10th Apr

Another day for the most part spoilt by thick fog. When the sea was visible there was a little movement to be seen with three Garganeys, four Red-breasted Mergansers and nine Whimbrel of note. A first-winter Caspian Gull was seen by the Fish Hut this afternoon.
The land remains fairly quiet although a Redstart was seen at the Long Pits and a Bullfinch and two Bramblings were found in the trapping area while more usual migrants included four Swallows, six Willow Warblers, seven Firecrests, nine Blackcaps and 27 Redwings.

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans   first-winter   Dungeness   10th April 2018

Brambling Fringillia montifringilla   female   Dungeness   10th April 2018

Six Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

9th Apr

A damp, foggy day which provided a few notable birds but still feels lacking in the numbers of common migrants to be seen.
The best of the birds on the land was a Hawfinch which spent the morning flying around the north end of the Long Pits where a Jack Snipe was also flushed. Other unusual records included a party of six Egyptian Geese which flew west over the Observatory and our first two Ring Ouzels of the spring along with eight Firecrests, seven Willow Warblers, 13 Blackcaps, six Bramblings, a Redpoll, six Siskins and a Bullfinch. There were also a few "winter" thrushes about with 30 Fieldfares and 80 Redwings.
It was very quiet offshore with just three Shovelers and a Great Skua heading upchannel of note and the Glaucous Gull seen at the Patch again although visibility was very poor for much of the day.

A small overnight catch of moths included a Satellite.

8th Apr

A wet and calm morning seemed to promise plenty but on the whole failed to deliver. A Wood Lark was found just north of the trapping area and two Crossbills flew SE. Other grounded migrants included a decent total of 20 Firecrests along with 12 Chiffchaffs, three Willow Warblers, nine Blackcaps, a Fieldfare, five Song Thrushes and two Bramblings. A Jack Snipe was also seen near the Pumphouse. The sea was very quiet.

Wood Lark Alauda arvensis   Dungeness   8th April 2018

At least 20 Porpoises and a Common Seal were feeding offshore.

Two Brimstone butterflies were also seen.

7th Apr

Another decent day with light southerly winds and rain during the morning producing a few migrants on the land and a steady easterly passage of birds offshore.
Of note in the bushes were at 18 Firecrests, 18 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, eight Blackcaps, a Whitehroat, yesterdays Redstart still present and also a White Wagtail at the Power Station Sewage Treatment Unit while three Swallows, two Siskins and a Redpoll flew over. 
Birds of note offshore included two Garganeys, nine Pintails, two Black-throated Divers, the first Whimbrel (seven) and Arctic Tern (three) of  the spring, three Arctic Skuas, 37 Little Gulls and nine Mediterranean Gulls. The Glaucous Gull was still present.

Six Porpoises were feeding offshore.

6th Apr

The wind moved back into the south today and resulted in an excellent seawatch and with 12.5 hrs of coverage. Species of note were five Garganeys, four Pintail, three Scaup, 12 Velvet Scoters, four Black-throated Divers, four Arctic Skuas, 89 Little Gulls and the first two Little Terns of the year while numbers were provided by 56 Shovelers, 28 Teal, 3050 Common Scoters, 503 Gannets, 1747 Sandwich Terns and 649 Common Terns. The Glaucous Gull was also seen again and three Sand Martins came in - also new for the year for us. A ringtail Hen Harrier also flew south.

Small numbers of migrants continue to appear on the land with our first Redstart of the year seen at the Long Pits along with three Willow Warblers and two Firecrests.

Six Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

Elsewhere, the Hoopoe was seen again on various tracks between the Model Aircraft Club Airfield at Midley and Baynham Farm.

Hoopoe Upupa epops   Baynham Farm   6th April 2018
The Hoopoe was more mobile today and in the afternoon it was feeding in the garden of Baynham Farm.

5th Apr

With the wind changing to a north-westerly the offshore passage was virtually non-existent but a few birds continue to appear on the land.

The only birds of significance moving offshore were a Shag, three Little Gulls and three Mediterranean Gulls while the Glaucous Gull was seen at the Patch again along with a couple of Common Terns.

Grounded migrants included a Snipe, eight Firecrests, four Goldcrests, 25 Chiffchaffs and the first Whitethroat of the year. Birds moving overhead included a Rock Pipit, 120 Chaffinches, a Brambling and 12 Siskins.

At least  28 Porpoises were seen feeding offshore this morning.

A Brimstone butterfly was seen in the trapping area. This is a surprisingly scarce butterfly at Dungeness. The first Comma of the year was also seen.

Of great interest from elsewhere in the local area was a Hoopoe found on the track to the west of the drying barns at Midley.

Hoopoe Upupa epops   Midley Cottage   5th April 2018

4th Apr

A similar day to yesterday with a steady stream of birds moving east offshore and a few migrants on the land.

Another nine hours coverage of the sea produced 625 Brent Geese, two Pintails, 16 Eiders (one flock of drakes), 2808 Common Scoters and eight Red-breasted Mergansers, 150 Red-throated and one Black-throated Diver, a Red-necked Grebe, 35 Little Gulls, 12 Mediterranean Gulls, 631 Sandwich Terns, 39 Common Terns, three Great Skuas and seven Arctic Skuas.

Chiffchaffs dominated in terms of numbers in the bushes with a total of 35 birds seen along with a Willow Warbler, a Blackcap and ten Firecrests. At least three Bramblings were visiting the feeders again. 

Bramblings Fringilla montifringilla   Dungeness   4th April 2018
Couldn't resist another go photographing these very smart birds.

It was also a good days for mammals with six Porpoises and a Grey Seal feeding offshore and two Bank Voles, a Brown Hare and a Stoat being seen on the land.

Bank Vole Clethrionomys glareolus   Dungeness   4th April 2018

3rd Apr

With the southerly breeze continuing to blow there was another excellent movement of birds offshore and a small arrival of migrants on the land.

The sea was watched for just under 12 hours with numbers totally dominated by 2483 Brent Geese and 2088 Common Scoters and with quality in the form of a Garganey, two Pintails, seven Eider, two Goldeneyes, the first three Black-throated Divers of the spring, a Shag, a Great Skua, an excellent 20 Arctic Skuas, 36 Mediterranean Gulls, 34 Little Gulls and 35 Common Terns.

Chiffchaffs were the main species involved on the land with 35 being seen along with three Willow Warblers, two Blackcaps, four Firecrests and a Bullfinch. Two Rock Pipits and a Siskin flew over while three Bramblings visited the feeders in the trapping area.

Brambling Fringilla montifringilla   Dungeness   3rd April 2018
top two images - female
bottom two images - male

At least four Porpoises were feeding offshore..

2nd Apr

A decent day with plenty of passage offshore and a small arrival of birds on the land. Over seven hours of seawatching produced 997 Brent Geese, 16 Shoveler, 12 Pintails, a party of three Garganey, 22 Pintail, 1815 Common Scoters and nine Red-breasted Mergansers, 208 Red-throated Divers, 315 Gannets, four Avocets, a Great Skua, four Arctic Skuas, three Mediterranean Gulls, 72 Little Gulls, 500 Sandwich Terns and 36 Common Terns. 

A small arrival of birds on the land included ten Firecrest, seven Goldcrests, 30 Chiffchaffs, the first two Willow Warblers of the spring and three Blackcaps. The feeding station was also entertaining with three Bramblings visiting.

At least four Porpoises were feeding offshore.

1st Apr

A handful of migrants on the land included four Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap, three Firecrests, three Wheatears, a Redwing, two Bramblings and two Siskins. Carrion Crows were much more in evidence with at least 90 birds moving west during the morning.

The sea was very quiet during the morning but a bit of movement from late morning produced 210 Brent Geese, three Red-breasted Mergansers, single Arctic and Great Skuas and 250 Sandwich Terns. A Merlin was also seen.

The juvenile Glaucous Gull and first-winter Caspian Gull were seen at the Patch again.

Six Porpoises were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was also seen.