April 2015

1st		The wind continues though showed signs of dropping by the evening and made for difficult viewing conditions. There was still very little movement offshore but an adultLittle Gull was feeding offshore and a second-summer Yellow-legged Gull was feeding at the Patch among the throng of gull there. An afternoon session at the Patch resulted in 20 colour-rings being read with Norwegian and French Great Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls from Bristol, the Isle of Wight (3), Suffolk and the Thames Estuary (13).It remains very quiet on the land with just a Wheatear and a Blackcap of interest.
2nd		At least the wind dropped. Very quiet with just a small arrival of migrants on the land including a Snipe, a Swallow, four Firecrests and eight Chiffchaffs and very little offshore but large numbers of gulls still present.
3rd		Another miserable day with frequent heavy drizzle and fog but with a change to a light south-east wind there was a small arrival of migrants on the land and a decent passage offshore (at least for the first three hours).The highlights on the land were a Siberian Chiffchaff in the Lighthouse Garden, aRing Ouzel in the trapping area and the first two Willow Warblers of the spring along with five Swallows, 40 Chiffchaffs, five Firecrests and a Siskin. Seawatching produced 405 Brent Geese, two Pintail, 31 Shoveler, 19 Teal, aGarganey, 1047 Common Scoters, a Long-tailed Duck and five Red-breasted Mergansers, a Shag, 12 Sandwich Terns and also a Common Tern at the Patch.
4th		In dank, murky conditions there was a small arrival of migrants this morning with the highlights being two Ring Ouzels, four Fieldfares and six Firecrests along with twoSwallows and five Chiffchaffs.A Velvet Scoter, 22 Sandwich Terns and 11 Common Terns was the best the sea could offer.
5th		A trickle of migrants, mainly Meadow Pipits and Linnets, passing overhead during the morning was enlivened at 1020hrs when an Osprey appeared over the Point and then headed steadily NW and inland. Grounded migrants were few and far between with the best being five Firecrests between the Observatory and the Old Lighthouse and fourChiffchaffs in and around the trapping area.The early morning seawatch was very slow with just four Mediterranean Gulls and 22Sandwich Terns of interest but with the light wind backing into the NE in the afternoon there was an increase in passage with a Black-throated Diver, 20 Knot, a Little Gulland a further 110 Sandwich Terns whilst a Great Skua was seen on the beach eating a dogfish.
6th		The trickle of Meadow Pipits and Linnets passing overhead continued during the morning but was again enlivened by a decent raptor when a Red Kite flew north over the Long Pits at 1130hrs. Grounded migrants remain extremely scarce with just a handful of Chiffchaffs and five Firecrests of interest.There was a patchy movement of birds offshore with eventual totals of an excellent total of 319 Sandwich Terns along with 19 Shoveler, six Gadwall, 391 Common Scoters, 11 Velvet Scoters, 18 Red-breasted Mergansers and five Common Terns. However, the highlight of the seawatching was a pod of four White-beaked Dolphinswhich were watched for over an hour during the morning as they fed and moved slowly eastwards. Red Kite Milvus milvus   Dungeness   6th April 2015
7th		Sewatching provided most of the interest again with a decent trickle of birds throughout the day and with two Pintails, nine Shovelers, 593 Common Scoters, 22 Red-breasted Mergansers, five Whimbrels, 22 Curlews, three Little Gulls, twoMediterranean Gulls, a very early Little Tern, 402 Sandwich Terns and threeCommon Terns of interest. A Great Skua also flew west.It was very quiet on the land with just a Swallow, two Firecrests and 15 Chiffchaffs of note.
8th		The highlight of the day was another Red Kite (this time with no wing damage) which flew NW over the Point at around midday whilst four Buzzards were also seen. There was a small arrival of birds in the bushes including five Blackcaps and 15 Chiffchaffsand a few other birds passed overhead including the first Yellow Wagtail of the year, three Swallows and a Brambling.Birds also passed through offshore for much of the day. Final totals included 576 Brent Geese, two Gadwall, 24 Teal, 16 Shoveler, 317 Common Scoters and 11 Red-breasted Mergansers, two Black-throated Divers, 28 Whimbrel, 16 Curlew, the firstArctic Skua of the year, seven Little Gulls, 409 Sandwich Terns and 14 Common Terns. Red Kite Milvus milvus   Dungeness   8th April 2015
9th		A day of mostly thick fog and is usually the case in these conditions there were actually few grounded migrants to be seen. They did include a superb Hoopoe which showed well for a couple of observers before disappearing into the murk. The only other grounded migrants were two Firecrests, about 20 Chiffchaffs, three Willow Warblers and singles of Blackcap, Redwing, Ring Ouzel and White Wagtail. A trickle of birds passing overhead included a Little Ringed Plover, a Yellow Wagtailand three Redpolls.The sea was barely visible for most of the day but a brief clearer spell in mid-afternoon produced four Little Gulls and an Arctic Skua, a second-summer Yellow-legged Gullwas in the roost at the Point.
10th		Although still misty for much of the day visibility was much better than yesterday and allowed for a good passage offshore and a small arrival of migrants on the land.A total of 7.5hrs of seawatching at various times through the day resulted in good counts of 3961 Brent Geese, 657 Common Scoters, three Velvet Scoters, 40 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Black-throated Diver, 26 Curlew, one Whimbrel, an Arctic Skua, 585 Sandwich Terns and 166 Common Terns. Migrants on the land included a steady arrival during the day of 40 Chiffchaffs along with a Willow Warbler and a couple of apparent migrant Black Redstarts in the trapping area an three Swallows, a Yellow Wagtail, a Tree Sparrow, a Brambling, plenty of Linnets and three Redpolls passing overhead. Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochrurus   Dungeness   10th April 2014 This bird was in the trapping area an was presumably a migrant individual.
11th		There was a small arrival of Willow Warblers and Blackcaps after which it was fairly quiet on the land.Most of the days interest was offshore where there was a juvenile/first-winter Iceland Gull along with a second-winter Herring x Glaucous Gull and a first-winter Little Gullat the Patch and birds passing up-channel included 690 Brent Geese, three Arctic Skuas, three Great Skuas and 20 Common Terns.
12th		A bright but cold and breezy day produced a small  arrival of migrants on the land and some more passage offshore.Of note on the land were the first Redstart of the spring and three Ring Ouzels along with 25 Willow Warblers, 15 Chiffchaffs and six Blackcaps. Just over five hours of seawatching gave totals of five Red-breasted Mergansers, nine Arctic and four Great Skuas, and 446 Sandwich Terns passing east whilst at the Patch, the Iceland Gull was seen again along (thanks to Barry Wright for the image below) with the first-winter Little Gull and 25 Common Terns. A second-winterCaspian Gull also flew west off the fishing boats. Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides   juvenile/first-winter   Dungeness   12th April 2015 (Barry Wright) Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus    Dungeness   12th April 2015
13th		With dawn breaking to a crystal clear sky and superb visibility across to France the first couple of hours of the morning were relatively quiet with what little interest there was being offshore. Two Red-breasted Mergansers, 135 Common Scoters, twoGreat Skuas, an Arctic Skua and 304 Sandwich Terns passed through whilst theIceland Gull was seen briefly before it headed off into the distance towards Rye. The first-summer Little Gull and 35 Common Terns were also feeding at the Patch.However, as we returned inland it became clear that something unusual was going on with flocks of Willow Warblers and Blackcaps leaping out of the gorse and broom between the Observatory and the Old Lighthouse. Birds then continued to arrive for most of the day although from mid-afternoon thick fog rolled in and made observations more difficult.  Blackcaps (175), Willow Warblers (150) and Chiffchaffs (50) provided the numbers whilst Sedge Warbler, Common Whitethroat (seven), Lesser Whitethroat and Tree Pipit were all new for the year and more unusual birds were a fine male Pied Flycatcher, three Ring Ouzels, five Redstarts, some migrant Black Redstarts and aWood Lark. The most remarkable sights though were the flocks of Blackcaps feeding like finches on the ground or gathered around apples at garden feeders. All in all a brilliant day. Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca   Dungeness   13th April 2015 Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus   Dungeness   13th April 2015 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla   Dungeness  13th April 2015 (last image by David Bunney)
14th		Most of yesterdays migrants departed overnight but there were still a good few migrants around the area. The first House Martin and Whinchat of the year were seen (the latter on the beach at the fishing boats) and 20 Chiffchaffs, 12 Willow Warblers, 20 Blackcaps and about 20 "Greenland" Wheatears also arrived. Other notable birds included a Little Ringed Plover, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Redstart, threeRing Ouzels and a Tree Pipit.An interesting immature Peregrine Falcon flew over the area which appeared to be of one of the tundra races calidus/tundriae. Offshore passage was slow for the most part but 325 Common Scoters, nine Red-breasted Mergansers, a summer-plumaged Black-throated Diver and aMediterranean Gull flew east during the morning and the Iceland Gull was seen again around mid-day. "Greenland" Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe leucorhoa   Dungeness   14th April 2015
15th		A quieter day on the land but still one or two bits of interest including a Whinchat, 16Wheatears (mostly Greenlands), a Redstart, 25 Chiffchaffs, 12 Blackcaps and aRing Ouzel whilst several Sparrowhawks and a Little Ringed Plover flew over.There was a light but steady passage offshore with 401 Common Scoters, five Red-breasted Mergansers, a drake Goosander (quite rare in the Observatory recording area), six Bar-tailed Godwits, 35 Whimbrels, 35 Curlews, an Arctic Skua and fourGreat Skuas. Two Mediterranean Gulls and a Little Gull seemed to be lingering offshore. Whinchat Saxicola rubetra   Dungeness   15th April 2015
16th		With fresh and strengthening NE winds and mostly clear skies there was very little to be seen on the land although there were at least 16 "Greenland" Wheatears.Seawatching saw good numbers of Common Scoters, Gannets and Common Ternsand more unusual birds in the form of six Teal, 21 Red-breasted Mergansers, 39Whimbrel, 12 Bar-tailed Godwits, a first-winter Mediterranean Gull and a flock of 18Arctic Terns. A Buzzard also flew east offshore.
17th		With a very stiff NE wind blowing there was very little to be seen on the land and not a great deal offshore. Nine Red-breasted Mergansers, four Whimbrel, singles of Arcticand Great Skua and a few Common Terns were the only notable birds.
18th		Very strong NE winds continue to limit any migration so it was a great surprise that aWryneck was found in the low scrub to the south of the trapping area. Virtually the only other migrants of any significance were five Sand Martins and two Ring Ouzels.There were three Yellow-legged Gulls in the roost at the Point, a Little Gull was feeding at the Patch and six Arctic Terns flew east. Wryneck Jynx torquilla   Dungeness   18th April 2015
19th		Still very quiet on both land and sea but a first-winter Caspian Gull was a new arrival at the Patch where there were also 120 Common Terns and a first-winter Little Gullfeeding. One Arctic Skua flew east. Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans    first-winter   Dungeness    19th April 2015
20th		Migrants remain fairly hard to come by on the Point although the Wryneck was seen again and a male Firecrest was singing in the trapping area. There were also 30Swallows and five "Greenland" Wheatears and the first Reed Warblers of the year were singing at the Long Pits.There was a Black Tern and a second-winter Yellow-legged Gull feeding at the Patch and a trickle of movement offshore included two Pintail, a flock of 70 Bar-tailed Godwits, 45 Whimbrel and two Mediterranean Gulls. "Greenland" Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe leucorhoa   Dungeness   20th April 2015
21st		The Wryneck was seen again but remains elusive whilst other migrants on the land were almost non-existent with just a Ring Ouzel of interest.The early morning seawatch was very slow but things picked up a bit in the afternoon with final day totals of 190 Brent Geese, 161 Common Scoters, 36 Whimbrel, 99Bar-tailed Godwits, 15 Little Gulls, five Mediterranean Gulls and 14 Little Terns. Two Arctic Terns were feeding at the Patch.
22nd		A trickle of birds flew east offshore during the first couple of hours but after that it was very quiet on both sea and land. Birds seen offshore included 26 Whimbrels, twoGreat Skuas, 11 Little Gulls, five Mediterranean Gulls and two Yellow-legged Gulls. A Ring Ouzel was seen near the Old Lighthouse.
23rd		A thin scatter of migrants on the land included two Lesser Whitethroats, fourBlackcaps and singles of Redstart, Ring Ouzel, Yellow Wagtail and Tree Pipit.There was a steady trickle of birds offshore in the morning and a sudden flurry of movement in the evening. Nine hours of watching produced a Pink-footed Goose, 143Common Scoters, five Black-throated Divers, 66 Bar-tailed Godwits, 133Whimbrel, three Arctic Skuas, 34 Little Gulls, three Mediterranean Gulls, 436Common Terns, five Arctic Terns and 186 distant "commic" Terns. An additional two Mediterranean Gulls and a second-winter Yellow-legged Gull were feeding at the Patch. Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochrurus   Dungeness   23rd April 2015
24th		The wind dropped and veered into the SW but brought with it lots of fog, especially in the early morning. There was small but varied arrival of migrants on the land with aMerlin, the first Garden Warbler of the year, six Blackcaps, two Lesser Whitethroats, a Ring Ouzel, a late Fieldfare, two Redstarts and three Tree Pipitsand a semi-rarity in the form of three Jays.Seawatching was hampered by the poor visibility but over eight hours of watching eventually produced 1272 Brent Geese, 13 Eider, 429 Common Scoters, 18 Bar-tailed Godwits, 32 Whimbrels, 17 Arctic and 11 Great Skuas, five Mediterranean Gulls, two Little Terns and 114 Common Terns.
25th		A very quiet day on both land and sea in mostly damp and foggy conditions.On the land the best that could be found were a Ring Ouzel and two Redstarts whilst the produced a Great Northern Diver and just three Arctic and one Great Skua flying east and a Mediterranean Gull lingering at the Patch.  However, the highlight of the day was a party of about eight White-beaked Dolphinswhich spent about two hours feeding offshore during the morning.
26th		Yet another cold and damp day.Migrants continue to trickle through on the land in very small numbers with the best being 15 Willow Warblers, four Garden Warblers and a Redstart. The sea was very quiet with a single Great Skua and a few Brent Geese andCommon Scoters moving east, a Black-throated Diver flying west and single Blackand Little Terns feeding offshore. A first-winter Caspian Gull was found at the Point. Late news concerns the first Pomarine Skuas of the spring, a flock of seven birds passing close inshore at around 1630hrs.
27th		A very cold start to the day with northerly winds further limited passage with just aGreenshank, the first Swift of the year, a few Swallows, two Garden Warblers, aYellow Wagtail and a Siskin of any interest on the land.The sea was even quieter but a first-winter Little Gull and a couple of Arctic Ternswere feeding at the Patch this afternoon.
28th		Another cold morning and wind increasing through the day. A thin scatter of migrants again including singles of Ring Ouzel, Whinchat and Garden Warbler and nineWillow Warblers.Very quiet offshore.
29th		Most of the interest was offshore with S x SW winds during the morning producing twoVelvet Scoters, single Great Northern and Black-throated Divers, seven Manx Shearwaters, 26 Whimbrel, seven Arctic Skuas, two Pomarine Skuas, 13 Great Skuas, three Little Terns and seven Arctic Terns of note.Very quiet on the land with just a Ring Ouzel of note.
30th		No sign of any improvement in passage with just a slow trickle of Sandwich andCommon Terns passing offshore and a Lesser Whitethroat, two Blackcaps and twoYellow Wagtails on the land.

March 2015

1st		A Firecrest was seen in the trapping area on an otherwise quiet day although coverage was a bit limited by meetings.
2nd		Another windy day with no sign of any offshore passage but plenty of gulls roosting at the Point which included three first-winter Caspian Gulls.
3rd		It remains windy with heavy rain at first and still very little movement offshore and none on the land.
4th		The wind dropped through the day but it remained quite cold all the same. As for the birds it was much the same as in previous days with very little passage offshore and not a great deal new on the land other than a possible increase in Black Redstarts to four. One Firecrest was seen in the trapping area and a handful of Chaffinches came in.
5th		A Merlin and a Black Redstart were seen on the land and 600 Great Crested Grebeswere feeding offshore.
6th		A trickle of birds moved east offshore including 244 Brent Geese, two Shovelers, aRed-breasted Mergansers and 63 Red-throated Divers of interest.
7th		The easterly trickle of birds offshore continued with 78 Brent Geese, three Wigeon, 15Teal, six Pochards, two Eiders, a Little Gull and the first three Sandwich Terns of the year.
8th		The highlight of the day was a first-winter Iceland Gull which was feeding at the Patch whilst easterly passage continued with 1403 Brent Geese, seven Eiders and aSandwich Tern whilst a Velvet Scoter flew east.On the land, three Firecrests, two Black Redstarts and a Chiffchaff were seen.
9th		The Iceland Gull was seen again briefly in the morning.A Firecrest and two Chiffchaffs were seen on the land.
10th		Two Firecrests and four Black Redstarts were seen.
11th		A distinct increase in migrants on the land with the first Wheatear of the spring along with seven Firecrests, two Chiffchaffs. three Black Redstarts and a Mistle Thrush of note whilst 200 Chaffinches and four Siskins passed overhead.Despite the onshore breeze the sea was very quiet with just 114 Common Scoters in two hours this morning.
12th		Migrants on the ground increased in the fine weather with four Wheatears, a rubicolaStonechat, eight Black Redstarts and three Chiffchaffs of interest whilst a Buzzard, a Golden Plover, 35 Chaffinches and two Siskins passed overhead.The sea was fairly quiet with 318 Brent Geese, three Shovelers, a Goldeneye and three Sandwich Terns passing east in two hours this morning and a first-winterCaspian Gull was in the gull roost at the Point.
13th		Fours hours of seawatching produced 1570 Brent Geese, 66 Common Scoters, anEider, four Red-breasted Mergansers, three Bar-tailed Godwits and an adultMediterranean Gull passing east whilst a new first-winter Caspian Gull was in the roost at the Point.There were fewer grounded migrants about today but still included two Wheatears, three Black Redstarts, two Stonechats (including yesterdays rubicola still present), aFirecrest, two Song Thrushes and four Redwings. A flyover Rock Pipit was the first of the spring and a Siskin also flew over. The new Observatory vehicle also turned up this afternoon.! Birds in the greater Dungeness area seen during the week included the two long-staying Cattle Egrets, usually at Brickwall Farm, a Slavonian Grebe at Dengemarsh on 12th, Great White Egrets still present on the RSPB Reserve although numbers have fallen and a drake Scaup still at Scotney. The first Sand Martins were seen at Lydd-on-sea on 9th. Regular readers may have noticed a short break in the updates last week. This was because I was away in Iceland for a few days where many hours were spent looking at gulls. One particular individual seen at Grundarfjordur on the Snaelfellsness peninsula on 6th and 8th March was extremely interesting and appeared to show many features of a second-winter Thayer's Gull. Some photos are shown below.
14th		A very quiet day in strong and cold easterly winds. Two Wheatears, three Black Redstarts and the male rubicola Stonechat were still at the fishing boats and a flock of 13 Siskins flew over.Seawatching produced five Pintails, a few Gannets and Red-throated Divers and a single Sandwich Tern but not much else and an adult Yellow-legged Gull was in the roost at the Point.
15th		A cold and miserable day that at times hardly seemed to get light. Birds were few and far between but frequent checking of the roosting gulls produced two Caspian Gullsand three Yellow-legged Gulls. Three Black Redstarts were the only grounded noted.
16th		Still barely a hint of any migration taking place with just two Song Thrushes in the bushes and a couple of Siskins overhead of any interest. The sea was also extremely quiet although a new third-winter Caspian Gull was feeding on the beach.
17th		Easily the best day of the spring so far with a light easterly breeze resulting in a decent movement offshore and a few bits and pieces on and over the land. Of particular note was a Great White Egret arriving and two Little Egrets leaving to the east, twoGoldeneyes, a party of four Avocets, a very early Whimbrel and five Mediterranean Gulls passing up-channel. Numbers and further variety offshore were provided by 1600Brent Geese, three Wigeon, five Teal, eight Pintail, two Knot, 27 Bar-tailed Godwitsand two Sandwich Terns.A small increase in grounded migrants also occurred with four Firecrests, fiveChiffchaffs and a Wheatear along with 18 Siskins and a Redpoll passing overhead.
18th		A return to another quiet day although two first-winter Caspian Gulls were of some note. There was a slight trickle of birds moving offshore with 15 Shovelers, two Red-breasted Mergansers and five Mediterranean Gulls of note and also another threeMediterranean Gulls feeding at the Patch.The only signs of any migration on the land were three Chiffchaffs in the Lighthouse Garden and three Black Redstarts and a Wheatear were also seen.
19th		Another thoroughly miserable day with a cold northerly wind and occasional drizzle and that never really got light. The birding was not a great deal brighter either with a very quiet sea and nothing of note at the Patch except for a Sandwich Tern despite large numbers of gulls there. There was a handful of migrants on the land including fiveSnipe, two Wheatears, 25 Redwings and 25 Chaffinches. Two Firecrests remain in the trapping area.
20th		A heavy overcast sky blocked out any chance of seeing today's Total Eclipse but it did encourage a very small arrival of migrants with the best being the first two, very earlyRing Ouzels of the spring along with a Woodcock, a Snipe and 35 Redwings. AMerlin, a Grey Wagtail and three Siskins also flew over.The sea was virtually devoid of any passage but a late afternoon visit to the Patch produced another first-winter Caspian Gull and a Sandwich Tern. Weekly Round-up. Elsewhere on the peninsula it seems  much the same as last week. The two Cattle Egrets are still feeding around the Brickwall Farm area and roosting at ARC. Great White Egrets and a drake Smew continue to be seen around the RSPB Reserve. A couple of Little Ringed Plovers have been seen at Dengemarsh and Scotney. TwoWhite Wagtails and a Scandinavian Rock Pipit were also seen at Dengemarsh.
21st		A nice, clear morning saw a small arrival of thrushes with a Firecrest in the Lighthouse Garden, four Chiffchaffs and ten Fieldfares of note and a trickle of birds overhead which included a Brambling. The dubious rarity of the day was a pair of Egyptian Geese which flew around the Point before heading to Dengemarsh.The sea remains quiet although slightly improved from yesterday with a two-hour watch from first light producing 144 Brent Geese, six Teal and three Red-breasted Mergansers.
22nd		A very quiet day on both land and sea with the exception of an adult Iceland Gullwhich was reported from the Patch just a couple of minutes after I left and already gone by the time I returned. A Mediterranean Gull and two Yellow-legged Gulls were also seen. A Merlin came in off the sea chasing a Chaffinch and three Black Redstarts were seen around the Point.
23rd		Very quiet for most of the day with just a third-winter Yellow-legged Gull and aMediterranean x Black-headed Gull hybrid at the Patch and two Black Redstarts and a Firecrest on the land. However, a sudden movement in the late afternoon of Brent Goose brought the total to 1300 for the day.
24th		A decent increase in the numbers of migrants on the land with a Snipe, 30Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap, five Wheatears and five Black Redstarts of note and 90Meadow Pipits and a Siskin passing overhead.The sea was very quiet with just an adult Mediterranean Gull feeding at the Patch of note. A very dark-backed Lesser Black-backed Gull was in the roost at the Point this afternoon.  Herring Gulls Larus argenteus will try and eat almost anything. A nice, dark adult Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus spp   Dungeness   24th March 2015.
25th		Migrants continue to trickle in with a Greenshank, three Sandwich Terns, a fly-overShort-eared Owl, two Firecrests at the Long Pits, five Chiffchaffs, nine Wheatears at the fishing boats, six Black Redstarts, a Grey Wagtail and four Siskins of interest. The sea was very quiet with just the occasional small flock of Brent Geese passing through. We have just received a batch of ringing recoveries which included these more interesting ones: Common Gull 7165328 ringed at Pildammsparken, Malmo, Sweden on 27th June 2002 as an adult was found dead on the road at Lade on 7th February 2012. A distance of 951km. Chiffchaff ALY535 ringed at Dungeness on 11th September 2014 was controlled at Lagoa de Santo Andre, Setubal, Portugal on 1st October 2014. A distance of 1619km in 20 days. Robin 13014937 ringed at Berendrecht, Antwerp, Belgium on 11th October 2013 was controlled at Dungeness on 9th November 2013. A distance of 240km in 29 days.
26th		Heavy rain from early morning and into the afternoon resulted  in the grounding of at least 17 Firecrests but other new migrants were hard to come by on the land. SeveralWheatears and a Black Redstart were on the beach at the fishing boats again and twoSnipe and eight Chiffchaffs were also seen.The sea continues to disappoint with just eight Teal, three Red-breasted Mergansers, 22 Fulmars, an adult Mediterranean Gull and three Sandwich Terns of any interest.
27th		A few lingering migrants from recent days with eight Wheatears at the fishing boats and seven Firecrests scattered across the Point whilst a trickle of birds passing overhead included an early Little Ringed Plover, two Bramblings and seven Siskins.Sea passage remains almost non-existent but five Mediterranean Gulls were feeding at the Patch in the morning. Weekly Round-up. Elsewhere on the peninsula it does not seem to have changed that much since last week.. The first Willow Warbler of the spring was seen today at Lade and one orSand Martins have been appearing on the pits. The two Cattle Egrets are still feeding around the Brickwall Farm area and roosting at ARC. Great White Egrets continue to be seen around the site and two each of Tundra Bean Geese and Egyptian Geese are being seen regularly at Dengemarsh.
28th		A wet, foggy and windy day. Limited coverage due to the poor weather and meetings but a brief spell of clearer weather in the afternoon saw 160 Brent Geese and an adultMediterranean Gull fly east. Four Mediterranean Gulls were also feeding at the Patch.
29th		Another day of strong winds with rain and mist in the morning as well. Little coverage other than several looks at the sea where a Great Skua and a few Brent Geesecontinued to trickle eastwards but very little else to be seen.
30th		A nicer morning allowed for a bit of land birding which produced 100 Wood Pigeons, 15 Chiffchaffs, a Fieldfare and two Siskins whilst the early morning seawatch produced 110 Brent Geese moving up-channel and ten Mediterranean Gulls and aSandwich Tern heading west.A check of the Patch at low water this afternoon provided most of the days interest though with a first-winter Iceland Gull, a first-winter Caspian Gull, two Mediterranean Gulls and the first Common Tern of the year all feeding there. A Great Skua also passed through which flushed all the gulls off the beach after which the Iceland Gullcould not be relocated. Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides   juvenile/first-winter   Dungeness   30th March 2015 Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans   first-winter   Dungeness   30th March 2015
31st		A violent night and the strong wind continuing through the day made birding difficult but the Iceland Gull was found again off the fishing boats during the morning. The firstSwallow of the spring was seen and two adult Mediterranean Gulls flew east but migration was otherwise at a virtual standstill. Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides    juvenile/first-winter   Dungeness   31st March 2015

February 2015

1st		A Firecrest was seen in the trapping area.
2nd		Two Firecrests and a Chiffchaff were seen in the trapping area.
3rd		A Woodcock and a Little Owl were seen in the bushes but the sea was quiet.
4th		Very quiet.
5th		Three Firecrests were seen in the bushes and three Greylag Geese and three Pintailsflew east.
6th		A bitterly cold and windy day with the only interest being amongst the gulls. Thousands were feeding at the Patch with a second-winter Caspian Gull and an adultMediterranean Gull of note there whilst a first-winter Caspian Gull and a second-winter Yellow-legged Gull were in the roost at the fishing boats. An Estonian-ringedCommon Gull was also noteworthy.
7th		Limited coverage and nothing reported.
8th		Three Firecrests were seen in the trapping area.
9th		An adult Mediterranean Gull was feeding at the fishing boats but very little else was seen despite the distinct improvement in the weather.
10th		A Dartford Warbler seen in one of the gardens was unexpected and was the first Observatory record since October 2012. Very little else was seen other than two first-winter Yellow-legged Gulls at the Patch.
11th		Three Teal, three Woodcocks and four Firecrests were seen around the trapping area and Long Pits and a Mistle Thrush was new for the year.
12th		What was another very quiet day was enlivened in the afternoon by the finding of a flock of about 35 Pink-footed Geese floating east offshore. A Firecrest and a Black Redstart were also seen.
13th		A sudden change in the weather with strong southerly winds during the morning resulted in a reasonable easterly passage with 2.5hrs of watching producing 218 Brent Geese, five Wigeon, 129 Red-throated Divers, six Fulmars, 450 Gannets and 102Kittiwakes. Three Mediterranean Gulls were amongst large numbers of gulls feeding at the Patch.
14th		A few birds passing offshore included 43 Brent Geese, five Pintail, a Velvet Scoter, 150 Red-throated Divers and 131 Kittiwakes whilst two Mediterranean Gulls and a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull were feeding at the Patch. Also at the Patch was a colour-ringed Great Black-backed Gull which was ringed as nestling in Norway in 2003 and has been seen here previously in 2004-5 and 2012.Two Black Redstarts were feeding inside the power station complex. Of note from elsewhere was the egret roost at ARC which produced five Cattle Egrets, nine Great White Egrets and 23 Little Egrets this evening. It is worth noting that in the last issue of Dutch Birding which arrived a couple of days ago it is stated that a total of 6320 Great White Egrets were counted at roosts in Holland in October 2014 and it has been annual there since 1976.
15th		A Siskin and six Chaffinches were new birds in the trapping area where singles ofMarsh Harrier, Kingfisher, Firecrest and Chiffchaff were also seen.A 2.5hrs seawatch this morning produced two Shovelers, 300 Red-throated Diver and 138 Gannets.
16th		A calm day with thick fog at first and remaining quite murky all day saw a small passage offshore which included three Pink-footed Geese, 128 Brent Geese and twoPintail. Four Skylarks flew south, three Fieldfares were feeding in the moat this afternoon and two Black Redstarts were on the power station wall again.
17th		A bright and sunny day but very quiet for birds with the merest trickle of birds east offshore and a Firecrest and a Chiffchaff seen in the trapping area.
18th		Another fine day but which one which failed to produce very much. A couple ofFirecrests were seen.
19th		A windy morning encouraged some easterly offshore passage with a 2.25hr seawatch producing 470 Red-throated Divers of note along with three Red-breasted Mergansers, four Fulmars, 145 Gannets, two Curlews and a few Kittiwakes. In the afternoon a second-winter Mediterranean Gull was seen at the Patch.Quiet on the land again although a Grey Wagtail was new for the year and a Chiffchaffwas seen in the bushes.
20th		A thoroughly miserable day with heavy rain overnight and throughout the day. Little coverage but a check of the gull roost in the early afternoon produced second-winter and third-winter Caspian Gulls.
21st		Rain continued through much of the night and early morning and even turned to heavy snow for a short time.Seawatching produced a few Red-throated Divers and Gannets but very little else whilst the third-winter Caspian Gull first seen yesterday was in the high tide roost at the fishing boats again. Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans   third-winter   Dungeness   21st February 2015
22nd		A first-winter Caspian Gull was seen at the fishing boats and two Firecrests were seen in the trapping area.
23rd		Very little to be seen on a cold and windy day with occasional hail showers.
24th		Still very quiet with just two adult Mediterranean Gulls feeding at the Patch and sixChaffinches passing overhead of any interest.
25th		There was a notable increase in Brent Goose passage with 588 Dark-bellieds and aPale-bellied Brent passing through during the morning. There was little evidence of anything else moving although there were nearly 300 Red-throated Divers and 1432Great Crested Grebes feeding offshore. An adult Mediterranean Gull was the only gull of interest among the large numbers feeding at the Patch.A party of four Ravens also flew over.
26th		A thoroughly hopeless day with thick fog at first turning to heavy rain in the afternoon making any serious observations virtually impossible and paperwork the favoured option.
27th		A clear and sunny morning produced a very small movement of Skylarks andChaffinches but not a great deal else.However, in the afternoon a first-winter Pomarine Skua flew in over the Point and landed near the Sanctuary. Sadly it was clearly in poor condition and was easily caught and died a couple of hours later. The following images may be of interest and instructive.  Relatively uniform upperparts except for fine white scaling Large heavy bill with dark tip and no sign of a pale collar Four white primary shafts in the upperwing and lacking obvious pale tips Note that although it shows a very large white patch at the base of primaries it does not show an obvious second patch at the base of the primary coverts which might have been expected. Strongly barred undertailcoverts and central tail feathers only projecting only slightly from the rest of the tail. In fact when the tail was spread there was no projection at all. Arctic Skua would show less distinct barring and more elongated and pointed central feathers.
28th		A miserable morning with heavy drizzle and strong winds turning to heavy rain in the afternoon and overnight.The highlight was a juvenile/first-winter Glaucous Gull which was found on the beach at the Patch and then headed off east and was then seen as it passed the Point. There was also a decent bit of passage in the first couple of hours with 415 Brent Geese, 20Pintails, two Red-breasted Mergansers, 600 Red-throated Divers, 22 Fulmars and 163 Gannets. Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus   Dungeness   28th February 2015