Mammals
Rabbits and Foxes are seen on most days throughout the year. Brown Hares are regularly seen and Stoats and Weasels are less frequently seen. Badgers are occasionally seen after dark and even visit the Observatory garden at times. Both Pigmy and Common Shrews are
present along with Bank Vole and Wood Mouse. Most of the more interesting mammal records involve bats and marine animals.
Some work has been carried out recently on the bats of the area and Nathusius's Pipistrelle and Whiskered Bats are now known to occur regularly. Common and Soprano Pipistrelles are also frequently recorded and there are occasional records of Daubenton's and Liesler's Bat.
Brown Hare Lepus capensis |
Badger Meles meles |
Common Seal Phoca vituulina |
Nathusius' Pipistrelle Pipistrellus nathusii |
Whiskered Bat Myotis mystacinus |
In recent years there have been several sightings of White-beaked Dolphins and Harbour Porpoises have become an almost daily feature.
Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena |
MAMMAL LIST FOR DUNGENESS BIRD OBSERVATORY
WESTERN HEDGEHOG Erinaceous
europaeus
COMMON SHREW Sorex
araneus
PIGMY SHREW Sorex
minutus
WATER SHREW Neomys
fodiens
DAUBENTON’S BAT Myotis
daubentonii
WHISKERED BAT Myotis
mystacinus
KUHL'S PIPISTRELLE Pipistrellus kuhlii
NATHUSIUS’ PIPISTRELLE Pipistrellus
nathusii
COMMON PIPISTRELLE Pipistrellus
pipistrellus
SOPRANO PIPISTRELLE Pipistrellus
pygmaeus
LEISLER’S BAT Nyctalus
leisleri
NOCTULE Nyctalus
noctula
SEROTINE Eptesicus
serotinus
BROWN HARE Lepus
europaeus
RABBIT Oryctolagus
cuniculus
BANK VOLE Clethrionomys glareolus
FIELD VOLE Microtus agrestis
FIELD VOLE Microtus agrestis
HARVEST MOUSE Micromys minutus
WOOD MOUSE Apodemus
sylvaticus
HOUSE MOUSE Mus musculus
BROWN RAT Rattus
norvegicus
HARBOUR PORPOISE Phocoena
phocoena
COMMON DOLPIN Delphinus
delphinus
WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN Lagenorynchus
acutus
WHITE-BEAKED DOLPHIN Lagenorhynchus
albirostris
BOTTLE-NOSE DOLPHIN Tursiops
truncatus
RISSO’S DOLPHIN Grampus
griseus
LONG-FINNED PILOT WHALE Globicephala
melas
ORCA
Orcinus orca
RED FOX Vulpes
vulpes
STOAT
Mustela erminea
WEASEL Mustela
nivalis
AMERICAN MINK Mustela
vison
BADGER Meles
meles
COMMON SEAL Phova
vitulina
GREY SEAL Halichoerus
grypus
ROE DEER Capreolus
capreolus
Reptiles and Amphibians
The only snake found
in the area is the Grass Snake. In early spring they can often be seen basking
on the short turf of the Moat or on the banks of the Long Pits. Later in the
season most sightings are of individuals hunting amongst the emergent
vegetation of the pits.
Common Lizards are frequently seen in the drier areas and
even in many of the gardens.
Newts are represented by the Smooth Newt. Although common in
the surrounding area, Great Crested Newts are not found at the Long Pits.
Marsh Frog Rana ridibundus |
A Red-eared Terrapin was first seen at the Long Pits in 2005 and two individuals have now been seen in 2006. There was a further sighting in 2007 and one was seen on August 5th 2009. The first sighting in 2010 was at the Long Pits on 9th September. Individuals have continued to be seen up until 2018.