A fairly quiet day on both land and sea. Razorbills continue to pass west in good numbers while other bits and pieces included five Teal, two Pintails and four Mediterranean Gulls. The best of a very small passage overhead included a Rock Pipit and 19 Siskins.
Three Porpoises and two Grey Seals were seen offshore.
A Vestal was the best from the moth traps.
Two Great White Egrets and a flock of six Wood Larks flew over the Long Pits and were the highlights of the visible migration along with 115 Skylarks, 430 Swallows, 16 Tree Sparrows, 55 'alba' Wagtails, two Rock Pipits, three Bramblings, 23 Redpolls, 700 Goldfinches, 160 Siskins and 55 Reed Buntings. Grounded migrants included 65 Chiffchaffs, a Firecrest and 12 Goldcrests and two Dartford Warblers were seen again.
Seawatching produced 1047 Gannets, 42 Kittiwakes, five Mediterranean Gulls, 19 Sandwich Terns, a Great Skua and 401 Razorbills.
Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
Shieldbugs continue to provide interest with three Ornate Shieldbugs and lots of Brassica Bugs at the front of the Observatory and a Mottled Shieldbug on the wall of the Railway Cafe.
A quiet day on both land and sea. A trickle of birds passed overhead including 36 Skylarks, three Grey Wagtails, four Rock Pipits and 300 Goldfinches. The first (very late) Ring Ouzel of the autumn made a brief appearance. Three Egyptian Geese flew over the north end of the recording area. Several looks at the sea produced 370 Gannets, a Grey Plover, 13 Bar-tailed Godwits and a Mediterranean Gull.
Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen.
The moth traps were productive with three Vestals, a Gem and a Delicate of note.
Another search for shieldbugs produced four Ornate Shieldbugs and a Forest Bug at the front of the Observatory.
With a fine and clear morning most of the interest involved birds passing overhead including a Wood Lark, 124 Skylarks, 115 Swallows, 343 House Martins, 31 Tree Sparrows, six Grey Wagtails, two Rock Pipits, 214 Chaffinches, 12 Bramblings, 570 Goldfinches, 170 Siskins and 73 Reed Buntings. Grounded migrants were much scarcer but with five Great Spotted Woodpecker, 45 Chiffchaffs, two Dartford Warblers, a Firecrest and 15 Song Thrushes. The sea remains quiet but six Mediterranean Gulls and 209 Razorbills flew west.
Three Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore and a Badger came into the Observatory Garden this evening.
Another Palpita vitrealis and a Red-green Carpet were the best from the moth traps. Six Ornate Shieldbugs were found in front of the observatory.
A miserable day of cloud and rain which produced very little. Three Dartford Warblers were the highlight on the land and 223 Swallows and five Rock Pipits also passed through. The sea was very quiet but three Caspian Gulls made brief appearances at the fishing boats and eight Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore in the evening.
Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
The moth traps were surprisingly productive with a Palpita vitrealis, a Clancy's Rustic and a Scarce Bordered Straw of note and a Mediterranean Stick-insect was in the bramble bush next to the trap.
A surprisingly quiet morning with very few grounded migrants, a trickle of birds overhead and virtually nothing of note offshore. Migrants passing overhead included 23 Skylarks, 28 Swallows, 37 "alba" Wagtails, three Rock Pipits, four Bramblings, 750 Goldfinches, eight Siskins and 12 Reed Buntings. while the best of the grounded migrants were just 25 Chiffchaffs, four Blackcaps, a Firecrest and seven Redwings.
Four Porpoises were feeding offshore.
Very quiet in the bushes but a bit passing overhead with 45 Skylarks, 40 Chiffchaffs, four Dartford Warblers, five Firecrests, nine Song Thrushes, nine Bramblings, 30 Siskins, two Corn Buntings and 40 Reed Buntings. A seawatch in the afternoon produced a Scaup, five Velvet Scoters and nine Mediterranean Gulls of note.
Five Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen on the land.
Four Clouded Yellows, ten Ornate Shieldbugs and two Mottled Shieldbugs were also of note.
There was a small arrival of migrants before a short spell of heavy rain curtailed activities followed by a brief relocation to Sandwich where a Yellow-browed Bunting had been caught. Of note on the land here were two Yellow-browed Warblers and a Dartford Warbler along with 65 Chiffchaffs, two Firecrests and 13 Song Thrushes while two Rock Pipits, 427 Chaffinches 300 Goldfinches, 90 Siskins and 19 Reed Buntings flew over. Birds moving offshore included 280 Brent Geese, six Eider and a Shag.
A small catch of moths included a Scarce Bordered Straw.
A day of quality rather than quantity with a Yellow-browed Warbler seen briefly the Moat and two Dartford Warblers in the area followed by a superb juvenile Sabine's Gull and a first-winter Caspian Gull offshore at the fishing boats and two Sooty Shearwaters moving west. Goldfinches dominated overhead passage with 1420 seen along with 59 Skylarks, two Sand Martins, 250 Swallows, 410 Starlings and 15 Siskins.
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| Sabine's Gull Xema sabini juvenile Dungeness 9th October 2022 |
Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
The highlight from the moth traps were two Chestnuts and a Scarce Bordered Straw.
A fairly quiet day but with the highlight of four Dartford Warblers in the area along with 90 Chiffchaffs, 12 Blackcaps and three Redwings. In addition, nine Stock and four Collared Doves, four Great Spotted Woodpeckers. five Grey Wagtails, 50 Chaffinches, two Bramblings, 200 Goldfinches, 23 Siskins and 40 Reed Buntings flew overhead.
Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore and a Badger came into the garden this evening.
Fire Bugs and Ornate Shieldbugs continue to be seen around the Observatory in good numbers.