30th Apr

A calm, sunny day but still with cold air. Very few passage migrants on the land although the breeding populations of Whitethroats, Lesser Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Reed Warblers are beginning to build up. Passage migrants of note included five Mediterranean Gulls, a Hobby, 30 Swallows, three Sand Martins, a Garden Warbler, six Yellow Wagtails and singles of Redpoll and Siskin. There was also signs that Mute Swans were unusually active today with a flock of 12 flying over the Long Pits and another ten birds seen offshore and even landing on the sea.

Seawatching was fairly slow going in the morning but persistence by some paid off as movement increased considerably in the afternoon. An 11 hour session eventually produced 176 Brent Geese, 21 Velvet Scoters (one flock of 18), 458 Common Scoters, three Black-throated Divers and a Great Northern Diver, 23 Sanderling, 38 Dunlin, 36 Whimbrel, five Little Gulls, three Mediterranean Gulls, 14 Little Terns, 495 Common and 360 Arctic Terns plus 4330 "Commic Tern", a Black Tern, ten Great Skuas, a Pomarine Skua and nine Arctic Skuas. The Iceland Gull was still feeding at the Patch and another 42 Swallows and a Sand Martin also came in.  

A White-beaked Dolphin moving east fairly close inshore was the highlight of the mammals along with 20 Porpoises and a Grey Seal and three Brown Hares were seen on the land.

Butterfly numbers remain very low but three Grizzled Skippers were seen.

The only Early Spider Orchid on the Point is now in flower.

Early Spider Orchid Ophrys sphegodes   Dungeness   30th April 2021

29th Apr

After yesterdays excitement it was back to earth today with a very quiet morning at sea but a good number of terns moving distantly this afternoon. Over 6.5hrs of seawatching in the end produced 182 Common Scoters, five Mediterranean Gulls, 2700 Common/ic Terns, six Great Skuas and six Arctic Skua. The Iceland Gull was still feeding at the Patch and a Hobby came in from the south.

Migrants on the land remain in low numbers with just four Lesser Whitethroats and a Grey Wagtail of note. Two Buzzards also flew over the area.

A Grey Seal and at least 20 Porpoises were feeding offshore and a Badger came into the Observatory Garden this evening.

28th Apr

A calm, cold and cloudy morning saw an initial steady movement of Brent Geese, Common Scoters and Common Terns but from mid-morning until early afternoon the flood gates opened and resulted in an astounding movement of terns in particular. Seawatching for 10.25 hrs brought some incredible numbers with record day totals of 274 Little Terns, 23,272 Common Terns and 4840 Arctic Terns and also 84 Black Terns and an exceptional four Roseate Terns of note. Other notable totals included 1355 Brent Geese and 1248 Common Scoters along with a Velvet Scoter, four Red-breasted Mergansers, three Black-throated and a Great Northern Diver, a Shag, 19 Whimbrel, 25 Sanderling, seven Mediterranean Gulls, three Great Skuas and 11 Arctic Skuas. In addition, a Great White Egret, a Swift, two Sand Martins, four House Martins and 11 Swallows came in and the long-staying Iceland Gull was still feeding at the Patch.

It was very quiet on the land although coverage was limited by the attractions above but a Common Redpoll was seen in the Moat and a Corn Bunting flew over the Observatory.

Terns on the move

At least 20 Porpoises and a Grey Seal were also feeding offshore.

All the while we were seawatching there were also dramatic scenes on the beach with the arrival of around 60 illegals immigrants in two flimsy inflatables. It is quite an operation for the services when these unfortunate people arrive and todays visitors included several families with very young children. The local Coastguard Air and Sea Rescue helicopter was even deployed with one family being airlifted away and various medical units being used on the beach. Just after all the immigrants had being duly processed and the services stood down a third boat came in to view but this was intercepted by a Border Patrol boat and all the occupants were transferred at sea.

27th Apr

The wind finally dropped but still a cold morning. There were a handful of migrants on the land including the first two Lesser Whitethroats and a Garden Warbler of the spring as well as a Buzzard, 50 Swallows, seven Yellow Wagtails, four Lesser Redpolls and a Siskin. The sea was quieter than of late but ten hours of watching eventually produced three Pomarine Skuas of note along with 115 Brent Geese, a Red-breasted Merganser, three Black-throated Divers, two Manx Shearwaters, ten Grey Plovers, 31 Whimbrel, 120 Bar-tailed Godwits, 33 Little Gulls, 12 Little Terns, 280 Common Terns, eight Great Skuas and six Arctic Skuas.

Eight Porpoise and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

The warm weather brought a few insects out with two Grizzled Skippers and a Hummingbird Hawkmoth in the Trapping Area. A 30 minute search of the moat produced five specimens of our rare shieldbug Geotomus petiti and two specimens of the rare beetle, Hister quadrimaculatus. 

Hister quadrimaculatus   Dungeness   27th April 2021

Elsewhere, a Wood Warbler was seen and heard singing occasionally at Scotney and a couple of Ring Ouzels were seen at Dengemarsh Gully.

Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix   Scotney   27th April 2021

26th Apr

Little change in the weather and migration was again reduced to a trickle. Two seawatch sessions totaling 5.25hrs produced just three Manx Shearwaters, 22 Whimbrel, 62 Bar-tailed Godwits, three Mediterranean Gulls, 165 Common Terns, a Great Skua and an Arctic Skua. The Iceland Gull remains at the Patch. Nothing in the way of migrants on the land to report other than a handful of Swallows and a Sand Martin.

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.

Of note from elsewhere on the peninsula was a Red-rumped Swallow which spent about 30 minutes on view from Springfield Bridge at Dengemarsh this afternoon.

25th Apr

Another cold and windy day. Coverage of the land was difficult again so most of the observations were offshore where over five hours produced four Shoveler, an Eider, two Manx Shearwaters, five Grey Plovers, 19 Whimbrel, 110 Bar-tailed Godwits, an excellent total of 178 Little Gulls (including a flock of 121 birds), five Little Terns, 486 Common Terns, nine Great Skuas, a Pomarine Skua and three Arctic Skuas of note. The Iceland Gull was seen at the Patch again.

Ten Porpoises were feeding offshore.

24th Apr

With the strong and cold NE wind continuing nearly all the coverage involved counting the offshore passage. The highlights were 96 Shovelers, two Pintail, 23 Teal, ten Velvet Scoters, a Slavonian Grebe, nine Grey Plovers, 161 Whimbrel, a Black Tern and an excellent total of 29 Pomarine Skuas. Numbers and backup were provided by 42 Brent Geese, an excellent 3215 Common Scoters, 21 Fulmar, 244 Gannets, 85 Bar-tailed Godwit, 16 Knot, 190 Kittiwakes, 34 Little Gulls, 102 Sandwich Terns, 793 Common Terns, five Arctic Skuas and four Great Skuas. 

The Iceland Gull was still feeding at the Patch.

Two Yellow Wagtails were about the best the land could offer.

At least ten Porpoises were feeding offshore.

23rd Apr

With the cold, strong NE wind continuing to blow all day most of the interest continues to be offshore. Around ten hours of watching produced a Garganey, a Black-throated Diver, a Manx Shearwater, 15 Little Gulls, three Black Terns, 26 Little Terns, four Arctic Terns and four Pomarine Skuas and numbers provided by 12 Shelduck, 35 Shoveler, 116 Whimbrel, 474 Bar-tailed Godwits, 148 Kittiwakes, 110 Sandwich Terns, 902 Common Terns, three Great Skuas and 14 Arctic Skuas. The Iceland Gull continues its long stay at the Patch.

Very quiet on the land with the Pied Flycatcher still present being the only bird of note. 

Nine Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

22nd Apr

The cold and strong NE winds and clear conditions continue. Migrants on the land were few and far between but did include a superb male Pied Flycatcher at the north end of the Long Pits. Another early Swift also arrived. Seawatching produced two Black-throated Divers, nine Fulmars, 374 Gannets, forty Whimbrel, 552 Bar-tailed Godwits, five Sanderling, 72 Kittiwakes, five Little Gulls, four Mediterranean Gulls, 102 Sandwich Terns, 320 Common/ic Terns, a Great Skua and five Arctic Skuas.

Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca   male   Dungeness   22nd April 2021

Six Porpoise and singles of Grey and Common Seal were feeding offshore.

Another Mottled Shieldbug was found in a private garden.

21st Apr

Another 8.5hrs of seawatching was fairly slow going until Bar-tailed Godwits started moving in numbers in the afternoon with a final total of 660 birds. Other bits included a Black-throated Diver, 42 Whimbrel, seven Mediterranean Gulls, 51 Common Terns and an Arctic Skua.

Little in the way of grounded migrants other than a handful of Willow Warblers and three Yellow Wagtails but a very early Swift came in over the Old Lighthouse.

Six Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.