A fine day but with with very little to report. The Black Redstart was seen around the Lifeboat Station again and five Stonechat and 12 Reed Buntings were found. Very little moving offshore with just two Greylag Geese, 13 Wigeon and four Mediterranean Gulls of interest.
A Brown Hare was seen in the Desert and a Porpoise was feeding offshore.
19th Feb
Very quiet. Still a few auks and Gannets feeding offshore but there was very little passage except for the first and early Sandwich Tern of the year.
A Kingfisher at the Long Pits was also our first of the year.
A Kingfisher at the Long Pits was also our first of the year.
18th Feb
Not a great deal to report today. An adult Mediterranean Gull was feeding at the Patch but passage was limited to 200 Brent Geese heading east. Good numbers of Red-throated Divers, Gannets and auks continue to feed offshore.
The male Black Redstart was seen around the Lifeboat Station again.
Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.
The male Black Redstart was seen around the Lifeboat Station again.
Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.
17th Feb
With the fine, spring-like weather there was a steady movement of birds offshore today with 750 Brent Geese, eight Wigeon, 17 Pintail, 324 Red-throated Divers, 870 Gannets, 294 Kittiwakes, three Great Skuas, 435 Razorbills and 2000 auk sp. A Glaucous Gull also flew east this morning and was presumably the same individual that was seen later in the morning at St.Margaret's.
One Porpoise was also seen.
One Porpoise was also seen.
16th Feb
Despite the lovely conditions with a light southerly breeze there was very little to report. A Great Skua flew west and there were good numbers of Gannets and auks but not much else offshore.
A Common Seal and two Porpoises were feeding offshore.
A Common Seal and two Porpoises were feeding offshore.
15th Feb
Bright and sunny conditions with a southerly breeze encouraged a bit more up channel movement today with 318 Brent Geese, 22 Wigeon, two Gadwall and 30 Pintail of note. At least 4000 Cormorants and two Mediterranean Gulls were also seen.
No sign of any movement on the land but a Firecrest was seen in the Trapping Area and a Black Redstart was seen near the Lifeboat Station.
One Porpoise was also seen.
The warm weather of the last few days has encouraged the first Gorse Shieldbugs of the spring to show themselves.
Elsewhere, four Cattle Egrets continue to be seen in the small paddocks around Cockles Bridge and two Whooper Swan can still be seen in the fields to the west of Cockles Bridge. A drake Smew remains on Burrowes Pit.
No sign of any movement on the land but a Firecrest was seen in the Trapping Area and a Black Redstart was seen near the Lifeboat Station.
One Porpoise was also seen.
The warm weather of the last few days has encouraged the first Gorse Shieldbugs of the spring to show themselves.
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| Gorse Shieldbug Piezodorus lituratus Dungeness 15th February 2019 |
14th Feb
A lovely morning allowed a good search of the area with a Jack Snipe, a Woodcock, five Firecrests, a Dartford Warbler, a Black Redstart and three Stonechats of note being found.
Little change offshore with lots of Great Crested Grebes and auks feeding but very little in the way of movement.
Little change offshore with lots of Great Crested Grebes and auks feeding but very little in the way of movement.
13th Feb
A few Brent Geese, five Shelducks and 360 Red-throated Divers flew east and two Mediterranean Gulls and a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull were seen at the Patch. In the afternoon, 28 Sanderlings (including a colour-ringed bird) and 34 Turnstones were roosting on the beach at the fishing boats.
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| Sanderlings Calidris alba Dungeness 13th February 2019 A flock of 28 birds was roosting on the beach and included this colour-ringed individual. Hopefully we will have the life-history details in due course. |
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| Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla first-winter and adult Dungeness 13th February 2019 |
12th Feb
Very little change. Quiet in the bushes other than one of the regular Firecrests and 40 Chaffinches.
There were at least 1500 Great Crested Grebes feeding off the fishing boats along with an Eider, 300 Red-throated Divers and several thousand Guillemots.
One each of both Common and Grey Seal and three Porpoises were also feeding offshore.
There were at least 1500 Great Crested Grebes feeding off the fishing boats along with an Eider, 300 Red-throated Divers and several thousand Guillemots.
One each of both Common and Grey Seal and three Porpoises were also feeding offshore.
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| Gulls Dungeness 12th February 2019 Huge numbers of gulls were feeding on the tideline at Dungeness |
11th Feb
The first nice day in ages produced a handful of birds on the land and more of the same offshore. The best on the land were a Water Rail, a Woodcock, two Firecrests, five Song Thrushes, the first Mistle Thrush of the year and a Brambling.
An adult Mediterranean Gull was feeding at the Patch.
Four Porpoises and Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
An adult Mediterranean Gull was feeding at the Patch.
Four Porpoises and Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
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