28th July

With no obvious change in the weather, still hot and very sunny, there was a surprise arrival of at least 80 Willow Warblers. A total which equals the previous highest July totals set in 1983, 1987 and 2014. A Kingfisher was seen at the Long Pits and other grounded migrants included 31 Reed Warblers, a Garden Warbler and 14 Wheatears. A check of the beach produced 30 Ringed Plovers, ten Turnstones, a Knot, an adult Curlew Sandpiper, 190 Sanderlings and 153 Dunlin. Two Egyptian Geese and six Yellow Wagtails flew over and five Mediterranean Gulls flew east.

Two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

The moth traps produced four Rest Harrows, nine Small Mottled Willows, a Tree-lichen Beauty, two Cydia amplana and a surprise in the form of a Saltmarsh Plume - I think only the second Observatory record.

Three Lesser Emperors were seen at the Long Pits.

Saltmarsh Plume Adsista bennetti   Dungeness   28th July 2026

27th July

A dribble of overhead passage included 235 Swifts, 36 Sand Martins and five Yellow Wagtails and nine Willow Warblers were seen in the bushes. There were forty Sanderling and 30 Dunlin on the beach. Three Mediterranean Gulls flew west and 35 Sandwich Terns were feeding offshore.

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.

Shortly before midnight a check of the moth traps found a large (22mm) click-beetle Stenagostus rhombeus on the kitchen wall. It is normally an inhabitant of Beech and Ancient woodlands and so a surprising find of what appears to be the first Dungeness area record.

Stenagostus rhombeus   Dungeness   27th July 2026

26th July

Very quiet. Seawatching produced just two Mediterranean Gulls. Overhead passage in the morning saw 233 Swifts, nine Sand Martins and two Yellow Wagtails go south and eight Willow Warblers were seen in the bushes.

The moths provided plenty of interest again with an Oak Processionary, another Striped Hawkmoth, a Jersey Tiger and ten Small Mottled Willows of note.

Jersey Tiger Euplagia quadripunctaria   Dungeness   26th July 2026

Oak Processionary Thaumetopoea processionea   Dungeness   26th July 2026

Striped Hawkmoth Hyles livornica   Dungeness   26th July 2026

25th July

A handful of grounded migrants included a Cuckoo, three Great Spotted Woodpecker,  21 Willow Warblers, 20 Reed Warblers and two Garden Warblers,  A Little Ringed Plover, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Snipe, a Redshank, 15 Sand Martins and 15 Siskins flew over and five Mediterranean Gulls were feeding on  the beach

Three Porpoise were seen offshore.

The highlight from the moth traps was a Striped Hawkmoth and 25 Small Mottled Willows. A Clouded Yellow butterfly was also seen.

Striped Hawkmoth Hyles livornica   Dungeness 25th July 2026

24th July

A bit of overhead passage was seen including seven Swift, a Little Ringed Plover, a Greenshank, 26 Sand Martins and 13 Swallows while ten Willow Warblers, four Sedge Warblers, 38 Reed Warblers and 20 Lesser Whitethroats were seen on the land. Offshore, 23 Common Scoter, 100 Mediterranean Gulls and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull were seen.

Six Porpoise and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

The moth traps continue to provide highlights with two Cydia amplana, an Acrobasis tumidana, eight Rest Harrows, a Gypsy Moth, three Tree-lichen Beauty's and eight Small Mottled Willows of note.

Acrobasis tumidana   Dungeness   24th July 2026

Rest Harrow Aplasta ononaria   Dungeness   24th July 2026

Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar   Dungeness   24th July 2026

Tree-lichen Beauty Cryphia algae   Dungeness   24th July 2026

 

23rd July

Fairly slow on the bird front. A bit of visible migration involved 404 Sand Martins and 11 Yellow Wagtails whilst three Willow Warblers and 17 Reed Warblers were among the few grounded migrants. Waders roosting on the beach included a Knot, 125 Sanderling and 40 Dunlin along with a Little Egret.

Eight Porpoise and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

The moth traps were very disappointing but dragonflies continued to provide interest with a Small Red-eyed Damselfly, three Lesser Emperors and a Red-veined Darter seen. A Bee Wolf was caught in the trapping area.

22nd July

The early morning netting session in the Trapping Area produced a Nightingale of note along with a Cuckoo and a Redstart seen and later in the day a total of 1200 Sand Martin also passed through. An attempt to catch some was very successful with 108 birds ringed and also two British controls. Five Mediterranean Gulls were seen offshore. 

Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos   Dungeness   22nd July 2026

Sand Martins Riparia riparia   Dungeness   22nd July 2026

Twelve Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was also seen.

Moth-trapping produced a Jersey Tiger and a Bordered Straw of note and notable dragonflies included three Lesser Emperors and a Southern Migrant Hawker.

21st July

A Snipe, a Kingfisher, two Willow Warblers, two Sedge Warblers and 12 Reed Warblers were seen on the land while two Grey Herons, 108 Sand Martins and eight Yellow Wagtails flew over. Seven Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore.

Five Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

Of note from the moth traps were another Eastern Bordered Straw, a Tree-lichen Beauty and an Agonopteryx curvipunctosa.

20th July

Still warm and sunny with a trickle of passage overhead including 25 Sand Martins, nine Yellow Wagtails and a Grey Wagtail. There was a small increase in grounded migrants with a Common Sandpiper and a Kingfisher at the Long Pits and three Great Spotted Woodpeckers, two Willow Warblers, four Sedge Warblers, two Garden Warblers and 35 Reed Warblers in the bushes. Eight Shelduck flew east while 25 Mediterranean Gulls and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull were feeding offshore.

Three Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

Another Eastern Bordered Straw was caught in the moth traps while three Lesser Emperor dragonflies and a Norfolk Hawker were seen.

Eastern Bordered Straw Heliothis nubigera   Dungeness   20th July 2026

19th July

Another warm and sunny day. A Grasshopper Warbler was caught in the Moat and a Golden Plover and two Yellow Wagtails flew over. Three Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore.

Six Porpoise and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

A Scarce Bordered Straw and a Small Mottled Willow were the highlights from the moth traps.

A Southern Oak Bush-cricket and two Mediterranean Stick-insects were seen in the Observatory garden.