Very quiet yet again. Two drake Eiders were the best from the sea but barely a hint of a migrant on the land.
Six Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
A Holly Blue, a Brown Argus and two Grizzled Skippers were of note among the very few butterflies to be seen.
Elsewhere, a Purple Heron was seen at Dengemarsh but was generally elusive.
It remains very quiet on both land and sea. A Corn Bunting was probably the "highlight".
Eight Porpoise and two Grey Seals were seen.
Elsewhere, a party of four Black-winged Stilts on the RSPB Reserve were a superb sight.
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| Black-winged Stilts Himantopus himantopus Dungeness RSPB 17th May 2023 |
Another quiet day. An Arctic Skua passed through during the morning and two Egyptian Geese flew around the Point in the evening. A Budgerigar was also seen and continuing the recent run of parrots in the area.
Eleven Porpoise and three Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
A Cuckoo, two Yellow Wagtails and the first Spotted Flycatcher of the spring were the only birds of note.
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| Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata Dungeness 15th May 2023 |
Three Porpoise were feeding offshore.
Still disappointing with the continuing cool NW wind. A Little Ringed Plover flew over the area and a Common Sandpiper was seen at the Long Pits. At sea, five Sanderlings, 12 Whimbrel and two Mediterranean Gulls flew through.
Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
A Grizzled Skipper and the first Common Blue butterfly of the year were seen.
At least 20 Variable Damselflies were found at the Long Pits.
Still quiet in fresh NW winds. The best of the seawatching were just a Red-breasted Merganser and three Arctic Skuas and 30 Sandwich Terns also feeding offshore. The only migrants of note on the land were three House Martins.
Six Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
Highlights among the insects included a male Red-veined Darter and a Green Tiger Beetle in front of the power station and two of the very rare shieldbug Geotomus petiti were found in the Moat
Coverage was limited to some extent by poor weather but there appeared to be very little around. A breeding bird survey in the restricted power station area produced a minor surprise in the form of a Turtle Dove but the overall impression was of much reduced breeding numbers. A brief check of the sea in the afternoon revealed a feeding flock of 80 Common Terns and three Arctic Terns.
One Porpoise was feeding offshore.
Another day which was virtually devoid of migrants. The only birds of note were two Buzzards, a Ring-necked Parakeet and a few Swallows passing through.
Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
In the fine conditions the insects on view improved with three Downy Emerald dragonflies of particular note. Two were freshly emerged from the Long Pits and thus breeding was confirmed. Other dragonflies seen today included Four-spotted Chasers, several Hairy Hawkers and a few Variable Damselflies. Singles of Grizzled Skipper and Brown Argus were also seen.
There was a bit of movement offshore and overhead but grounded migrants remain in incredibly short supply. Over five hours of seawatching produced 118 Common Scoters, a Red-breasted Merganser, two Mediterranean Gulls, 19 Manx Shearwaters and a Hobby of note. Two Egyptian Geese flew around the Long Pits, a Honey Buzzard flew north over the area at 1040hrs and 110 Swallows moved through during the day. A Whinchat in the Moat this morning was also of note.
Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.
The most exciting find of the day though was a group of four Green-winged Orchids flowering in the restricted area inside the Power Station perimeter fences. As far as I can tell the only previous record of this species in the area was in 1961.
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| Green-winged Orchids Anacamptis morio Dungeness 10th May 2023 |
Very quiet. A Garden Warbler was caught in the Moat and two Arctic Skuas offshore were the only birds of note.
One Porpoise was feeding offshore.