Dungeness Bird Observatory

18th May

Very little to report on the bird front. The Turtle Dove was seen in the trapping area again and five Mediterranean Gulls were feeding at the Patch.

A Common Seal was seen on the beach and there was a report of at least six White-beaked Dolphins following a fishing boat about 4.5miles offshore this morning.

A check of the Geotomus petiti site produced a single individual.

A check of a few flower locations produced a few niceties including Thrift, Rock Soapwort and Hairy Garlic.

Hairy Garlic Allium subhirsutum Dungeness 18th May 2020
These plants were first found in 2014 but i havent seen them in flower again until today..

Rock Soapwort Saponaris ocymoides Dungeness 18th May 2020

Thrift Armeria maritima Dungeness 18th May 2020

17th May

Very little moving now. Three Buzzards and a Yellow Wagtail passed overhead and a Mediterranean Gull and two Yellow-legged Gulls were seen at the Patch. A Little Ringed Plover flew over just after dark.

Twenty Porpoises were feeding offshore.

One Grizzled Skipper and two Brown Argus were seen. A Rhombic Shieldbug and a Green Tiger Beetle were also seen.

The first flowering Yellow Vetch was seen in the Moat.

Yellow Vetch vicea lutea Dungeness 17th May 2020

16th May

A handful of migrants on the land included singles of Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Sedge Warbler and a Yellow Wagtail. There was very little movement offshore but a Black-throated Diver, 20 Whimbrel, seven Sanderling and four Mediterranean Gulls passed through and two Yellow-legged Gulls were seen at the Patch.

Ten Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

Three Tree Bumblebees were seen.

And some good news concerning the Geotomus shieldbugs which have now been confirmed (as expected) as petiti.

15th May

The dearth of migrants continues on the land but there was another Turtle Dove of note along with a Lapwing, 25 Swallows and singles of House and Sand Martin. The sea was a bit more productive than of late with a Black-throated Diver, a handful of waders, three Arctic Skuas and a trickle of terns with the latter including a single flock of 52 Black Terns.

Three Porpoises were feeding offshore.

Three Variable Damselflies were seen at the north end of the Long Pits.

The sunnier conditions brought out a few bees with several Tree Bumblebees in the trapping area and at the Observatory. A mining-bee trapped yesterday was confirmed as Andrena labialis and was released today. The patch of new vegetation in front of the Observatory is also proving to be a good source of bees with what I think must be Nomada lathburiana caught there this morning. One Geotomus shieldbug was also seen in the usual spot in the moat.
A bit of late news from yesterday involves the finding of a early stage nymph Great Green Bush-cricket. This species is surprisingly rare in the Observatory area given how common they are just a bit inland and this may well be the first record of a nymph.

Andrena labialis Dungeness 15th May 2020

Nomada lathburiana Dungeness 15th May 2020
Neither the NBN Atlas or the Kent Atlas show any records for Dungeness.

Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum Dungeness 15th May 2020

Great Green Bush-cricket Tettigonia viridissima early-stage nymph Dungeness 14th May 2020

14th May

A Turtle Dove in the trapping area was about the only obvious migrant on the land. An evening seawatch produced a Sanderling, 435 Common and "commic" Terns and four Little Terns and also the most unlikely record of the day when a flock of three Black Swans flew out to the south.

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.

Three Grizzled Skippers and a Holly Blue were seen in the trapping area and another Box Bug was also found. Three Tree Bumblebees were visiting a flowering Hawthorn.

13th May

Strong and cold north-east winds again and not many birds. Two Egyptian Geese flew over the area as did a Buzzard, 24 Swallows, a Yellow Wagtail and a Tree Pipit. The sea was very quiet until a small evening movement of Common Terns developed.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

Moth trapping produced a Maiden's Blush and a Spruce Carpet of interest.

12th May

The wind had dropped and it was actually a nice day but not a great deal of change in the birds. Eight Buzzards, three Hobbies and a Yellow Wagtail flew over and two Corn Buntings were seen near the Britannia Inn. A Mediterranean Gull and a Yellow-legged Gull were seen at the Patch.

Meadow Pipits are busy feeding young in the nest and a few juvenile Stonechats are starting to appear.

Meadow Pipt Anthis pratensis Dungeness 12th May 2020

Four Porpoises and singles of Grey and Common Seal were feeding offshore and two Brown Hares were seen on the land.

With the calm and sunny conditions there was plenty of insects to look at. A Box Bug was an unusual find in the Trapping Area and a Rhombic Leatherbug was found in the Observatory garden. A Wasp Beetle was a smart looking beetle found on Hawthorn blossom in the Trapping Area and a Celery Fly was also of note. Three Grizzled Skippers were also seen.

Box Bug Gonocerus acuteangulatus 12th May 2020
I think this is only the second record for the Observatory area.

Rhombic Leatherbug Syromastes rhombeus Dungeness 12th May 2020

Wasp Beetle Clytus arietis Dungeness 12th May 2020

Celery Fly Euleia heraclei Dungeness 12th May 2020
This may well be a new species for the area.

A colony of Common Twayblades discovered last year appears to be doing well with at least 43 plants although many of these are just leaves.

Common Twayblade Lestera ovata Dungeness 12th May 2020

The views across the Channel this evening were superb with France so near but so seemingly so far away.

Elsewhere, the fourth Black Kite of the spring was seen on the RSPB Reserve but was not seen from the Observatory and a Glossy Ibis also appeared.

11th May

A tough day with a gale force, very cold NE blowing throughout and very little to be seen.

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.

There has been a bit of interest recently in a new species of moth to Britain which appears to have been hiding in plain sight for a number of years. What was thought to be just one species, The Fern Horisme tersata, has now been discovered to be two species with the second been given the English name Cryptic Fern Horisme radicaria, alluding to its hidden status. Today I thought I would search my archive of moth images for Ferns and the first one I found appears to show the correct features for Cryptic Fern although the identification features are clouded in uncertainty so whether any will be accepted without genital determination remains to be seen.

Possible Cryptic Fern Horisme radicaria Dungeness 17th August 2015

10th May

Heavy, damp cloud this morning produced a male Blue-headed Wagtail. four Yellow Wagtails, a Tree Pipit and a Crossbill. Very quiet offshore with just a 3cy Yellow-legged Gull at the Patch of interest and a Manx Shearwater and three Mediterranean Gulls passed through.

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen in the Desert.

A Clay Triple-lines was trapped overnight.

Clay Triple-lines Cyclophora linearia Dungeness 10th May 2020

The third Black Kite of the spring for the area was seen on the RSPB Reserve and was just about visible from the Observatory.

9th May

The lack of grounded common migrants continues but overhead movement was superb with a Black Kite and eight Red Kites during the morning and also a Serin.
The best of a very quiet sea was a Pomarine Skua whilst two Caspian Gulls and three Yellow-legged Gulls were feeding at the Patch. A Common Sandpiper was also seen on the beach at the Patch.