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Local weather

Update

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12th Sep

A very cold morning followed by thunderstorms in the evening. The highlight of the day was a superb juvenile Honey Buzzard which spent an hour or so in the area. The Wryneck was present but was still elusive. Three Buzzards flew over and the impressive movement of Kestrels continues with at least 25 in the area. Migrants continue to arrive in small numbers with 50 Chiffchaffs, a Sedge Warbler, 12 Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler, 10 Whitethroats, a Redstart, three Whinchats and five Wheatears while birds passing overhead included 160 Swallows, 600 House Martins, 11 Tree Sparrows, nine Grey Wagtails and eight Tree Pipits. There has been virtually nothing passing offshore but four Mediterranean Gulls, 300 Sandwich Terns, six Little Terns, a first-year Arctic Tern and four Arctic Skuas were feeding off the Point in the evening.


Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus   Dungeness   12th September 2024

The mammal highlight was a Grey Squirrel while three Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

The White-winged Black Tern was still on Burrowes and the Pectoral Sandpiper was still at ARC. 

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11th Sep

The Wryneck was still present. Fresh migrants included 50 Chiffchaffs, a Garden Warbler, a Firecrest in the Observatory garden, a Pied Flycatcher, two Whinchats and seven Wheatears and 12 Grey Wagtails and 13 Tree Pipits overhead. Kestrels increased to at least 16.

A Convolvulus Hawk-moth and a Palpita vitrealis were trapped overnight.

The White-winged Black Tern was still showing well on Burrowes and the Pectoral Sandpiper was still on the ARC Pit. Two juvenile Spoonbills also flew over.



White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus   first-winter   Burrowes, RSPB   
11th September 2024


Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia   Burrowes, RSPB   11th September 2024



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10th Sep

Two Mediterranean Gulls and nine Arctic Skuas were seen offshore. The Wryneck was still present but proved elusive. An Osprey flew over and Kestrel numbers are increasing with 12 birds present. Five Grey Wagtails and five Tree Pipits also flew over. Very quiet in the bushes.

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.

Three Scarce Bordered Straws were of note in the moth traps. A nymph Mediterranean Stick-insect was found.

Elsewhere, the White-winged Black Tern remained on Burrowes and the Pectoral Sandpiper was seen at ARC again. 



White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus   first-winter   Burrowes, RSPB   
10th September 2024


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9th Sep

Seawatching produced an unexpected movement of Balearic Shearwaters with at least 100 passing through along with the first three Brent Geese of the autumn, three Mediterranean Gulls, 200 Sandwich Terns, an Arctic Tern, a Black Tern and three Arctic Skuas.

On the land an Osprey, two Hobbies, 300 House Martins, four Grey Wagtails and nine Tree Pipits flew over. The bushes were generally quiet but a Firecrest, two each of Spotted and Pied Flycatchers and five Whinchats were of note.

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

The moth traps were quiet with just two Palpita vitrealis of note.

On the RSPB Reserve there was a juvenile White-winged Black Tern on Burrowes Pit along with 12 Black Terns. A Pectoral Sandpiper was seen at ARC Pit.



White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus   first-winter   Burrowes, RSPB   
9th September 2024



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8th Sep

A 3.5hr seawatch in the morning produced a Mediterranean Gull, a Yellow-legged Gull, 11 Arctic Skuas, a Manx Shearwater and 11 Arctic Skuas.

A Honey Buzzard flew over and Wrynecks increased to two. Visible migration also included 500 Sand Martins, 600 Swallows, six Yellow Wagtails, six Grey Wagtails and 11 Tree Pipits.  Grounded migrants were limited to 14 Willow Warblers, ten Whitethroats, two Redstarts, eight Whinchats and five Wheatears.

Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus   Dungeness   8th September 2024 (Tom Wright)

Three Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

Notable moths included four Palpita vitrealis, a Convolvulus Hawk-moth and another Beautiful Marbled.

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7th Sep

There was a decent arrival of migrants on the land with 15 Willow Warblers, 14 Chiffchaffs, four Sedge Warblers, two Grasshopper Warblers, 12 Blackcaps, 15 Whitethroats, a Firecrest, singles of Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, ten Whinchats and 14 Wheatears and an Osprey, 14 Yellow Wagtails, ten Grey Wagtails and a huge total of 43 Tree Pipits. The Wryneck continued to show well at times.

Four Mediterranean Gulls, 100 Sandwich Terns, two Little Terns, six Arctic Skuas and a Red-throated Diver were seen offshore.


Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia   Dungeness   7th September 2024


Wryneck Jynx torquilla   Dungeness   7th September 2024


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6th Sep

The Wryneck was still present and there was also a decent arrival of migrants with 60 Willow Warblers, 14 Blackcaps, two Garden Warblers, 12 Lesser Whitethroats, 25 Whitethroats, three Spotted and two Pied Flycatchers, two Redstarts, an excellent total of  22 Whinchats, 12 Wheatears, 12 Yellow Wagtails, four Grey Wagtails and three Tree Pipits.

Three hours of seawatching during the day produced just 24 Teal, a Shoveler, 16 Wigeon, 150 Sandwich Terns, 14 Little Terns, an Arctic Tern and three Arctic Skuas.

Six Porpoises, two Grey Seals and two Common Seals offshore..

The moth traps produced a Dusky Thorn, another three Beautiful Marbleds and two Scarce Bordered Straws of note. A female Southern Oak Bush-cricket was seen in the Observatory Garden.

A first-winter Red-necked Phalarope was showing very well at the southern end of Lade Pit.


Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus   first-winter   Lade Pit   6th September 2024



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5th Sep

A dismal day with torrential rain (over 32mm mostly in a 90 minute spell), lightning and thunder and strong winds during the morning. There was barely a sign of a migrant in the bushes with just a Pied Flycatcher of note and the very elusive Wryneck made a brief appearance. Despite the awful conditions the sea remained quiet with just a flock of 12 Greenshanks, a Mediterranean Gull, an Arctic Skua and two Balearic Shearwaters of note.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

Another Beautiful Marbled was caught overnight along with our first Red Underwing moth of the year.

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4th Sep

In calm, cloudy conditions there was a good arrival of migrants in the bushes and a very decent passage overhead. Of note in the bushes were 40 Willow Warblers, two Grasshopper Warblers, 50 Blackcaps, three Garden Warblers, the first Firecrest of the autumn, a Pied Flycatcher, a Redstart and nine Whinchats. An Osprey and a Buzzard flew over while numbers were provided by 200 Sand Martins, 3000 Swallows, nine Tree Sparrows, 54 Yellow Wagtails, ten Grey Wagtails and seven Tree Pipits. Very quiet offshore although a juvenile Caspian Gull was seen briefly at the fishing boats and a couple each of Mediterranean Gull, Arctic Tern and Black Tern passed through. 

Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca   Dungeness   4th September 2024

Whinchat Saxicola rubetra   Dungeness   4th September 2024 (Tom Wright)

Osprey Pandion haliaetus   Dungeness   4th September 2024

At least six Porpoise were feeding offshore.

The moth traps produced two Palpita vitrealis,  a Hoary Footman, three Delicates, a Scarce Bordered Straw and another Beautiful Marbled.


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3rd Sep

There was a very small fall of migrants today with nothing in any numbers but with a couple of highlights in the form a fairly elusive Wryneck and a Pied Flycatcher along with 11 Willow Warblers, two Garden Warblers, six Whinchats, two Tree Sparrows, 14 Yellow Wagtails, four Grey Wagtails and two Tree Pipits. Seawatching was very slow with just an Avocet and two Arctic Skuas of note.

Wryneck Jynx torquilla   Dungeness   3rd September 2024

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

There was a distinct improvement in the moth traps with three Box-tree Moths, a Palpita vitrealis, a Hoary Footman, a Delicate, a Scarce Bordered Straw and the highlight of a Radford's Flame Shoulder. 

Radford's Flame Shoulder Ochropleura leucogaster   Dungeness   3rd September 2024

A Southern Oak Bush-cricket was seen in the Observatory garden and there was a very noisy chorus from the Tree Crickets after dark.

The White-winged Black Tern remains on Burrowes Pit, RSPB.

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