Thirty Mediterranean Gulls and 20 Sandwich Terns were feeding offshore and 155 Sand Martins and a Yellow Wagtail passed overhead.
Five Porpoise and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
The moth traps remain productive with a Mottled Beauty (perhaps surprisingly only our fifth record), a Brussels Lace and our seventh record of a superb Dewick's Plusia of note.
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| Dewick's Plusia Macdunnoughia confusa Dungeness 10th July 2023 |
Fifteen Swift flew out to sea and 20 Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore.
Two Porpoises were seen.
The moth traps were very productive with at least 144 species recorded and including our second Bright Wave, a fourth record of Beautiful Hook-tip, our sixth record of Dark Umber and our tenth record of Obscure Wainscot.
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| Beautiful Hook-tip Laspeyria flexula Dungeness 9th July 2023 |
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| Bright Wave Idaea ochrata Dungeness 9th July 2023 |
The morning's seawatch produced 16 Shelducks passing east and 12 Mediterranean Gull passing west of note. There was very little to be seen on the land.
Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.
The moth traps were fairly quiet but did produce a nice pyralid in the form of a Moitrelia obductella and only the second Observatory record.
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| Moitrelia obductella Dungeness 8th July 2023 |
An hours seawatch this morning saw seven Mediterranean Gulls passing west but little else was seen during a very warm day.
Three Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.
A thorough search of the flower meadow in front of the Observatory produced two Ornate Shieldbugs, 20 Crucifer Bugs and at least 100 Firebugs.
Elsewhere, a Cattle Egret was seen on the RSPB Reserve.
The morning seawatch produced 44 Common Scoters east and a Manx Shearwater west while 30 Mediterranean Gulls and the juvenile Yellow-legged Gull were feeding at the Patch again. In the evening 100 Sand Martins flew south and out to sea.
Two Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
There was little doubt about the oddest sighting of the day when a large Smooth-hound Shark swam along the shoreline and eventually stranded itself on the beach this evening.
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| Smooth-hound Shark Mustelus mustelus Dungeness 6th July 2023 |
The moth traps were fairly quiet but notable insects during the day were two Small Red-eyed Damselflies at the southern end of the Long Pits and a Bee Wolf nest digging in a sandy mound at the front of the Observatory.
There were lots of gulls at the Patch this morning with 30 Mediterranean Gulls and three Yellow-legged Gulls with the latter including the first juvenile of the summer of note. A total of 24 Swifts and a lone Sand Martin flew over.
A Grey Seal was feeding offshore.
Very quiet with just eight Swifts and six Mediterranean Gulls offshore of interest.
A Grey Seal was feeding offshore.
Perhaps a bit surprisingly, Pied Shieldbug was finally added to the list of shieldbugs for the recording area. It is described as Widespread but I have been searching for this species for several years and have failed to find one until now. It was found in the Lilac bush in front of the Observatory. A Heath Shieldbug and c20 Crucifer Bugs were also noted. A bit of sweeping for insects at the south-east corner of the Trapping Area produced the first Tree Cricket and Sickle-bearing Bush-cricket nymphs.
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| Pied Shieldbug Tritomegas bicolor Dungeness 4th July 2023 |
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| Sickle-bearing Bush-cricket Phaneroptera falcata Dungeness 4th July 2023 |
Nine Mediterranean Gulls feeding offshore and 12 Swifts over the area were the only birds of note.
Two Porpoise and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.
An Ornate Shieldbug was found in front of the Observatory.
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| Ornate Shieldbug Eurydema ornatum Dungeness 3rd July 2023 |
Quiet again. The morning seawatch produced a Teal, eight Mediterranean Gulls and 14 Sandwich Terns of interest.
Three Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.
A Balearic Shearwater and a Whimbrel flew west this morning and 30 Mediterranean Gulls were feeding at the Patch.
Seven Porpoises were feeding offshore.