Dungeness Bird Observatory

28th Feb

The severe winter weather continues and is making observations difficult. A party of seven Pintails flew east and the regular Glaucous Gull and at least four Mediterranean Gulls were among the huge numbers of gulls at the Patch.

27th Feb

Strong winds, very cold and with some snow overnight and during the day. The numbers of gulls increased at the Patch but with only the regular Glaucous Gull and six Mediterranean Gulls of note. A Fieldfare was the only sign of any cold weather movement on the land.

Two Porpoises were seen offshore.

25th Feb

More wind and getting colder and not much to be seen except for the regular Glaucous Gull at the Patch and an adult Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats.

24th Feb

The wind and cold continues and very little to be seen other than the regular Glaucous Gull at the Patch.

The gulls provided a decent bit of interest on the RSPB Reserve where a second-winter Iceland Gull and a new juvenile Glaucous Gull joined the regular bird.

Gulls Dungeness RSPB Reserve 24th February 2018
If you look carefully you can see an Iceland Gull and both Glaucous Gulls in this image.

23rd Feb

A bitterly cold and windy day and not much to report other than the regular Glaucous Gull at the Patch/Power Station along with an adult Mediterranean Gull.

Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus juvenile Dungeness 23rd February 2018

22nd Feb

A cold and breezy day and limited coverage. The Glaucous Gull was at the Patch again but very little else was seen.

21st Feb

The regular juvenile Glaucous Gull was feeding around the Portakabins in the power station again.
Three Snipe, a Song Thrush and a Rock Pipit were of interest on the land.

20th Feb

Another miserable morning of rain and very poor visibility. The two Glaucous Gulls were seen at various times during the day and an adult Mediterranean Gull was also seen off the the fishing boats.
The best of the birds on the land were a Mistle Thrush, five Song Thrushes and two Bullfinches.

A Porpoise was feeding with the Cormorants offshore.

19th Feb

A miserable day of almost constant rain. Coverage was limited but at least 80 Red-throated Divers flew west and the regular juvenile/first-winter Glaucous Gull was seen at the Patch.

Late in the day, both of the Glaucous Gulls were found on the RSPB Reserve.

Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus RSPB 19th February 2018
A rare opportunity to get two Glaucous Gulls in one photograph although the light was very poor.

18th Feb

Most of the days interest was on the beach where two juv/first-winter Glaucous Gulls and a new first-winter Caspian Gull joined the throng at the fishing boats and three Velvet Scoters and an adult Mediterranean Gull passed through.