7th Sep

The highlight from nearly 11 hours of seawatching was an adult Sabine's Gull but with considerable back-up in the form of three Teal, a Scaup, 69 Ringed Plover, five Whimbrel, eight Curlew, two Bar-tailed Godwits, 31 Turnstone, 17 Sanderling, seven Dunlin, three Common Sandpipers, a Redshank, 136 Kittiwakes, a Little Gull, 25 Mediterranean Gulls, 1450 Sandwich Terns, 348 Common Terns, five Black Terns, a Great Skua, 65 Arctic Skuas, a Manx Shearwater and four Balearic Shearwaters. Three juvenile Caspian Gulls and two juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls were among large numbers of gulls feeding on the beach.

The highlights overhead were three Honey Buzzards along with 14 Swifts, 310 Sand Martins, 2000 Swallows, 86 House Martins, 12 Yellow Wagtails, three Grey Wagtails and a Tree Pipit. Grounded migrants included 18 Chiffchaffs, eight Blackcaps, five Lesser Whitethroats and two Spotted Flycatchers.

Six Porpoises, four Grey Seals and a Common Seal were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen on the land.

The highlight from the moth traps was another Ni Moth - the fourth record of the year at the Observatory.

6th Sep

The day started early with the catching of a superb Barn Owl in the trapping area just after midnight. 

Barn Owl Tyto alba   Dungeness   6th September 2026

Raptors featured on the land with an Osprey and a Honey Buzzard of note while two Green Sandpipers, 600 Sand Martins, 2340 Swallows, 273 House Martins, 29 Yellow Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail and four Tree Pipits also passed overhead. Grounded migrants included 20 Willow Warblers, eight Chiffchaffs, 43 Blackcaps, two Spotted Flycatchers, a Pied Flycatcher and two Whinchats. A Dartford Warbler was also seen.

Just under 11 hours of seawatching produced two Shovelers, 22 Teal, 41 Common Scoter, 57 Kittiwakes west (+80 feeding), a Little Gull, 25 Mediterranean Gulls west and then a flock of 100 feeding over the point in the evening, 1285 Sandwich Terns, 194 Common Terns, 26 Black Terns, a Great Skua, 78 Arctic Skua west and ten loafing offshore, four Fulmars, a Sooty Shearwater and two Balearic Shearwaters.

Six Porpoise and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

Four Clouded Yellows were seen.

5th Sep

The highlight among the birds passing overhead was a Honey Buzzard with back up in the form of a Swift, a Little Egret, a Greenshank, four Buzzards, 250 Swallow, 640 House Martin, three Tree Sparrows, 23 Yellow Wagtails and three Grey Wagtails.

There were plenty of migrants in the bushes including 60 Willow Warblers, three Sedge Warblers, 19 Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler, seven Lesser Whitethroats, 24 Whitethroats, five Spotted Flycatchers, a Redstart and a Whinchat while a Kingfisher was an unexpected capture and a Wryneck was seen again.

Kingfisher Alcedo atthis   Dungeness   5th September 2026

The waders on the beach included a Curlew Sandpiper along with 42 Ringed Plover, eight Bar-tailed Godwit, 16 Sanderling and 27 Dunlin. Offshore passage was generally light but 14 Arctic Skuas were seen during the afternoon. 

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore and a Grey Squirrel was seen in a private garden.

Twenty Clouded Yellows were very noteworthy while the moths traps produced a Red Underwing and a Small Mottled Willow and three Vestals were flushed from vegetation during the day. 

4th Sep

More windy and wet conditions meant most of the coverage was of the sea. The highlight was a Grey Phalarope which spent about an hour feeding offshore while bits and pieces included eight Mediterranean Gulls, five Caspian Gulls, 940 Sandwich Terns, seven Black Terns, 18 Arctic Skuas, five Fulmars, a Manx and four Balearic Shearwaters. As the weather improved a few birds were found in the bushes with a Wryneck and a Pied Flycatcher of note. A bit of overhead passage included 53 Sand Martins, 152 Swallows and seven Yellow Wagtails.

Caspian Gulls Larus cachinnans   first-years   Dungeness    4th September 2026
Images of two of the five Caspian Gulls present today.
The upper bird was color-ringed Yellow with Black E:H and is likely to be a bird of Dutch origin.

Five Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

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3rd Sep

A damp and breezy day. Nearly five hours of seawatching produced 343 Sandwich Terns, 56 Common Terns, two Black Terns, a Great Skua and 21 Arctic Skuas of note. A few migrants were grounded including 26 Willow Warblers, six Blackcaps, 15 Lesser Whitethroats, three Spotted Flycatchers and a Pied Flycatcher. 

2nd Sep

A Wryneck was seen at the Long Pits again amid another decent arrival of common migrants including a Short-eared Owl, a Hobby,  45 Willow Warblers, 15 Chiffchaffs, four Sedge Warblers, two Grasshopper Warblers, 55 Blackcaps, three Garden Warblers, 55 Lesser Whitethroats, 120 Whitethroats, three Spotted Flycatchers, two Pied Flycatchers, three Redstarts, four Whinchats and ten Wheatears.  A Dotterel flew over the area during the morning along with a Golden Plover, two Snipe and four Greenshanks, 945 Swallows, 150 House Martins, 55 Yellow Wagtails, four Grey Wagtails and three Tree Pipits.

Seawatching was fairly slow but a Black Tern, two Great Skuas and six Arctic Skuas passed offshore and a juvenile Caspian Gull at the fishing boats were noteworthy.

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

The moth traps produced 14 Small Mottled Willows, three Palpita vitrealis and a Vestal (with a further four seen in the field). Three Clouded Yellows were also seen.

The White-winged Black Tern was still showing well on Burrowes Pit, RSPB.

1st Sep

There was an excellent arrival of migrants today with a Nightjar, a Wryneck and a Red-backed Shrike of particular note and numbers provided by 80 Willow Warblers, ten Reed Warblers, 56 Blackcaps, 39 Lesser Whitethroats, 88 Whitethroats, four Spotted Flycatchers, three Redstarts, three Whinchats and also a Short-eared Owl, two Grasshopper Warbler, a Firecrest and a Pied Flycatcher. Birds passing through overhead included two Buzzards, 930 Swallows, 112 House Martins, 11 Yellow Wagtails and three Grey Wagtails.

The sea was fairly quiet but six Arctic Skuas, a Great Skua and a Sooty Shearwater were seen during the day.

Seven Clouded Yellows were seen.

The White-winged Black Tern was still showing well on the RSPB Reserve.

31st Aug

Another breezy day but with reduced offshore passage which still produced an adult Sabine's Gull west in the morning along with a Gadwall, a Little Tern, three Black Terns, 422 Common Terns, 635 Sandwich Terns, a Little Gull, seven Mediterranean Gulls, four Arctic Skuas and a Balearic Shearwater. Single juvenile Caspian Gull and Yellow-legged Gulls were on the beach.

Very quiet on the land although a White Stork made several flights over the recording area in the morning and single Grey Wagtail and Tree Pipit also passed through.

Two Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

Three Clouded Yellows were seen.

Elsewhere the White-winged Black Tern continues its stay on the RSPB reserve and a Red-necked Phalarope was found on Scotney Sand Pit. 

30th Aug

Strong westerly winds and showers limited coverage to mainly the sea where ten hours of watching  brought the highlights of the day in the form of a Storm Petrel and 55 Balearic Shearwaters with back up in the form of a Little Gull, ten Mediterranean Gulls, two Caspian Gulls, 2350 Sandwich Terns, 20 Black Terns, an Arctic Tern, 46 Arctic Skuas, two Manx Shearwaters and 560 Gannets. Large numbers of waders were roosting at the Lifeboat Station including 156 Ringed Plovers, 17 Curlew, three Bar-tailed Godwits, a Knot, 18 Sanderlings and 64 Dunlin. The best of the few grounded migrants were ten Willow Warblers, a Redstart and nine Wheatears and 220 Sand Martins and three Yellow Wagtails flew over.

Two Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

The White-winged Black Tern was still showing very well on the RSPB Reserve.

29th Aug

A day of strong to gale-force winds and frequent downpours. Nearly all the coverage was of the  sea with 12 hours of watching producing 38 Black Terns, 1309 Common Terns, 4688 Sandwich Terns, 11 Mediterranean Gulls, a juvenile Caspian Gull, two Yellow-legged Gulls, 48 Arctic Skuas, three Great Skuas, two Sooty Shearwaters, four Manx Shearwaters and 30 Balearic Shearwaters. The Dartford Warbler was seen in the Moat again.

Four Porpoises and two Grey Seals were feeding offshore.