of three Teal, a Scaup, 69 Ringed Plover, five Whimbrel, eight Curlew, two Bar-tailed Godwits, 31 Turnstone, 17 Sanderling, seven Dunlin, three Common Sandpipers, a Redshank, 136 Kittiwakes, a Little Gull, 25 Mediterranean Gulls, 1450 Sandwich Terns, 348 Common Terns, five Black Terns, a Great Skua, 65 Arctic Skuas, a Manx Shearwater and four Balearic Shearwaters. Three juvenile Caspian Gulls and two juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls were among large numbers of gulls feeding on the beach.

The highlights overhead were three Honey Buzzards along with 14 Swifts, 310 Sand Martins, 2000 Swallows, 86 House Martins, 12 Yellow Wagtails, three Grey Wagtails and a Tree Pipit. Grounded migrants included 18 Chiffchaffs, eight Blackcaps, five Lesser Whitethroats and two Spotted Flycatchers.

Six Porpoises, four Grey Seals and a Common Seal were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen on the land.

The highlight from the moth traps was another Ni Moth - the fourth record of the year at the Observatory.

6th Sep

The day started early with the catching of a superb Barn Owl in the trapping area just after midnight. 

Barn Owl Tyto alba   Dungeness   6th September 2026

Raptors featured on the land with an Osprey and a Honey Buzzard of note while two Green Sandpipers, 600 Sand Martins, 2340 Swallows, 273 House Martins, 29 Yellow Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail and four Tree Pipits also passed overhead. Grounded migrants included 20 Willow Warblers, eight Chiffchaffs, 43 Blackcaps, two Spotted Flycatchers, a Pied Flycatcher and two Whinchats. A Dartford Warbler was also seen.

Just under 11 hours of seawatching produced two Shovelers, 22 Teal, 41 Common Scoter, 57 Kittiwakes west (+80 feeding), a Little Gull, 25 Mediterranean Gulls west and then a flock of 100 feeding over the point in the evening, 1285 Sandwich Terns, 194 Common Terns, 26 Black Terns, a Great Skua, 78 Arctic Skua west and ten loafing offshore, four Fulmars, a Sooty Shearwater and two Balearic Shearwaters.

Six Porpoise and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

Four Clouded Yellows were seen.