4th Nov

A day of quality rather than quantity with highlights including a Barnacle Goose over the area, a Dartford Warbler near the Lifeboat Station, seven Black Redstarts scattered across the Point, a Serin flying over this afternoon, a Snow Bunting at the Fishing Boats and a Yellowhammer over the Observatory this morning. Other bits and pieces of interest included  two Marsh Harriers, two Snipe, a Merlin, 16 Skylarks, two Swallows, a late Ring Ouzel, a Firecrest, five Tree Sparrows, 19 Bramblings, two Common Redpolls trapped and 19 Siskins.

A few butterflies were on the wing and included a Clouded Yellow on the beach and ten Mottled Shieldbugs in a private garden.

3rd Nov

A bright and clear morning but still very windy. Seawatching was productive for oddities although overall numbers were generally low with the highlights of a Sooty Shearwater, three Purple Sandpipers, a Grey Phalarope, eight Mediterranean Gulls, 21 Sandwich Terns and a Pomarine Skua. Visible migration was also heavy during the morning with 24 Stock Doves, a Rock Pipit, 41 Chaffinches, 19 Redpolls and 28 Siskins and massive totals of 2155 Linnets and 6800 Goldfinches.

A Jack Snipe was found in the now flooded pools just to the north of the Trapping Area and possibly as many as five Merlins were hunting over the area and also offshore.

Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima    Dungeness   3rd November 2020

A Porpoise was feeding offshore.

Elsewhere in the general area, a party of four Glossy Ibis were found around the Chicken Barns at Dengemarsh which appeared to be in addition to the two regular birds in the Cook's Pool?Boulderwall area.

Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus    Dengemarsh   3rd November 2020

2nd Nov

Still more of the same with a bit of movement offshore and a large movement of finches when the weather cleared. The best of the seawatching were 334 Gannets, a Great Northern Diver, 16 Sandwich Terns and two Arctic Skuas. The main overhead comprised of 4200 Goldfinches along with eight Swallows, a Brambling, 21 Siskins and 300 Linnets. Four Merlins and two Peregrine Falcons were hunting around the Point and a late Wheatear was also seen.

Goldfinches Carduelis carduelis   Dungeness   2nd November 2020
Some images of the flocks of migrating Goldfinches.

One Porpoise was seen feeding offshore.

1st Nov

Not a great deal of change in the weather today but it was much quieter for birds than yesterday. The highlights of the seawatch were a Manx Shearwater, 1261 Gannets, two Purple Sandpipers, 27 Sandwich Terns, two Great Skuas and an Arctic Skua. A first winter Caspian Gull and an adult Yellow-legged Gull were also seen on the beach. It was very quiet on the land.

30th Oct

Yet another wet and breezy day and pretty quiet other than a steady movement of finches overhead which included 11 Redpolls, 1170 Goldfinches and 15 Siskins. Seawatching produced just 560 Gannets, a Mediterranean Gulls and 21 Sandwich Terns. Four Merlins were also seen.

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore. 

31st Oct

Yet another thoroughly miserable day of strong winds and lots of rain. However, it did produce some of the best seawatching for some time with a Leach's Petrel, two Sooty Shearwaters, two Manx Shearwaters, 5328 Gannets, a Purple Sandpiper, 498 Kittiwakes, five Mediterranean Gulls, 43 Sandwich Terns, 26 Great Skuas, two Pomarine Skuas, seven Arctic Skuas and a Puffin. A ringtail Hen Harrier, three Swallows passed through and a movement of finches included an excellent total of 4000 Goldfinches, 175 Linnets and 100 Siskins.

Three Porpoises and a Grey Seal were also seen

29th Oct

Another wet and breezy day. Still very little on the land but some visible migration with three Fieldfares, two Grey Wagtails, two Rock Pipits, a Brambling, 70 Redpolls, a Crossbill, 400 Goldfinches and 124 Siskins of note. Fairly quiet offshore with just a Black-throated Diver, 771 Gannets, seven Mediterranean Gulls, 43 Sandwich Terns and three Arctic Skuas of note.

Three Porpoises and two Grey Seals were seen offshore. 

28th Oct

Another day of strong winds and very frequent, often heavy showers with hail. A tough day for birding with an almost birdless trapping area and just finches, notably 11 Redpolls and  600 Goldfinches, passing overhead.  The sea was a bit better with 4.5 hours of watching eventually producing 797 Gannets, 162 Sandwich Terns and 22 Arctic Skuas. A first-winter Caspian Gull lingered briefly on the beach at the fishing boats and three Merlins were also hunting offshore and around the Point.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore. 

27th Oct

A miserable day of increasing wind and rain made observations around the recording area difficult. Grounded migrants remain scarce and overhead passage was limited to 31 Swallows, two Grey Wagtails, a Rock Pipit, 13 Bramblings, 110 Redpolls, 660 Goldfinches and 127 Siskins. Seawatching produced a Velvet Scoter, a Black-throated Diver,  40 Mediterranean Gulls, 152 Sandwich Terns and eight Arctic Skuas of note. 

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.

The moth trap produced a handful of moths overnight including a Pearly Underwing.

26th Oct

A damp, dreary day which produced a bit of visible migration and some seabirds but very little in the way of grounded migrants. The highlights from the sea were 1062 Gannets, seven Mediterranean Gulls, a first-winter Caspian Gull and a juvenile Pomarine Skua. Birds passing overhead included 24 Skylarks, 15 Swallows, 90 Meadow Pipits, three Rock Pipits, 27 Chaffinches, 12 Bramblings, 58 Redpolls, six Crossbills, 1512 Goldfinches and 30 Siskins. A Firecrest, a Wheatear and two Grey Wagtails were about the best on offer on the land. 

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore but of much more significance was the sighting  of a breaching Blue-fin Tuna.

Elsewhere, an interesting looking "Yellow Wagtail" was seen feeding among the cattle at Dengemarsh on the RSPB Reserve in the late afternoon.