August 2015

1st		The month started with a nice arrival of migrants with 30 Willow Warblers, six Lesser Whitethroats, 65 Whitethroats and a Wheatear whilst birds passing overhead included a party of six Green Sandpipers and 30 Swifts,
2nd		Very little in the way of migrants today with just a Marsh Harrier flying east offshore, aGreat Spotted Woodpecker and 12 Willow Warblers on the land and five Yellow Wagtails over.
3rd		A very disappointing morning with barely a migrant to be seen but things picked up a bit in the afternoon with a large movement of south and west bound Swifts with at least 2000 birds counted. The locally-bred Peregrine Falcons youngsters seem to have taken up residence around the power stations and are in almost constant view throughout the day.There was very little movement offshore but a dark-phase Arctic Skua was lingering during the morning and seven Whimbrel flew west in the afternoon. An adultMediterranean Gull and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull were also seen. The overnight moth catch was also small but did include a Small Rivulet and aLangmaid's Yellow Underwing.
4th		Decent conditions this morning failed to deliver on the land where 100 Swifts, 25 Sand Martins and four Yellow Wagtails passed through and just five Willow Warblers and a Lesser Whitethroat were seen in the bushes.A juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was seen at the fishing boats and three Whimbrel flew west. Of note on the moth front were an Oak Hook-tip, a Pine Hawk-moth, a Bordered Straw and four Small Mottled Willows.
5th		Perfect conditions for an arrival of migrants again this morning but very few did so. The best we could muster from the trapping area was ten Willow Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler. Overhead, 70 Swifts, 250 Sand Martins and sixYellow Wagtails passed through.As if to confuse things further, despite the light winds and calm sea, there was a good deal of interest offshore with six Balearic Shearwaters and a Sooty Shearwater, 36Kittiwakes, two Little Terns, 213 Common Terns and even a Mute Swan floating by.
6th		Extremely quiet on the land despite the seemingly good conditions for an arrival of migrants. The only birds of note were a Hobby and a juvenile Cuckoo.However, after a fairly slow start the seawatching picked up a fair bit in the afternoon with large numbers of Common Terns, 78 Black Terns and the highlight of the day for one lucky observer in the form of a moulting adult Whiskered Tern flying west. The moth trap produced a Chocolate-tip which is less than annual in appearances at the Observatory.
7th		A slight improvement in the numbers of migrants this morning with 12 Willow Warblers, a Garden Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, three Reed Warblers and 12Robins in the bushes and six Yellow Wagtails overhead. However, things improved considerably from midday when a party of three Common Buzzards were followed by a Honey Buzzard and then a superb Black Stork. The latter had first been seen over Hythe so all eyes were looking skywards when it was eventually found flying over Lydd Ranges. It then flew across the RSPB Reserve and then made a slow circuit of the Point before eventually heading north over Lade and onto New Romney. Black Stork Ciconia nigra   Dungeness   7th August 2015 Seawatching produced another westerly movement of terns during the early morning with six Black Terns and 474 Common Terns but this was reduced almost to a trickle by the afternoon when a single Little Tern was of note. Moth trapping produced one Bordered Straw of note but a Jersey Tiger seen in the trapping area was only the fourth Observatory record..
8th		A Honey Buzzard flew east over the trapping area at 0640hrs where a Grey Wagtailwas also seen and a Whinchat was also feeding in the scrub to the south of the trapping area.Three juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls and two Mediterranean Gulls were also feeding offshore. A Bordered Straw was the only moth of any real significance from a very small catch.
9th		There were a few migrants in the bushes but they were mainly at the northern end of the Long Pits and included 25 Willow Warblers, 60 Whitethroats, four Sedge Warblers and 20 Reed Warblers. A Marsh Harrier and a Kingfisher were also feeding there. Five Yellow Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail and 275 Sand Martins passed overhead. A Black Tern and a juvenile Arctic Tern were feeding offshore.Another Bordered Straw was trapped along with the tortrix Ancylis diminutana.
10th		The morning seawatch produced an excellent total of nine Balearic Shearwater flying west shortly after dawn along with ten Black Terns and 530 Common Terns through the day. An Arctic Skua and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull were lingering offshore during the evening.Small numbers of migrants again but with just 32 Willow Warblers of note. AKingfisher was fishing at the Long Pits where two Marsh Harriers also flew over. Of note on the moth front was a Ni Moth.
11th		Another excellent morning on paper with light winds and rain from around 0500hrs but which failed to produce anything more on the land than a dozen or so Willow Warblers.Most of the interest turned out to be on the sea where there was a steady westerly movement throughout the day with three Balearic Shearwaters, a Manx Shearwaters, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull, 1510 Commic Terns, three Arctic Terns and 25 Black Terns. A juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was feeding around the fishing boats. Highlights from the moth-trap included three Bordered Straws and a Langmaid's Yellow Underwing.
12th		Another disappointing day given the light to fresh NE breeze and early morning rain. On the land, only ten Willow Warblers and a Lesser Whitethroat were of interest whilst several hours of seawatching produced just two Black-tailed Godwits, oneArctic Skua and a juvenile Arctic Tern.
13th		A day of spectacular weather and very few birds. Over 30mm of rain fell in less than two hours this morning along with violent thunder and several near misses from lightning strikes. Couple this with near darkness during the worst of the weather and it really was unbirdable at times. Much of the day was spent on some much needed office work.
14th		The morning began with thick fog after more overnight rain and again failed to deliver very much with just 12 Willow Warblers, a Garden Warbler, three Whinchats and 15Wheatears of interest. Afternoon seawatching in calm conditions produced a Balearic Shearwater and a Great Skua whilst singles of Black and Arctic Terns and twoMediterranean Gulls were feeding at the Patch.  Whinchat   Saxicola rubetra   Dungeness   14th August 2015
15th		At last, a nice little arrival of migrants this morning with singles of Pied and Spotted Flycatcher, four Whinchats, 60 Willow Warblers, two Garden Warblers, six Lesser Whitethroats,and a Little Owl whilst overhead, a Hobby and 21 Yellow Wagtailspassed through. A few waders were also seen including a Greenshank and aCommon Sandpiper and a bit of offshore movement this afternoon produced four Arctic Skuas, two Little Terns and 62 Black Terns of note.Moth trapping produced a Small Mottled Willow of note.
16th		A reasonable arrival of migrants this morning produced 80 Willow Warblers, nineLesser Whitethroats, five Garden Warblers, two Spotted Flycatcher. two Redstartsand two Whinchats. The sea was very quiet with just two Little Gulls and two Little Terns of interest.Two Bordered Straws and a Small Mottled Willow were trapped overnight and aJersey Tiger was seen in a private garden during the day.
17th		Another reasonable scatter of migrants although mostly around the Long Pits rather than in the Trapping Area. Of note were 40 Willow Warblers, a Garden Warbler, 12Lesser Whitethroats and two Spotted Flycatchers.The sea was generally very quiet although two lucky observers saw a juvenile White-winged Black Tern head north past the fishing boats in the afternoon. A Pomarine Skua also flew east. Moth trapping produced just an Oak Hook-tip and a Bordered Straw of interest. Ten Small Red-eyed Damselflies were seen at the southern end of the Long Pits.
18th		A very quiet day with rain for much of it. The only migrants on the land were a fewWillow Warblers and a Garden Warbler. At sea there was a steady westerly movement of Gannets and Sandwich Terns and two Redshanks and two juvenileArctic Terns of more interest.Moth trapping produced a Fern (fifth Observatory record), a Scarce Bordered Strawand a Bordered Straw of note. The Fern Horisme tersata and Scarce Bordered Straw Helicoverpa armigera   Dungeness   18th August 2015
19th		Another good looking morning but still hardly any migrants to speak of. A few Yellow Wagtails and Sand Martins passed through during the day. Seawatching produced singles of Balearic Shearwater and Arctic Skua and a steady westerly passage ofSandwich Terns.A Pine Hawk-moth was noteworthy this morning. Two Small Red-eyed Damselflies were seen at the southern end of the Long Pits.
20th		Although six hours of seawatching were recorded it was actually fairly quiet except for a short spell in mid-morning when 17 Grey Plovers, 111 Knot, 110 Bar-tailed Godwits, two Whimbrel, two Arctic Skuas, five Little Gulls, 13 Arctic Terns, nineLittle Terns and 46 Black Terns flew west.The overnight moth trapping produced  four species of hawk-moth including this spectacular Bedstraw Hawk-moth which is a new species for the Observatory. Also in the trap was a Pine Hawk-moth. Seven Clouded Yellows and four Hummingbird Hawk-moths were seen during the day. Bedstraw Hawk-moth Hyles gallii   Dungeness   20th August 2015
21st		Limited coverage but 28 Teal, three Shoveler and six Wigeon and singles of Arctic Skua, Black Tern and Little Tern flew west. Two Balearic Shearwaters also flew west in the afternoon. A flock of 24 Swifts were flying over the seawatch hide in the evening.
22nd		A quiet day in very hot conditions. Land migrants were limited to a few Willow Warblers and grounded Yellow Wagtails whilst 130 Swallows flew south.The sea was very quiet in the morning although a female Hen Harrier flew out but improved in the late afternoon with five Balearic Shearwaters flying west and aPomarine, two Arctics  and a Great Skua lingering offshore. Three Mediterranean Gulls and two Black Terns also flew west. Overnight moth-trapping produced singles of The Fern, Bordered Straw and a Small Mottled Willow. Two Small Red-eyed Damselflies were seen at the southern end of the Long Pits.
23rd		There was a decent arrival of migrants this morning with at least 500 Yellow Wagtails(grounded and passing through) and seven Whinchats along with two Pied Flycatchers whilst 160 Swifts and 250 Swallows also flew south.Seawatching was fairly productive at various times during the day with nearly 800Gannets, a Balearic Shearwater, a flock of four Greenshanks and five Redshanks, single Pomarine and Great Skuas, about 20 Arctic Skuas and two juvenile Arctic Terns. Overnight moth-trapping revealed a Scarce Bordered Straw, five Bordered Strawsand four Dark Sword-grasses. A Convolvulus Hawk-moth came into the garden and fed at the Nicotianas just before the moth traps were switched on. An evening visit to the colony of "Tree" Crickets was made where singing began at 1950hrs. Posted early afternoon. Also some significant news on the insect front. Whilst walking back from the pub across the Desert on Thursday (20th) night Roger Morris and I came across a colony of singing crickets but we did not recognize the song although it sounded distinctly Mediterranean. It was nearly dark and we did not have torches so we were unable to see anything. I was at the Birdfair on Friday so last night was the first opportunity I have had to go and investigate further. Myself, Glll Hollamby, Tim Cleeves and Steve Holliday went out at 1915hrs to the site and almost immediately I heard the song again and it quickly became apparent that there were large numbers (possibly 100's) of the culprit singing from low vegetation all around us. We eventually saw a few individuals and were able to catch one and GH also recorded the song on her phone. We returned to the Observatory pretty certain that we had something very exciting in our hands. A quick check of my limited literature and the internet showed it was not something on the British list and that it looked likely to be a Tree Cricket of the genus Oecanthusand presumably species pellucens. However, at this stage it still needs to be confirmed to species level.  [Further reading has revealed that there have been at least two previous records, in Cambridgeshire in 1996 and at Sittingbourne, Kent in 2005, although neither of these seem to have found their way onto the Official British list] Images of two individuals are shown below: Tree Cricket sp Oecanthus pellucens? A sound recording made by Gill Hollamby is available here. It is fairly quiet so you may need to turn up the volume. In addition, there were also large numbers of a small dark cockroach at the same site which I have never seen before. At the time I thought they may be Dusky CockroachEctobius lapponicus but having looked at the illustrations in Marshall and Haes Grasshoppers and Allied Insects I am now very unsure about this identification. Again I have no knowledge or literature concerning possible continental species. An image of one of these is also shown below: Cockroach sp Any help with identifications of both these insects would be appreciated.
24th		A pretty miserable day with rain, often very heavy, for most of it. There was not a great deal of coverage on the land although a Pied Flycatcher, a Redstart and twoWhinchats were found this evening. The main feature of the morning was another large movement of Yellow Wagtails with over 400 passing through. In the evening a flock of 20 Swifts were trying to roost on the Old Lighthouse.Seawatching was pretty quiet except for large numbers of Gannets along with aBalearic Shearwater, a few Arctic Skuas and two Black Terns of note.  In addition to the the Convolvulus Hawk-moth mentioned in yesterdays posting there were further migrants in the form of the first Vestal of the year, a Jersey Tiger,  twoBordered Straws, a Hummingbird Hawk-moth (in the trap), a Dark Sword-grass and 11 Nomophila noctuella. Convolvulus Hawkmoth Agrion convolvuli, Vestal Rhodometra sacraria and  Jersey Tiger Euplagia quadripunctaria   Dungeness  24th August 2015 A number of people have now commented on the photographs of the crickets found a few days ago and they confirm that they are, as suspected, Italian Tree CricketsOecanthus pellucens. However I have made no progress with the cockroach so far.
25th		An uninspiring morning followed by another dismal afternoon and evening of torrential rain and strong winds.Before the rain started the first Firecrest of the autumn was found along with fiveWhinchats and a Garden Warbler. Two Marsh Harriers, 100 Yellow Wagtails and aTree Pipit also flew over the area. Seawatching was almost as poor but seven hrs of observations eventually produced totals of seven Teal, a Balearic Shearwater, eightRedshanks, a Common Sandpiper 15 Arctic Skuas, three Great Skuas, aMediterranean Gull and five Black Terns.
26th		Seawatching was very much the order of the day in fairly miserable conditions of strong southerly winds and frequent heavy rain with thunder and lightning at times.A total of 14 hours of seawatching produced a day record total for Balearic Shearwater with 92 passing west whilst other notable records included 12 Sooty Shearwaters, 489 Gannets, 27 Arctic Skuas, five Pomarine Skuas, six Great Skuas, two Little Gulls, ten Black Terns (plus one lingering offshore), six Little Terns, 815 Sandwich Terns, 515 Common/ic Terns and six Arctic Terns. Very quiet on the land with a Whinchat being the best on offer. I went out this evening to check up on the Tree Crickets. The first one started singing at 1955hrs but it wasn't until 2015hrs that they got really active and by 2045hrs it was like being in the Mediterranean with crickets calling from all directions. However I could not see any - I think the days weather and cooler temperatures may have been keeping them inside the vegetation. However, I did come up with another completely unexpected find in the form of a female Sickle-bearing Bush Cricket Phaneroptera falcata. This is another extremely rare cricket in this country but did breed in East Sussex in 2006 (at least). Further searches will now be needed to try and establish whether this is also breeding in the area or whether it is a vagrant individual. Sickle-bearing Bush Cricket Phaneroptera falcata  Dungeness   26th August 2015
27th		Seawatching remained the best option  by far today in the continuing poor weather with coverage for much of the day producing 55 Balearics and three Sooty Shearwaters, 468 Gannets, two Ruff (very scarce in the Observatory recording area), 22 Arctic and two Pomarine Skuas, four Mediterranean Gulls and 20 Black Terns.The only birds of interest on the land were a Spotted Flycatcher and a Whinchat. Elsewhere, a juvenile White-winged Black Tern spent the afternoon at the ARC Pit. Overnight moth-trapping produced a Bordered Straw and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth whilst another search of the trapping area this evening confirmed the restricted range of the Tree Cricket colony and with insects starting to sing at 2005hrs.
28th		The first nice morning for some time produced a nice arrival of migrants on the land with a Pied Flycatcher, six Sedge Warblers, five Whinchats, 20 Wheatears, twoRedstarts and three Spotted Flycatchers of note and numbers provided by 75 Willow Warblers, ten Lesser Whitethroats and 100 Whitethroats. Birds passing overhead included five Buzzards, six Grey Wagtails, 40 Yellow Wagtails, a Tree Pipit and aSiskin. The sea was fairly quiet but several hours of seawatching eventually produced nine Balearic Shearwaters, six Arctic Skuas and five Black Terns.The interest in the rare orthoptera continues with a fine evening display from the Tree Crickets whilst earlier in the day another female Sickle-bearing Bush Cricket was found at the same location as the female found two days ago. Tree Cricket Oecanthus pellucens   Dungeness   28th September 2015 This image shows a male "singing" during which it raises its wings over its back and vibrates them together. This is actually very difficult to observe as they seem to sing from deep inside the vegetation and usually on the underside of a leaf. A cool night reduced the moth catch but two Scarce Bordered Straws were noteworthy and four Humming-bird Hawk-moths were seen during the day. A Clouded Yellow and a Holly Blue were seen. A single male Small Red-eyed Damselfly was seen at the southern end of the Long Pits.
29th		A quieter day on the land with just 20 Willow Warbler, five Whinchats and 20Wheatears of note whilst overhead passage included a Honey Buzzard and a Common Buzzard, 690 Sand Martins, 200 Swallows, 50 Yellow Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail and a Tree Pipit.The sea was also much quieter than of late but several hours of watching eventually produced totals of nine Balearic Shearwaters, a Pomarine and nine Arctic Skuas and also a couple of Black Tens feeding offshore.  Moth trapping produced another Convolvulus Hawk-moth along with singles ofVestal, Bordered Straw and and Small Mottled Willow and a couple of less common moths for us with Dark Spinach and Lesser Treble-bar. Butterflies seen today included a Clouded Yellow and a Holly Blue.
30th		A small movement of raptors during the day produced a couple of Honey Buzzards(five seen over the whole area during the day) and three Common Buzzards. At least 2000 Swallows also passed overhead. Grounded migrants of note were limited to aRedstart and a Whinchat. A Little Egret was also seen and a Balearic Shearwaterwas seen offshore.Moth trapping produced another two Vestals but at least ten more were flushed from vegetation during the day. A Holly Blue was also seen. The two White-winged Black Terns were still showing well at ARC. Another night-time visit to the rare orthoptera site produced two more female Sickle-bearing Bush Crickets. Sickle-bearing Bush Cricket Phaneroptera falcata    Dungeness   30th August 2015.  The third individual to be found.
31st		A dismal day for the most part but a Pied and a Spotted Flycatcher and four Tree Pipits flew over. A brief spell of seabird passage produced two Sooty and two Balearic Shearwaters, 13 Arctic Skuas, two Great Skuas and 13 Black Terns and threeBlack-tailed Godwits came in. A Little Ringed Plover and a Common Sandpiperflew over in the early hours. Elsewhere, both the White-winged Black Terns were showing well at the ARC Pit and an Icterine Warbler was seen a couple of times in bushes near the RSPB Visitors Centre. A remarkable night at the moth traps (four in operation)  in warm, thundery conditions produced yet another Convolvulus Hawk-moth and a Scarce Bordered Straw but more remarkable was a total of at least 35 Vestals. A Fern was also unusual. A rare migrant micro-moth, Tebenna micalis was also trapped and is new species for Dungeness.  Tebenna micalis and Convolvulus Hawk-moth Agrius convolvuli   Dungeness   31st August 2015

July 2015

July 1st		A very hot day with a little movement including a flock of 19 Shelduck east offshore and a Yellow Wagtail overhead. Seven Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore.There was a fair bit of insect interest with the moth traps producing two notable Observatory 2nd records in the form of a Red-necked Footman and Marbled White-spot. The former appears to be one of a significant arrival of this species overnight. Also noteworthy in the trap was a Small Seraphim. Red-necked Footman Atolmis rubricollis   Dungeness   July 1st 2015 There were also large numbers of butterflies with Large White arriving in their hundreds and the first second brood Brown Argus being seen.
July 2nd		Very little to report on the bird side of things other than eight Mediterranean Gullsfeeding offshore.However, it was another very interesting night for moths with the traps producingOrange Moth and Beautiful Hook-tip (both new species for the Observatory) and aBrussels Lace (the second record for the Observatory). Orange Moth Angerona prunaria & Beautiful Hook-tip Laspeyria flexula  Dungeness  July 2nd 2015
July 3rd		Three juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls and four Mediterranean Gulls were feeding at the Patch this morning and 200 Swifts passed through.Of greater note was this Broad-bodied Chaser photographed at the Long Pits this afternoon. This species is remarkably rare in the Observatory recording area with the only other record I can find since 1994 being of one on 26th May 1999. Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa    Dungeness   3rd July 2015 A Clouded Yellow was also seen but the moth traps were very disappointing.
July 4th		Little to report other than four Mediterranean Gulls feeding at the Patch.
July 5th		Limited coverage during the morning amidst thunderstorms which produced a fewSwifts and a Grey Wagtail passing over. Most of the days interest was offshore where a juvenile Mediterranean and two juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls were feeding along the shore-line along with a super adult Roseate Tern. Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii   Dungeness   5th July 2015 Notable among the moths trapped last night were Marbled White-spot and Green Silver-lines (both third records for the Observatory. Marbled White-spot Protodeltote pygarga and Green Silver-lines Pseudoips prasiana
July 6th		There were nine Mediterranean Gulls including two juveniles and ten juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls feeding offshore. The Roseate Tern was seen again from the fishing boats during the afternoon.
July 7th		There were five Mediterranean Gulls and five juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls feeding offshore. Overhead, 125 Swifts and singles of Grey and Yellow Wagtails flew south.Having finally got around to checking my photographs of the Roseate Tern on Sunday it now appears there were two birds present. during the afternoon. One with and one without rings.
July 8th		On a day with strong to near gale force NW winds the main interest was in Swifts with around 4000 moving south during the morning. A Mediterranean Gull and two juvenileYellow-legged Gulls were feeding offshore.
July 9th		Eight Mediterranean Gulls and six juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls were feeding at the Patch and a Manx Shearwater flew east this morning and there was a trickle of passage overhead including a Grey Heron, a Ringed Plover, two Yellow Wagtails, four Grey Wagtails and seven Siskins.The highlight of the day on the insect front was this rare form of Small Copperbutterfly found in the moat by Paul Hogben. Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas var radiata   Dungeness   9th July 2015
July 10th		Five Mediterranean Gulls and six juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls were feeding offshore and a Whimbrel flew west. The trickle of birds passing overhead continued with singles of Grey Wagtail and Siskin and two Yellow Wagtails. A Cuckoo was seen at the Long Pits and a Redstart was seen in a private garden.Moth trapping produced the first Tansy Plume Gillmeria ochrodactyla for Dungeness for many years whilst Sean Clancy caught the pyralid Sciota rhennella - the third British record and second area record.. The Small Copper var radiata was still in the moat. Elsewhere in the area this week the two Spoonbills continued to be seen daily at Scotney and the first small signs of returning waders were noted with a scattering ofLittle Ringed Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits, Greenshanks and Common Sandpipers. A Red Kite was seen a number of times yesterday.
July 11th		Singles of Tree Pipit, Grey Wagtail and Siskin passed overhead.Moth trapping finally produced three Small Mottled Willows along with a Poplar Lutestring and two True Lover's Knots.
July 12th		Two Mediterranean Gulls and two Yellow-legged Gulls (all juvs) feeding offshore where the only birds of note today.Moth trapping produced a True Lovers Knot.
July 13th		A fairly miserable day with fresh SW winds and frequent drizzle/light rain for most of the day. Little sign of anything much on the land but five adult Dunlin came in off the sea and 230 Swifts flew south.A total of five hours seawatching during the day eventually returned a Sooty Shearwater and four Manx Shearwaters whilst a couple each of juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls and Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore.
July 14th		Most of the day's observations were offshore with 6.5hrs of seawatching producing 53Common Scoters, 428 Gannets and 124 Sandwich Terns and seven Mediterranean Gulls and four juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls feeding along the beach.The only land birds of significance were a few Swifts, a flock of 52 Sand Martinsheading out to sea and a Siskin over the Observatory. The highlight of the nights moth trapping was a Purple Clay - only the second Observatory record. Purple Clay Diarsia brunnea   Dungeness   14th July 2015
July 15th		Most of the limited interest was offshore again where 89 Common Scoters, 378Gannets, a Tufted Duck and 120 Sandwich Terns were seen and six Mediterranean Gulls were feeding.The best of the moth was a Buff Footman - only the second Observatory record and hot on the heels of the first on July 12th last year.
July 16th		At least eight Mediterranean Gulls and five Yellow-legged Gulls (four juveniles and an adult) were feeding around the Point and a Shelduck flew east.The first Small Red-eyed Damselflies of the year were seen on the southern Long Pit.
July 17th		A Sooty Shearwater flew east in the evening and five Lapwings and a Siskin flew over the Observatory during the morning.Elsewhere during the week. the two Spoonbills remained at Scotney and there were small numbers of waders on the pits and an unusual arrival of Redshanks today with at least 145 being seen. Good numbers of Swifts and Sand Martins are already building up and heading south.
July 18th		An adult Mediterranean Gull was seen at the Patch and 150 Swifts and three Siskinsflew over the area on an otherwise quiet day in the Observatory area.Of note in the moth trap was the third Marbled White-spot of the year. A good proportion of the day was spent at the ARC Pit on the RSPB Reserve were a superb adult (just beginning to shows signs of moult into winter plumage) White-winged Black Tern was found.
July 19th		With other commitments very little time was spent in the field. Five juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls were feeding at the fishing boats.The moth traps provided all the day's interest with the highlight being an Orache Moth(a new species for the Observatory) and a supporting cast including a Least Carpet, V-Pug, four Sussex Emeralds, Buff Arches, two Small Mottled Willows and aLangmaid's Yellow Underwing. Orache Trachea atriplicis   Dungeness   18th July 2015
July 20th		Not a great deal of coverage again with just a few Swifts and Sand Martins passing south and also a couple of Siskins over. Two Ravens were also flying around the power station. Three Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore. Moth trapping continues to provide most of the interest with our first-ever Splendid Brocade and third records of Four-spotted Footman and Brussels Lace along with aLatticed Heath, a Small Mottled Willow and two Langmaid's Yellow Underwings. Splendid Brocade Lacanobia splendens and Four-spotted Footman Lithosia quadra   Dungeness   20th July 2015
July 21st		Still pretty quiet for migrants. There were two Common Sandpipers on the Long Pits and a Marsh Harrier, a  few Sand Martins and a Yellow Wagtail flew over. AMediterranean Gull and three juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls were feeding at the Patch.Another Small Mottled Willow was the best of a much reduced overnight catch.
July 22nd		There was a trickle of passage offshore with 28 Sanderlings, 12 Whimbrels and nineKittiwakes whilst a Greenshank flew over the Observatory. Three juvenileMediterranean Gulls and seven juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls were feeding offshore.On the moth front a Double-lobed was trapped overnight and is only the fifth Observatory  record.
July 23rd		During the day 300 Gannets, nine Dunlin, three Whimbrel and 11 Kittiwakes flew west and an immature Pomarine Skua was harassing a small feeding flock of terns in the evening. A Marsh Harrier flew over and the first Great Spotted Woodpecker and Willow Warbler of the autumn were seen.
July 24th		There was a reasonable passage of Common Terns during the morning and aBalearic Shearwater came into the bay to feed in the afternoon. Two Little Stints and an Arctic Skua flew east. Six Mediterranean Gulls and two juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls were also seen. Large numbers of Swifts and Sand Martins were gathered over the Point this morning and more surprisingly there were also good numbers of Swallows which seems very early. Of note amongst a large catch of moths was a Double Kidney (12th Observatory record) and four Small Mottled Willows.
July 25th		After a very wet and windy night there was a small movement of birds offshore with over five hrs of watching producing a Manx Shearwater, around 600 Gannets, sixWhimbrel, an Arctic Skua and a party of three Black Terns moving west. Overhead , some 2300 Swifts were seen as they moved in a mainly SW direction.
July 26th		On a day when the weather rapidly deteriorated to wet and windy conditions most of the interest was offshore. Over seven hrs of watching produced two Balearic and twoManx Shearwaters, 21 Fulmars, 900 Gannets, 100 Dunlin, 50 Sanderling, sixWhimbrel, an Arctic Skua, two Little Gulls, a Little Tern, the first juvenile Arctic Tern of the summer and 18 adult Black Terns including a flock of 15 feeding off the fishing boats in the evening. A juvenile Mediterranean Gull and four Yellow-legged Gulls were also seen.The highlight from the moth traps was another Small Mottled Willow.
July 27th		A day of very strong winds made land observations almost impossible and the sea was not much better with just a westward trickle of Gannets and three juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls feeding along the beach at the fishing boats.
July 28th		Another very windy day. Despite the conditions the sea was very quiet with just a steady westward trickle of Gannets during the afternoon along with five Fulmars and a few terns.There was very little on the land although a Grey Wagtail flew over. The tortrix moth Pammene aurita was found on the Sycamore in the trapping area and appears to be a new species for the Observatory area. Pammene aurita   Dungeness   28th July 2015
July 29th		Good numbers of Gannets moved west during the day and the morning seawatch also produced singles of Manx Shearwater and Arctic Skua.There was the first, small arrival of Willow Warblers of the autumn with eight being seen whilst 41 Sand Martins and a Yellow Wagtail passed overhead. Of note elsewhere, a Bee-eater was seen briefly at ARC on the RSPB Reserve.
July 30th		There was another small arrival of Willow Warblers with ten birds seen during the morning and a Common Sandpiper was seen at the Long Pits. There was a decent bit of movement overhead including 700 Swifts, 50 Sand Martins, a Yellow Wagtailand two Siskins. Two Yellow-legged Gulls (an adult and a juvenile) where seen at the Patch.Two Clouded Yellow butterflies were seen in from of the power station and a Holly Blue was seen in the trapping area and there was a noticeable increase in the numbers of Painted Ladies and Red Admirals. Overnight moth trapping produced anotherSmall Mottled Willow.
July 31st		There was another very small migrants on the land this morning with two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, seven Willow Warblers and three Sedge Warblers whilst aWood Sandpiper and 200 Sand Martins flew through.Although the sea was very quiet in terms of numbers of birds seen a watch in the mid-afternoon did produce a light-phase Pomarine Skua and a Black Tern passing east. Four juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls were also seen.

June 2015

1st		A Spotted Flycatcher, two Willow Warblers and a Garden Warbler were seen in the bushes and a Hobby was seen perched on the beach at the fishing boats but nothing much else to report.
2nd		Another miserable day of very strong winds and fairly constant rain. The only option was seawatching where seven hours observation produced an excellent total of 53Manx Shearwaters moving west along with 13 Fulmars and 89 Gannets and twoArctic Skuas which flew east.
3rd		A Willow Warbler was a new arrival in the trapping area whilst a first-summerMediterranean Gull was roosting on the beach at the Patch. It was otherwise very quiet but at least the wind dropped through the day and it was considerably warmer than of late.
4th		Plenty of effort today in nice weather for a change. Migrants as expected were pretty scarce but did include a semi-rarity in the form of a very flighty Serin in mid-morning.Elsewhere, a male Red-footed Falcon was seen at Galloways on the Lydd Ranges before they were closed to the public for the rest of the day.
5th		Very quiet despite what seemed pretty good conditions for a few late migrants.There was however plenty of migrant lepidoptera activity with at least 12Hummingbird Hawk-moths, a Clouded Yellow, several Painted Ladies and a fewDiamond-back Moths, Rush Veneers and Silver Y's around. At least two Small Mottled Willows were also trapped at Lydd and Greatstone. Not a great deal to be seen during the week elsewhere on the peninsula with yesterdays Red-footed Falcon being the highlight of a very stormy week. Large numbers, (1000+) of Swifts were frequently feeding over the pits. Several Egyptian Geese continue to be seen at Dengemarsh.
6th		Not much to report except for a party of five Grey Herons flying west offshore, sevenMediterranean Gulls feeding at the Patch and two Jays on the land.Moth trapping produced a Bordered Straw and at least ten Hummingbird Hawk-moths were seen during the day.
7th		Three Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore and a couple of Jays were feeding in the trapping area.Three Bordered Straws were trapped overnight and at least seven Hummingbird Hawk-moths were seen during the day.
8th		A cool day with rapidly increasing NE winds. No signs of any passage with just threeMediterranean Gulls at the Patch and a Cuckoo on the land of any note.
9th		Very little to be seen in difficult condition. Three Mediterranean Gulls were feeding at the Patch.
10th		A party of four Mediterranean Gulls was about the only noteworthy sighting on yet another very windy day.
11th		A warmer day but still very windy and nothing of note to be seen except for nineMediterranean Gulls.
12th		A juvenile Stonechat was seen in the moat and a Siskin flew over. An Arctic Skuaflew east and a first-summer Mediterranean Gull was feeding offshore.
13th		A Cuckoo was seen in the trapping area and a Black Tern was feeding with a large flock of Common Terns offshore.Five Bordered Straws were caught overnight and a Lime Hawk-moth was only the 20th Observatory record since 1989.
14th		Four Mediterranean Gulls and a first-summer Little Gull were feeding at the Patch this evening and a Cuckoo was singing at the Long Pits but there was little else to be seen.One Bordered Straw was found in the ringing hut.
15th		Eight Mediterranean Gulls were feeding at the Patch but coverage was limited today.
16th		Two Mediterranean Gulls were feeding at the Patch and a Cuckoo was seen at the Long Pits. A Grey Wagtail flew south over the area.
22nd		Limited coverage over recent days but today produced a Little Egret flying west offshore.
23rd		Three Crossbills were the only birds of note.
24th		Another very quiet day at the Observatory. Moth trapping produced a Bordered Strawand only our second-ever Reddish Light Arches.
25th		The highlight of the day was a Bee-eater which spent a minute or so feeding around the Observatory in the morning (although this was quickly upstaged by a party of ten heading quickly south-west over Boulderwall.) There was also a Marsh Harrier,  70Swifts, two Sand Martins and two Yellow Wagtails passing through. Offshore this evening there was the first feeding frenzy of the summer with 200 Gannets and large numbers of gulls and including two Mediterranean Gulls.
26th		A Siskin flew over the trapping area and about 130 Swifts flew south during the day.
27th		Very quiet.
28th		A quiet day was enlivened by a Bee-eater which passed quickly through heading west at 1250hrs.
29th		A Marsh Harrier flew over the trapping area.Seawatching produced a steady westerly movement of Gannets through the day and ten Mediterranean Gulls.

May 2015

1st		A new month but little change in the birds. Seawatching produced a decent stream ofCommon Terns and 546 Bar-tailed Godwits along with a Black-throated Diver, 31Knot, 27 Whimbrel, a Great Skua, 34 Little Terns and five Arctic Terns.It remains extremely quiet on the land. During the week two parties of Spoonbills were seen but the once regular Cattle Egrets seem to have moved on. An Osprey flew over the Reserve today.
2nd		A cold easterly wind for most of the day but still extremely quiet on the land but a continuing steady movement, mainly of terns, moving east.Nine hours of seawatching produced five Black-throated Divers, eight Grey Plovers, 56 Bar-tailed Godwits, 15 Whimbrel, four Arctic Skuas, 95 Kittiwakes, a Little Gull, 26 Little Terns, 591 Sandwich Terns and 2153 Common Terns. The only birds of note on the land were 22 Swallows and three Yellow Wagtails.
3rd		The day began with strong SE winds and rain which brought a decent movement of birds offshore. Of note were 102 Fulmars, 400 Gannets, 25 Knot, 32 Sanderling, 75Bar-tailed Godwits, a Greenshank, 11 Arctic Skuas, nine Great Skuas, eight Little Gulls, 12 Little Terns, 31 Black Terns, 253 Sandwich Terns and 1751 Common Terns. The highlight though was a near adult Iceland Gull which flew around the Patch and then off eastwards. (Thanks to Wes Attridge for the image.)Still very few birds on the land with a couple of Garden Warblers being the best. The other highlight of the day was a pod of at least six White-beaked Dolphinsfeeding fairly inshore this morning - the third sighting of the spring. Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides    Dungeness   3rd May 2015 (Wes Attridge)
4th		Plenty of coverage today produced some decent seabirds, a steady overhead migration and a small number of grounded migrants.The best of the 9.25hrs of seawatching was six Pomarine Skuas along with 13 Arcticand seven Great Skuas, four Black-throated Divers, an adult Little Gull and 723Common Terns. A first-summer Little Gull was feeding at the Patch. Birds passing overhead included 55 Swifts, nine Jays, 180 Swallows, 13 House Martins, eight Sand Martins, a Tree Pipit, five Yellow Wagtails, 34 Goldfinches and two Siskins. A handful of grounded migrants included seven Willow Warblers and tenChiffchaffs. Elsewhere, a Crane flew over the RSPB Visitor Centre and headed towards Lydd at 1615hrs. Thanks to Mark Stanley for his image of this bird. Crane Grus grus   Dungeness RSPB   4th May 2015 (Mark Stanley)
5th		The mornings seawatch produced ten Arctic and five Great Skuas and 248 Sandwich Terns east and 11 Fulmars and a Manx Shearwater west and a Black Tern feeding at the Patch. Otherwise there was nothing else to report on a very windy day.
6th		When is the wind going to drop? Another day of fierce winds and very few birds. Nearly six hours of seawatching produced just four Manx Shearwaters, three Arctic Skuas, three Great Skuas and two Mediteranean Gulls and an incoming Hobby of note on the sea. The land was barely birdable with just single Redstart of interest.The Observatory also welcomed Steve Cook on Day 6 of a nine-month, 4000 mile walk around the coast of Britain in support of the crusade to stamp out drugs in the UK. See here www.walkthekingdom.co.uk to follow and support Steve's progress over the coming months.
7th		Another windy day (at least until the evening) morning produced very little offshore and only the thinnest scatter of migrants in the bushes although some of these may actually be territory-holding birds. A mammoth 9.5hr of seawatching remarkably produced just one Arctic Skua and almost nothing else moving east. Two Hobbies came in off and two Eider flew west. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was feeding at the Patch. Migrants on the land included 65 Swallows and a minor rarity in the form of a Jay at the Long Pits.  The first Blue-tailed, Common Blue and Red-eyed Damselflies of the year were seen. With the constant strong winds and generally low temperatures it has been very good for butterflies so it was a stunning sight to see the Senetti plant in the back garden attracting a Brown Argus.and one or two Small Coppers!! Small Coppers Lycaena phlaeas on Senetti   Dungeness   7th May 2015 Steve Cook heading off on Day 7 of his challenge to work around Britain.  Next stop Folkestone. Good luck.
8th		Hopes were high amongst the regulars that with the wind dropping and turning easterly there would be a decent seawatch. Unfortunately the birds had not read the script and it was another slow day. Admittedly, two Pomarine Skuas eventually passed through but other than Sandwich and "commic" Terns, (1450 of the latter), there was very little else in over ten hours of watching. The best of the rest were 22 Sanderlings, 25Whimbrels, four Arctic Skuas, a Great Skua and 12 Little Terns. A Hobby also came in off the sea.The bird of the day but for just one observer was a Melodious Warbler which showed briefly in his garden but could not be relocated after the initial sighting. The only other birds of note on the land were a Jay, a few Swallows, a migrant Reed Warbler and aTree Sparrow. Elsewhere during the week there were very few new birds to be seen in the mostly very windy conditions. A Great White Egret remains on the RSPB Reserve and aMontagu's Harrier flew north over Littlestone yesterday.
9th		With strong winds and some rain during the morning it was another day where the sea seemed like the option but yet again it failed to deliver. Over seven hours of watching produced just one Manx Shearwater, six Arctic and five Great Skuas, twoMediterranean Gulls and six Little Terns of interest.It was very quiet on the land although a Pied Flycatcher was seen n a private garden and 185 Swallows and 31 House Martins passed overhead.
10th		A calm morning for a change resulted in a very small arrival of migrants with twoSpotted Flycatchers, a Redstart and two Lesser Whitethroats of note in the bushes whilst Swallows passed through all day. A Tree Pipit and Siskin also flew over.The sea was very quiet with just a Mediterranean Gull, a Black Tern and 15 Little Terns of any note. On the insect front, the Senetti in the back garden continues to attract butterflies and today included this variant Small Copper. Small Copper Lyceana phlaeas variant   Dungeness   10th May 2015
11th		A trickle of birds offshore in the early morning included two Velvet Scoters, aPomarine, three Arctic and one Great Skua moving east. A first-summerMediterranean Gull flew west this evening.A handful of migrants on the land included the first two Turtle Doves of the spring, fourJays and a Spotted Flycatcher. The highlight of a small overnight catch of moths was this Ni Moth - only the 4th Observatory record of this scarce migrant species. Ni Moth Trichoplusia ni  Dungeness  11th May 2015
12th		Extremely quiet on both land and sea with two Jays and a Siskin being about the best on offer.
13th		A fine and sunny day but still quiet on the bird front. Two Eider, an Arctic Skua and three Little Terns were the only things of note offshore and four Buzzards, aWhinchat and 130 Swallows were about the best the land could offer.
14th		There was a decent seawatch this morning before the rain arrived and washed out most of the rest of the day. Highlights included a drake Garganey, two Black-throated Divers, six Arctic Skuas, 1450 'commic' Terns, 450 Sandwich Terns and a Roseate Tern.However, birds of the day were two White-winged Terns which arrived on Burrowes Pit in late-morning and then showed well for the rest of the day.
15th		Another generally quiet day. The first few hours of the morning saw more Sandwichand Common Terns along with two Arctic Skuas and five Little Terns and a Little Egret and two Hobbies came in.The only migrants of note on the land were 100 Swallows and a Tree Pipit. The White-winged Terns were still present on the Reserve, showing on either Burrowes Pit or at Dengemarsh. Also seen elsewhere during the week was a Purple Heron on Burrowes and a Golden Oriole at the Water Tower Pits on 13th. A Great White Egret was seen on the Reserve on 14th and small numbers of Hobbies continue to feed in the general area.
16th		The first Cuckoo of the year (very late for us) was seen at the Long Pits but far more interesting was a very strong and unusual, mainly southerly movement of 1200Swallows along with a Hobby, three Greenshanks and a Siskin. Six Blackcaps and three Lesser Whitethroats were also singing at the Long Pits although these may well be territory-holding birds.There was no sign of the White-winged Terns on the Reserve today but they were replaced this evening by a short-staying adult Bonaparte's Gull on Burrowes at 1720hrs. This is the third Dungeness record. Bonaparte's Gull Larus philadelphia   Dungeness RSPB Reserve   16th May 2015 (Steve Gale)
17th		A very quiet day with no obviously fresh migrants in the bushes and just two Hobbiesoverhead of interest. Also very quiet offshore.
18th		A dismal day with very strong winds and also rain for a good part of it and with absolutely nothing worth mentioning being seen.
19th		Another wild and windy day with very little to be seen. There was a second-summerYellow-legged Gull at the Patch and a few Fulmars moved west at long range as the wind dropped in the evening.
20th		A strange day with very few birds but with some surprises. The most notable was aNuthatch which landed briefly on a telegraph pole before heading quickly north and only the second Observatory area record. A Short-eared Owl and a Spotted Flycatcher were also seen in the trapping area and two Jays were seen at the northern end of the recording area.There was barely any discernible movement offshore but a Hobby arrived and sevenMediterranean Gulls and 230 Common Terns were feeding at the Patch.
21st		Another thin scatter of migrants included a Redstart in the Old Lighthouse Garden, a singing Reed Warbler in the moat, a few Swallows and Chiffchaffs, a Jay arriving from the east and six Mediterranean Gulls offshore. However, the avian highlight was this superb Red Kite found roosting in the trapping area this morning.We approached it carefully and got to what we thought was a safe distance so as not to flush it and took several hundred photographs including the first two below. Then a dog walker crossed between us and the bird! Neither seemed to notice the other. So we approached a bit closer. It eventually took flight as the air warmed up and spent twenty minutes or so circling the Point before heading off westwards. Red Kite Milvus milvus   Dungeness   21st May 2015 However the most unexpected find was this male Downy Emerald dragonfly patrolling the rides through the bushes in the moat. This is the first record for Dungeness - we think the nearest known breeding site is Castle Water at Rye Harbour Downy Emerald Cordulia aenea   Dungeneness  21st May 2015
22nd		Very little of interest seen today. Three first-summer Mediterranean Gulls were feeding at the Patch and an Arctic Skua was harassing terns off the fishing boats this evening.A nymph Southern Oak Bush-cricket was found in the Observatory garden. The few previous records have all involved adults in late autumn so this is the first real evidence of them as a breeding species.
23rd		A thin scatter of migrants during the day included singles of Grey Plover, Spotted Flycatcher, Yellow Wagtail and Tree Pipit and 40 Chaffinches of note.A first-summer Mediterranean Gull was feeding at the Patch.
24th		Very quiet.Of interest, I have just been made aware that a second Downy Emerald dragonfly was seen and photographed at the Water Tower Pits on May 22nd.
25th		Another very quiet day with about the only migrant being a single Spotted Flycatcherin the trapping area.
26th		A Little Tern was feeding along the beach this morning and a Corn Bunting flew south along the coast but it was otherwise very quiet again.
27th		A Spotted Flycatcher and a Siskin were the only obvious migrants of another quiet day.
28th		Two Arctic Skuas flew east and a first-summer Mediterranean Gull was feeding at the Patch but little else was seen.A Bordered Straw was caught in the moth trap overnight.
29th		Just what has happened to the spring. A thoroughly unpleasant day with a strong and cold wind eventually bringing some very heavy rain with it and little in the way of birds. Several attempts at seawatching produced just one Arctic Skua of note whilst an adultMediterranean Gull was feeding at the Patch.  It was pretty quiet elsewhere on Dungeness during the week. A Spoonbill was seen at Scotney on 24th, two Great White Egret flew over Lade on 29th and large numbers ofHobbies (up to 25) were seen on and around the RSPB Reserve. Large numbers ofSwifts were also feeding over the pits when the weather was poor.
30th		Two Willow Warblers singing in the trapping area and a Spotted Flycatcher in the moat were new arrivals and a first-summer Mediterranean Gull was feeding at the Patch.
31st		Yet another day of strong winds and heavy rain at times. Little coverage but there was a steady trickle of Gannets flying west through the day.