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Local weather

Update

The Observatory can accommodate up to 9 people in two dormitories, you need to bring your own sleeping bags and it is self-catering. As well as Birdwatchers, we welcome people from many areas of interest including Moths, Butterflies, Bugs and Beetles or just a general interest in Nature and the local environment. Please forward any Dungeness recording area records to the Warden.
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1st July

A party of seven Bee-eaters flying around the  trapping area proved elusive to see and 41 Sand Martins flew out to sea. A Yellow Wagtail also flew over. A seawatch this afternoon produced three Manx Shearwaters.

Two Porpoises and 13 Grey Seals were feeding offshore,

A Small Mottled Willow was trapped overnight and two Red-veined Darters were seen in the Desert.

Bird of the day from elsewhere though was a Caspian Tern which spent most of its day sitting on the islands and viewable from Dennis's Hide on Burrowes Pit.








Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia   Dungeness RSPB   1st July 2027



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30th June

Thirty-two Mediterranean Gulls were seen offshore and a Yellow Wagtail and a Tree Pipit flew over this morning. 

A Grey Seal was seen offshore.

Three Small Mottled Willows were found in the moth-traps and a Red-veined Darter was seen in the Desert,

However, the highlight of the day was a very smart Kentish Plover found on the beach at Lade Sands. This is the first area since 2019.





Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus    Lade Sands   30th June 2026


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29th June

A Siskin over the Observatory this morning and a Little Ringed Plover calling after dark were the only birds of note.

Moth trapping produced another Rose Plume and six Small Mottled Willows of note.

Rose Plume Cnaemidophorus rhododactyla   Dungeness   29th June 2026

A Norfolk Hawker was also seen.

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28th June

The only birds of note were 20 Mediterraneans Gulls in the continuing heatwave.

However the moth traps really came to the fore this morning when a fairly distinctive individual was found which I was at a complete loss as to its identity.  Following further research with Sean Clancy and posts/searches on the internet etc it seems most likely that it is an example of Blastobasis glandulella.  This appears to be the fourth British record with the first record in East Sussex in 2023,  one at Seabrook, Kent in 2024 and one the night before ours at Kessingland, Suffolk.


Blastobasis glandulella   Dungeness   28th June 2026



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27th June

Another very hot day and little to be seen on the bird front other than 20 Swifts over the area.

The moth traps continue to provide most of the interest with an excellent catch overnight which included a Rose Plume, the pyralids Acrobasis repandana and Evergestis limbata, a Pine Hawk-moth, a Four-spotted Footman and two Light Crimson Underwings.

Four-spotted Footman  Lithosia quadra   Dungeness  27th June 2026.

Light Crimson Underwing Catocala promissa   Dungeness 27th June 2026

A Norfolk Hawker also came to the moth lights.



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26th June

Another very hot day and little to be seen on the bird front other than a Green Sandpiper over the Long Pits.

The moth continue to provide a bit of interest with the uncommon pyralid Anania perlucidalis, an Oak Hook-tip and a Small Mottled Willow of note.

Anania perlucidalis   Dungeness 26th June 2026



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25th June

The heatwave continues.  A flock of 16 Shelduck flew east and Tufted Duck was confirmed as a new breeding species for the recording area with a one day-old duckling seen at the Long Pits.

The highlight from the moth traps was a White-line Snout - a new species for the Observatory traps and only the fourth area record.

White-line Snout Schrankia taenalis   Dungeness   25th June 2026

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24th June

Very hot and humid. A Little Ringed Plover and a Redshank flew over the area.

The highlights from the moth traps were a Plumed Fan-foot, a Small Mottled Willow and the rare Agonopteryx curvipunctosa.

Agonopteryx curvipunctosa   Dungeness   24th June 2026

The first Small Red-eyed Damselflies of the year were seen at the southern end of the Long Pits. 

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23rd June

Very quiet again although the early morning was dominated by some pretty powerful thunderstorms.

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22nd June

 Very quiet.

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