28th Sep

The strong NW wind finally dropped today and resulted in a decent number of migrants in the bushes and overhead. Of note among the ground migrants were 120 Chiffchaffs, 25 Blackcaps, a Grasshopper Warbler, three Ring Ouzels, nine Redwings, 15 Song Thrushes and a Redstart while overhead, 450 Swallows, three Grey Wagtails, 300 Meadow Pipits, a Tree Pipit, 28 Redpolls, six Crossbills, 450 Siskin and a Lapland Bunting passed through. Two Merlins were also seen and there seemed to be one or two new Kestrels in the area including this individual. 

Kestrel Falco tinnunculus   Dungeness  28th September 2020

The sea was very quiet with just 23 Teal, two Eider, a Mediterranean Gull and five Arctic Skuas of note.

Insects have been hard to come by in the last few days but this afternoon's sun brought a few out and included at least 22 (four nymphs) Mottled Shieldbugs. This species was only added to the area list this spring but the presence of nymphs shows that they must now be a breeding species in the area.

Mottled Shieldbug Rhaphigaster nebulosa   Dungeness   28th September 2020

Three Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore and three Brown Hare were seen on the land. A Harvest Mouse nest was also found.

27th Sep

Yet another day of strong, cold NW winds which produced very little. Nearly nine hours of seawatching resulted in 667 Brent Geese, nine Wigeon, five Pintail, 12 Great Skuas and 24 Arctic Skuas. Grounded migrants were very scarce with just three Snipe and four Wheatears of note.

Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus   first-winter   Dungeness   27th September 2020
This very small, long winged first-winter bird made a brief stop on the beach this morning. It was a pity it was
 unringed as it would have been interesting to know where it had hatched.

Three Porpoise and a Brown Hare were seen offshore.

26th Sep

Still tough going in the very cold and strong NW winds. Two Snipe coming in off the sea and ten Arctic Skuas were the best of a meagre offering from offshore while visible migration included just 100 Meadow Pipits, six Redpolls, 30 Siskins and four Reed Buntings. A Merlin was also hunting in the area.

Four Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

25th Sep

The strong NW winds with frequent heavy rain continue and are making it hard to find any birds of interest in the difficult conditions. The best the sea could offer was eight Wigeon and six Arctic Skuas offshore and a Yellow-legged Gull on the beach. It was extremely quiet in the bushes and visible migration was reduced with just three Grey Wagtails, 120 Meadow Pipits, three Redpolls and 120 Siskins of note. Two Merlins were hunting in the Desert.

Singles of Porpoise, Grey Seal and Common Seal were feeding offshore.

24th Sep

A wet and windy day which produced very little. The only things on the move offshore in any numbers were Gannets and Sandwich Terns. A couple of Arctic Skuas were also loitering offshore.

Three Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was also seen.

23rd Sep

A quiet day with a trickle of birds passing overhead during the morning and a handful of birds in the bushes. Five Gadwall and two Shovelers on the Long Pits were unusual records.

Still quiet offshore except for 1200 Sandwich Terns moving west in 4.5hrs of watching and three lingering Arctic Skuas.

Five Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

22nd Sep

Plenty of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps in the bushes along with seven Willow Warblers, a Garden Warbler and a Spotted Flycatcher and a Kingfisher was seen  at the Long Pits. Good numbers of Swallows, House Martins and Meadow Pipits passed through along with six Grey Wagtails, a Tree Pipit, 12 Crossbills and 150 Siskins. 

The sea was very quiet yet again with just a trickle of Sandwich Terns heading west and three Arctic Skuas lingering offshore.

In the flat calm conditions a small group of unidentified dolphins moved west and a few Porpoises were seen offshore .

The moth traps held singles of the the pyrale Palpita vitrealis, Vestal, Golden Twinspot, Delicate and Scarce Bordered Straw.

The evening visit to the trapping area for the rarer orthoptera produced five Large Coneheads, a female Sickle-bearing Bush-cricket and a good chorus from the Tree Crickets.

21st Sep

A calm but very foggy start to the day resulted in a small arrival of migrants in the bushes and some overhead passage. Of note in the bushes were 90 Chiffchaffs, 30 Blackcaps, 30 Stonechats and eight Wheatears while ten Skylarks, two Tree Sparrows, eight Yellow Wagtails, three Grey Wagtails, three Crossbills and 11 Reed Buntings flew over. Siskins were probably the most abundant migrant with birds calling throughout the morning but most proving impossible to see against the bright blue sky.

The sea was very quiet with just 98 Brent Geese, 15 Wigeon, a Red-throated Diver and an Arctic Skua of note.

Two Clouded Yellows were seen but the moths traps were very quiet.

20th Sep

The wind had dropped this morning resulting in a small arrival of migrants in the bushes and an increase in visible migration. Numbers were provided by 35 Chiffchaffs, 13 Blackcaps and 15 Wheatears while a Kingfisher was seen at the Long Pits and a Merlin was hunting in the Desert. Overhead, 210 Swallows, five Grey Wagtails, a Tree Pipit, a Rock Pipit, six Redpolls, 525 Siskins and 24 Reed Buntings passed through.

It was quiet morning for the seawatchers with just 39 Brent Geese, four Teal, four Grey Plovers, five Mediterranean Gulls and two Great Skuas of interest.

Three Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen in the Desert. A small, Pipstrelle-type bat flew around the moat in the morning.

Two Large Coneheads were singing this evening. 

19th Sep

More strong north-easterly winds with the sea providing most of the interest  Over five hours of watching produced five Teal, two Pintails, a Shoveler, a Sooty Shearwater, two Golden Plover, seven Knot, ten Mediterranean Gulls, 1015 Sandwich Terns, two Great Skuas and ten Arctic Skuas.

A new colour-ringed first-winter Caspian Gull was at the fishing boats for a short time around mid-day as was a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull.

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans   first-winter   colour-ringed   Dungeness   19th September 2020

A Great White Egret at the Long Pits was an unusual record for the Observatory recording area and 155 Swallows, two Grey Wagtails, a Rock Pipit and 15 Siskin also flew over.

A Porpoise and a Grey Seal were feeding ofshore and a Brown Hare was seen in the Desert.

Five male Large Coneheads were seen this evening.