20th Apr

Very quiet as the northerly wind continues. Of note from the sea were just 167 Common Scoters, six Whimbrel, 111 Bar-tailed Godwits and 61 Common Terns. The best on the land was just four Blackcaps.

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.

19th Apr

The cold, brisk NW wind continues and with barely any migration on the land to be seen. Seawatching improved slightly on recent days with 76 Brent Geese, five Shelduck, three Shovelers, 171 Common Scoters, eight Whimbrel, 50 Bar-tailed Godwits and two Mediterranean Gulls of interest.

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore. 

18th Apr

There was a noticeable increase in Wheatear numbers with at least 56 birds across the Point along with eight Willow Warblers, nine Lesser Whitethroats and the Ring Ouzel still in the Desert. A Yellow Wagtail, a Redpoll and seven Siskins flew over.

Three Brown Hares were seen in the Desert.

The first dragonflies of the year were seen with an Azure Damselfly and three Hairy Hawkers at the Long Pits.

17th Apr

Another cold day but with a few migrants on the land including the first Cuckoo of the year, 19 Willow Warblers, 17 Lesser Whitethroats, a Ring Ouzel in the Desert and 24 Wheatears scattered across the Point and a Yellow Wagtail and two Siskins overhead. Seawatching continues to be slow going with just three Egyptian Geese, four Red-breasted Mergansers, eight Whimbrels, two Mediterranean Gulls and 26 Common Terns of note.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

16th Apr

With a cold, strong north-westerly wind blowing migration was at a virtual standstill. The only birds of any note were five Mediterranean Gulls west offshore and five Willow Warblers, ten Chiffchaffs, seven Lesser Whitethroats and two Siskins on the land.

Four Porpoises were feeding offshore and four Brown Hares were seen in the Desert.

Brown Hares Lepus europaeus   Dungeness   16th April 2024   (Tom Wright)

15th Apr

A difficult day for birding with a severe gale at times restricting most of the observations to the sea. Even here it was very poor with just 51 Oystercatchers, 30 Mediterranean Gulls, 89 Sandwich Terns, 15 Common Terns and two Manx Shearwaters of note. The first Swift of the year came in over the Point and a single Yellow Wagtail also flew over.

One Porpoise was seen offshore. Much more unusual was a Roe Deer reported from the Long Pits by fishermen.

14th Apr

What was presumably yesterdays Purple Heron was flushed from the Long Pits this morning and then made a couple of circuits of the Point before flying high and south-west and out to sea over the Power Station. A small arrival of migrants on the land included 13 Willow Warblers, the first Sedge Warbler of the spring, 13 Lesser Whitethroats, a Ring Ouzel at the north end of the Long Pits, three Yellow Wagtails and five Siskins. A Redshank, a Buzzard, seven Mediterranean Gulls and five Ravens also flew over the area.

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

13th Apr

Another very quiet day with just a Sand Martin, 13 Willow Warblers, a Yellow Wagtail and five Siskins of interest on the land and seven Garganey, three Mediterranean Gulls, 59 Sandwich Terns and seven Common Terns offshore.

A Porpoise was feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen in the Desert.

A Brimstone butterfly was seen on the beach in front of the power station.

Elsewhere, the Hoopoe was showing really well in the dunes at Greatstone again and a Purple Heron was reported from ARC.

Hoopoe Upopa epops   Greatstone   13th April 2024

12th Apr

A fairly quiet day. A handful of migrants on the land included three Redshanks, a Merlin, two Sand Martins, 11 Willow Warblers, our first Reed Warbler of the spring, five Blackcaps, five Lesser Whitethroats and a Redstart. Stonechats are breeding in good numbers with many of the males showing characteristics of the continental race rubicola as in this bird caught today.

Stonechat Saxicola rubicola ssp rubicola   Dungeness   12th April 2024 (Images by Tom Wright)

The sea was very slow with just 51 Sandwich Terns, four Common Terns and an Arctic Skua of interest.

A Porpoise was seen offshore and a Brown Hare was seen on the land.

The highlight of the day though was in the dunes at Greatstone where a Hoopoe showed really well.

Hoopoe Upupa epops   Greatstone Dunes   12th April 2024

11th Apr

Rain at first turning to fog from mid-morning resulted in a decent arrival of migrants with the highlight of five Redstarts along with a Snipe, two Sand Martins, 11 Swallows, 55 Willow Warblers, 21 Blackcaps, four Lesser Whitethroats, 16 Wheatears and 11 Siskins. The Ring Ouzel of recent days was still present at the northern end of the Desert.

Redstarts Phoenicurus phoenicurus   Dungeness   11th April 2024
Images of two birds trapped today.

A Brown Hare was seen.