28th May

A reasonably calm morning for a change but wind increasing rapidly to near-gale by the evening. Seawatching remains surprisingly productive with nearly five hours of coverage bringing 110 Common Scoters, ten Mediterranean Gulls, 406 Common/ic Terns, 17 Arctic Terns, an Arctic Skua and a Black-throated Diver of note. Two Buzzards flew over the Observatory.

Six Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

Insects also remain fairly sparse but two Grizzled Skippers and two Brown Argus were of note as was this Ornate Brigadier - a fairly scarce soldierfly.

Ornate Brigadier Odontomyia ornata   Dungeness   28th March 2023

27th May

The strong NE winds continue and limit most of the observations to the sea. Todays minor highlights were 13 Shovelers, eight Knot, nine Sanderling, 16 Mediterranean Gulls and 92 Common Terns.

Six Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

Butterflies remain in short supply but two Brown Argus were seen.

26th May

Another day of strong, cold NE winds. A seawatch this morning produced a Little Ringed Plover, 18 Mediterranean Gulls, eight Black Terns and an Arctic Skua of note. There was little sign of any movement on the land.

Six Porpoises and three Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

Butterflies were restricted to spots sheltered from the wind with a Grizzled Skipper and four Brown Argus of note. Five Variable Damselflies were also seen.

25th May

 Unbelievably quiet with just a Cuckoo at the Long Pits of note.

24th May

Very little to report except for a Black-tailed Godwit heading over the trapping area and towards the Point in the evening.

Three Grey Seals were seen offshore.

A Grizzled Skipper, three Brown Argus, a Denticulate Shieldbug and a Mottled Shieldbug were of note on the insect front.

Brown Argus Aricia agestis   Dungeness   24th May 2023

Mottled Shieldbug Rhaphigaster nebulosa   Dungeness   24th May 2023

23rd May

Two Red Kites flew down to the Point before heading inland again this morning and a Little Ringed Plover also flew over. Two Mediterranean Gulls and a Manx Shearwater were the best of some very quiet seawatching.

Five Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

A female Orange-tip in the Trapping Area was an uncommon sighting for the area along with a Grizzled Skipper and three Brown Argus. 

Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines   Dungeness   23rd May 2023
A very scarce species in the Observatory recording area.

22nd May

There was a surprising late movement of terns with the highlight of a White-winged Black Tern in the morning and 16 Little Terns and four Black Terns later in the day. A few waders were also on the move including four Greenshanks of note. It remains very slow on the land for common migrants but a Bee-eater made a brief appearance over the Point.

Eight Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

21st May

Still very quiet. A couple of Siskin flew over the Trapping Area.

A Grizzled Skipper was seen.

20th May

It remains very quiet with just 18 Swallows of note. 

A search for insects produced a Denticulate Leatherbug, five Brassica Bugs and two Brown Argus in front of the Observatory of interest.

Elsewhere, the Purple Heron was seen again on the RSPB reserve (but very elusive) and along with a Honey Buzzard in the afternoon.

19th May

Very little to be seen on the bird front.

Insects provided some interest with a Grizzled Skipper and a Holly Blue of note although butterfly numbers in general remain very low. A search of the ground in front of the Observatory produced two Ornate Shieldbugs.

Ornate Shieldbug Eurydema ornata   Dungeness   19th May 2023