20th April

A clear and sunny day but with a strong and increasing, cold easterly wind making conditions difficult. A total of 6.5hrs of seawatching resulted in just 14 Shovelers, four Red-breasted Mergansers, a Black-throated Diver, a Manx Shearwater, 39 Whimbrels, 35 Bar-tailed Godwits, two Arctic Skuas, three Great Skuas and a Little Tern of interest.

Most of the "migrant"  birds on the land actually seemed to be territory-holding although two Coal Tits and a Ring Ouzel were seen in the bushes and 15 Swallows, a House Martin and a Yellow Wagtail flew through.

A couple of Porpoise were seen although viewing conditions were far from ideal.

19th April

With the wind dropping overnight and some cloud cover this morning there was a decent arrival of migrants on the land. Willow Warblers dominated the arrival but other bits and pieces included two "Continental" Coal Tits, 15 Blackcaps, the first Garden Warbler of the year, two Redstarts and a Ring Ouzel in the bushes and 12 Yellow Wagtails overhead.

The sea was very quiet although several hours of watching eventually produced two Grey Plovers, 19 Whimbrels, two Arctic Skuas and a Little Tern passing east.

A Stoat was seen, a Grizzled Skipper was seen in the trapping area and the Common Dog-violets are starting to put on a pretty good display of colour. 

Grizzled Skipper Pyrgus malvae and Common Dog-Violet Viola riviniana   Dungeness   19th April 2016

18th April

A White Stork which flew low over the power station before heading off in a north-westerly direction at 0955hrs was the obvious highlight of the day. Grounded migrants were fairly scarce again but did include our first Whinchat of the year, a Redstart in the Lighthouse Garden, a Ring Ouzel in the trapping area and two Bramblings at the Long Pits. A few birds also passed overhead including eight Yellow Wagtails, a Rock Pipit, 24 Goldfinches and two Siskins.

The sea was very quiet.

Eight Porpoises were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare and a Weasel were seen in the land.

17th April

Bird of the day was a very brief stopping second-winter Iceland Gull at the Patch where several Mediterranean Gulls and a Black Tern were also present. Seawatching for the most part was very poor but 24 Whimbrels and a Great Skua flew east during the day.

It was pretty quiet on the land with most migrants seemingly lingering from recent days but did include a singing Firecrest, a Coal Tit, the first Reed Warbler of the year, two Ring Ouzels, a Redstart and ten Wheatears. 
A few bits also passed overhead including 12 Swallows, six Yellow Wagtails and a Rock Pipit.

At least eight Porpoises were feeding offshore again.

16th April

Two Black Terns feeding at the Patch and four Ring Ouzels around the Desert were about the best on offer on a pretty quiet day. Other bits and pieces included a single Great Skua flying east, five Mediterranean Gulls offshore, two Yellow Wagtails and two Redpolls overhead and an increase in Wheatear numbers with 19 seen.

At least 12 Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

15th April

Not a great deal to report from the land in increasingly miserable weather. Small numbers of Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Lesser Whitethroats were present and four Swallows and a Yellow Wagtail flew over.

The first couple of hours of seawatching this morning were fairly productive with four Gadwall, nine Arctic Skuas (another late in the day), three Great Skuas, a Little Gull, 351 Sandwich Terns and 477 Common Terns passing east were of note but things quickly eased down and the afternoon was very quiet.

Five Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.   

It has been a fairly quiet week around the rest of Dungeness. Black-necked and Slavonian Grebes continue to be seen on New Diggings and one or two Great White Egrets are still around the area. The Tundra Bean Goose is still been seen occasionally at Dengemarsh and a pair of Garganey were on Burrowes Pit on Wednesday.

14th April

The day began with a shallow but dense layer of fog and very few new birds in the bushes. The best on offer were two Ring Ouzels, eight Blackcaps and three Lesser Whitethroats whilst 11 Swallows and a Yellow Wagtail flew over.

Seawatching was more productive with significant totals of 521 Common Scoters, 80 Whimbrel, 44 Bar-tailed Godwits, 15 Arctic Skuas, 45 Little Gulls, 861 Sandwich Terns and 1400 Common Terns east and more unusual birds in the form of a flock of eight Garganey, eight Red-breasted Mergansers, a Black-throated Diver, a Manx Shearwater, 15 Mediterranean Gulls.and three Little Terns.

There were plenty of Porpoises on show again with at least 15 feeding offshore.

The first Small Copper butterfly was seen.

A small overnight catch of moths included a Streamer which is less than annual here. 

Streamer Anticlea derivata   Dungeness   14th April 2016

Sunrise scenes this morning at Dungeness

13th April

Another decent day with a good scattering of migrants on the land and a steady easterly movement of birds offshore.

Five Lesser Whitethroats, a Sedge Warbler and a Ring Ouzel were all new for the year and a male Redstart was also seen along with small numbers of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs and five Whitethroats. A Brambling, a Redpoll and seven Swallows also flew over and two Sand Martins departed to the south.

The sea was watched for 7.5 hours and though rarely busy produced a few decent birds including two Black-throated Divers, four Whimbrel, 87 Bar-tailed Godwits, 14 Arctic Skuas, two Great Skuas, five Mediterranean Gulls, two Little Gulls and a Little Tern. Numbers were provided by 106 Curlews, 640 Sandwich Terns and 764 Common Terns.  

At least 38 Porpoise were feeding offshore - just one short of the day record. A Weasel was also noted.

The first Grizzled Skipper of the spring was seen at the northern end of the recording area.

12th April

A nice little of arrival of migrants with the first Grasshopper Warbler and Nightingale of the spring being the highlights (neither were recorded last year) and some decent numbers of commoner species including 30 Willow Warblers, 45 Chiffchaffs, 24 Blackcaps, two Whitethroats, four Redstarts and 16 Wheatears.

Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia   Dungeness   12th April 2016

The sea was watched for most of the day and although fairly quiet eventually produced good totals of 15 Shovelers, 573 Common Scoters, a Goldeneye, 15 Red-breasted Mergansers, five Black-throated Divers, three Whimbrels, ten Arctic Skuas, three Great Skuas, 26 Little Gulls and ten Arctic Terns.

At least 13 Porpoises were feeding in the flat calm waters this evening.

11th April

With murky and breezy conditions the sea was the place to be today where there was a strong easterly passage which increased in the afternoon. There were some excellent numbers and plenty of variety with the former including 339 Brent Geese, 2047 Common Scoters, 519 Gannets, 77 Little Gulls, 964 Sandwich Terns and 311 Common Terns whilst variety included 14 Gadwall, eight Teal, six Pintails, 23 Shovelers and 67 Red-breasted Mergansers, 66 Red-throated Divers, two Black-throated Divers, 19 Manx Shearwaters (all in the afternoon), 26 Arctic Skuas (also all in the afternoon) and a Great Skua, 50 Kittiwakes, eight Mediterranean Gulls, a Little Tern and two Arctic Terns. A handful of waders also passed by including six Grey Plovers, eight Knot, seven Bar-tailed Godwits and 11 Whimbrels.

A first-winter Iceland Gull flew through the Patch this morning and then made a brief reappearance in the afternoon. There were also 80 Common Terns feeding there this evening.

Most of the bits of interest on the land actually seemed to be birds remaining from yesterday with the male Pied Flycatcher and a male Redstart still at the Long Pits, three 'Continental' Coal Tits still in a private garden and two Firecrests. A female Bullfinch was a new bird at the Long Pits and a problematic Chiffchaff in the moat may prove to be a Siberian tristis. A Marsh Harrier and a Yellow Wagtail also arrived from the south.

There appeared to be an influx of Porpoises into the area with at least 15 feeding offshore and also a Grey Seal present.