A Black-throated Diver, five Whimbrels, ten Great Skuas, five Little Terns, 1035 Common Terns and 36 Arctic Terns passed east on the sea in over four hours of watching.
Five Buzzards, 13 Swifts, 50 Swallows, 18 Yellow Wagtails, a Tree Pipit and seven Siskins passed overhead whilst grounded migrants included a Garden Warbler and two Ring Ouzels. A Ring-necked Parakeet was also seen.
At least 14 Porpoises were feeding offshore and three Brown Hares and two Stoats were seen on the land.
29th April
A pretty quiet day with just a trickle of birds offshore and not a great deal on the land. Two Hobbies came in off the sea in the morning and three Arctic Skuas and a Great Skua flew east this afternoon. A few Swifts and hirundines passed through and a Ring Ouzel was the best of the birds on the land.
During the week there was not a great deal happening around the rest of the peninsula. There were some decent numbers of Swallows and a few Swifts over the pits when the weather was poor and Black-necked Grebes continue to be seen on New Diggings and the Tundra Bean Goose was still being seen around the Dengemarsh area.
A couple of Porpoises were feeding offshore.
During the week there was not a great deal happening around the rest of the peninsula. There were some decent numbers of Swallows and a few Swifts over the pits when the weather was poor and Black-necked Grebes continue to be seen on New Diggings and the Tundra Bean Goose was still being seen around the Dengemarsh area.
A couple of Porpoises were feeding offshore.
28th April
A calm and cold morning brought another small arrival of migrants on the land with the obvious highlight for one observer of an adult Purple Heron in the Long Pits reed-bed. A Hobby, a Buzzard, 17 Willow Warblers, 13 Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler, two Redstarts seven Yellow Wagtails and a Redpoll were also of note.
The morning seawatch was extremely quiet but three Arctic Skuas were seen this afternoon as the wind began to increase again.
A Brown Hare and two Porpoises were seen and a Speckled Wood butterfly was the first of the year.
Another of the Dungeness plant specialties is Shepherd's Cress which is now showing at its best in large spreads across the open shingle. The regular colony of Early Purple Orchids near the Observatory is also coming to its best.
The morning seawatch was extremely quiet but three Arctic Skuas were seen this afternoon as the wind began to increase again.
A Brown Hare and two Porpoises were seen and a Speckled Wood butterfly was the first of the year.
Another of the Dungeness plant specialties is Shepherd's Cress which is now showing at its best in large spreads across the open shingle. The regular colony of Early Purple Orchids near the Observatory is also coming to its best.
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| Shepherd's Cress Teesdalia nudicaulus Dungeness 28th April 2016 |
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| Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula Dungeness 28th April 2016 |
27th April
Still quite wintry but with less wind today there was a very small arrival of migrants on the land. A Common Sandpiper at the Long Pits and three Swifts and a Tree Pipit overhead were all new species for the year whilst single Redstart and Whinchat, two Ring Ouzels and 15 Yellow Wagtails were of interest.
The sea was very quiet with just two Arctic Skuas of note.
A Stoat was seen transporting its young from one burrow to another, presumably after being disturbed from its original burrow site. Three Porpoises were feeding offshore.
A Green-veined White butterfly was the first of the year.
The sea was very quiet with just two Arctic Skuas of note.
A Stoat was seen transporting its young from one burrow to another, presumably after being disturbed from its original burrow site. Three Porpoises were feeding offshore.
A Green-veined White butterfly was the first of the year.
26th April
The cold north by west wind continues and even brought snow and hail with it today. Offshore, ten Whimbrel and a couple of Great Skuas flew through and what was presumably the local Tundra Bean Goose flew around again. Very quiet on the land with just a handful of Chiffchaffs and a Ring Ouzel in the bushes and a couple of Yellow Wagtails overhead.
At least seven Porpoises were feeding offshore.
At least seven Porpoises were feeding offshore.
25th April
The cold weather continues and is actually looking set for a good few days yet. There was a very small arrival of migrants on the land with two Snipe, ten Chiffchaffs, nine Willow Warblers and eight Blackcaps whilst a fly-through Hobby was new for the year.
There were at least three fledged Ravens at the Power Station.
A total of eight hours of seawatching produced just 285 Brent Geese, a Great Northern Diver, a Manx Shearwater, eight Great Skuas, a Little Gull and three Mediterranean Gulls of interest.
The sea also produced the mammalian highlight of the day with a party of three White-beaked Dolphins showing near the Bouy for a short time during the morning. Five Porpoises were also seen.
There were at least three fledged Ravens at the Power Station.
A total of eight hours of seawatching produced just 285 Brent Geese, a Great Northern Diver, a Manx Shearwater, eight Great Skuas, a Little Gull and three Mediterranean Gulls of interest.
The sea also produced the mammalian highlight of the day with a party of three White-beaked Dolphins showing near the Bouy for a short time during the morning. Five Porpoises were also seen.
24th April
Another cold day and very little in the way of new migrants on the land but a steady trickle of birds east offshore. Over eight hours of seawatching eventually resulted in some decent totals with three Eiders, a Manx Shearwater, 27 Whimbrel, three Pomarine Skuas, four Arctic Skuas, 12 Great Skuas, two Mediterranean Gulls and a Black Tern of note.
An unexpected sighting over the land was of a party of two Barnacle Geese and a Tundra Bean Geese which flew out to the Point before returning inland and followed later in the day by a further party of four Barnacle Geese. A Grey Wagtail was also an unusual record at this time of year.
At least ten Porpoises were feeding offshore.
One of the botanical features of Dungeness at this time of year is the prostrate form of Blackthorn Prunus spinosa which is now flowering and forming spiky carpets of white..
An unexpected sighting over the land was of a party of two Barnacle Geese and a Tundra Bean Geese which flew out to the Point before returning inland and followed later in the day by a further party of four Barnacle Geese. A Grey Wagtail was also an unusual record at this time of year.
At least ten Porpoises were feeding offshore.
One of the botanical features of Dungeness at this time of year is the prostrate form of Blackthorn Prunus spinosa which is now flowering and forming spiky carpets of white..
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| Prostrate form of Blackthorn at the Long Pits 24th April 2016 |
23rd April
A fresh northerly wind this morning meant even fewer migrants on the land and less passage offshore today. Even so, seawatching was not without its interest with 6.25hrs of observation producing a Great Northern Diver west, a 'Blue' Fulmar, 26 Whimbrels, four Arctic Skuas, a very unusual sighting of a second-summer Pomarine Skua, four Great Skuas, 638 Common Terns east with a further 350 feeding at the Patch and a Black Tern.
Two Ring Ouzels and the highest day total of Swallows of the spring so far were about the best the land had to offer.
At least 18 Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
Two Ring Ouzels and the highest day total of Swallows of the spring so far were about the best the land had to offer.
At least 18 Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
22nd April
Another cold and breezy day meant more seawatching but not much to be seen on the land other than two Ring Ouzels. Over six hours of observations from the hides produced four Teal, four Shovelers, ten Red-breasted Mergansers, a Manx Shearwater, five Arctic Skuas, a Pomarine Skua, three Great Skuas and four Mediterranean Gulls of note.
At least ten Porpoises were feeding offshore.
Elsewhere around the peninsula many of the summer migrants have now made an appearance with a few Common Sandpipers, Swifts and Cuckoos now being seen at the Reserve where the Tundra Bean Goose remains and has been joined by a Bar-headed Goose. A Red-crested Pochard was at Dengemarsh this morning. At least two each of both Slavonian and Black-necked Grebes can be seen at ARC or New Diggings. The wader passage has also been a feature on the Reserve with a steady flow of Bar-tailed Godwits and Whimbrels moving through along with small numbers of Greenshanks.
At least ten Porpoises were feeding offshore.
Elsewhere around the peninsula many of the summer migrants have now made an appearance with a few Common Sandpipers, Swifts and Cuckoos now being seen at the Reserve where the Tundra Bean Goose remains and has been joined by a Bar-headed Goose. A Red-crested Pochard was at Dengemarsh this morning. At least two each of both Slavonian and Black-necked Grebes can be seen at ARC or New Diggings. The wader passage has also been a feature on the Reserve with a steady flow of Bar-tailed Godwits and Whimbrels moving through along with small numbers of Greenshanks.
21st April
With strong NE winds again most of the interest was offshore. Two Pomarine Skuas passed through at 1315hrs but a party of nine tracked along the Sussex coastline failed to appear. Bar-tailed Godwits and Whimbrels passed throughout the day with a peak in the afternoon and final totals of 756 and 200 respectively. A couple of parties, 22 birds, of Little Gulls also flew east whilst other bits included seven Shovelers, 13 Red-breasted Mergansers, two Black-throated Divers, 12 Grey Plovers, four Knot, a Great Skua and a steady trickle of Sandwich and Common Terns. A Manx Shearwater flew west.
Very little to report from the land.
At least 18 Porpoises were feeding offshore during the afternoon.
Very little to report from the land.
At least 18 Porpoises were feeding offshore during the afternoon.
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