31st Oct

There was more overhead passage with 900 Stock Doves, 185 Wood Pigeons, a Golden Plover, two Great White Egrets, 58 Jackdaws,15 Skylarks, six Swallows, a Tree Sparrow, two Grey Wagtails, 60 Meadow Pipits, 50 Chaffinches, two Bramblings, 15 Redpolls, 100 Goldfinches and 15 Siskins. Grounded migrants included a Woodcock, 30 Chiffchaffs (with two tristis), three Blackcaps, 78 Goldcrests, 13 Firecrests, 55 Blackbirds and a Fieldfare. Seven Dartford Warblers was also a notable count. 

Four Mediterranean Gulls were feeding offshore.

Elsewhere, a drake Ring-necked Duck was found on the small pit behind the caravan park at Scotney and a Glossy Ibis was seen around Cook's Pool on the RSPB Reserve.

30th Oct

A calm morning again resulted in decent numbers of grounded migrants and good numbers of birds passing overhead included 900 Stock Doves, 263 Wood Pigeons, 79 Jackdaws, a Woodlark, 20 Skylarks, two Swallows, a Tree Sparrow, 60 Meadow Pipits, 85 Chaffinches, seven Bramblings, seven Redpolls, 300 Goldfinches, eight Siskins, a Yellowhammer and six Reed Buntings. Birds in the bushes included 15 Chiffchaff and one Siberian Chiffchaff (tristis), three Dartford Warblers, 40 Goldcrests, five Firecrests, 16 Song Thrushes, ten Redwings and 48 Blackbirds. A Barn Owl was also seen. 

A Clouded Yellow was seen.

29th Oct

The wind dropped overnight and the morning saw a decent arrival of birds in the bushes and passing overhead. Birds passing overhead included 200 Stock Doves, 320 Wood Pigeons, a Woodlark, 30 Skylarks, 1160 Starlings, two Tree Sparrows, 400 Chaffinches, 20 Bramblings, 19 Greenfinches, 32 Redpolls, a Mealy Redpoll, 530 Goldfinches, 12 Siskins and 11 Reed Buntings. 

Grounded migrants included 37 Chiffchaffs (with a Siberian tristis), four Blackcaps, ten Goldcrests, four Firecrests and 25 Blackbirds. A Bittern was heard in the evening and a Barn Owl and a Dartford Warbler were also seen during the day.

The sea was very quiet.

A Brown Hare was seen.

A Clouded Yellow was also seen.

28th Oct

Overhead migration was the main feature of the day with 3700 Stock Doves, 400 Wood Pigeons, 11 Golden Plovers, a Great White Egret, a Short-eared Owl, 46 Jackdaws, another remarkable total of 18 Woodlarks, 116 Skylarks, 100 Swallows, 12 House Martins, 1180 Starlings, two Tree Sparrows, a Grey Wagtail, three Rock Pipits, 1060 Chaffinch, 17 Bramblings, 400 Goldfinches, two Hawfinches, 42 Siskins, a Corn Bunting and 20 Reed Buntings.

Grounded migrants included just 14 Chiffchaffs, 12 Goldcrests, three Firecrests, ten Song Thrushes and six Black Redstarts. A Barn Owl and four Dartford Warblers were also seen. 

Seawatching produced just two Teal and 20 Little Gulls and fifty Grey Plovers, three Bar-tailed Godwits and a Little Egret were seen on the beach.

Two Grey Squirrels were seen in the Trapping Area.

Two Clouded Yellows were seen.

27th Oct

Another windy morning but calming down in the afternoon. Seawatching provided plenty of interest with a Grey Phalarope feeding close inshore, an excellent total of 637 Little Gulls, a Leach's Petrel and two Sooty Shearwaters of note along with two Shovelers, three Sandwich Terns, two Mediterranean Gulls, six Arctic Skuas, a Great Skua and 1250 Gannets. Two Caspian Gulls and a Yellow-legged Gull were on the beach.

The bushes remain fairly quiet but 13 Chiffchaffs, four Goldcrests and a Firecrest were seen. Birds passing overhead included 3945 Starlings, a Rock Pipit, 105 Chaffinches, three Redpolls, 95 Goldfinches and 20 Siskins.

Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius   Dungeness   27th October 2026

Little Gulls Hydrocoloeus minutus   Dungeness   27th October 2026

Four Grey Seals and two Porpoises were feeding offshore.

A Clouded Yellow was seen.

26th Oct

Strong SW winds and more seawatching. Coverage virtually all day produced highlights of a Grey Phalarope, a Puffin, singles of Storm and Leach's Petrels, 13 Sooty Shearwaters and two Manx Shearwaters and backup in the form of two Gadwall, three Teal, 87 Little Gulls, a Mediterranean Gull, a Yellow-legged Gull, 13 Sandwich Terns, three Great Skuas, five Arctic Skuas and 1825 Gannets. 

Very quiet on the land with just a Firecrest of interest and two Fieldfares, six Rock Pipits, five Bramblings, 2100 Goldfinches and three Siskins passing overhead.

Two Grey Seals and three Porpoises were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen on the land.

25th Oct

Strong westerly winds reduced migration considerably. Four hours of seawatching produced a notable total of 155 Little Gulls while seven Mediterranean Gulls and 11 Sandwich Terns were also seen. 

Grounded migrants were limited to ten Chiffchaffs, eight Goldcrests, three Firecrests and a Ring Ouzel were seen in the bushes and 39 Stock Doves, a Little Egret, a Short-eared Owl and five Swallows passed overhead. Two Merlins were also seen.

A Porpoise and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

There were at least 128 Little Gulls feeding on Burrowes, RSPB Reserve and with others scattered across various pits.

Little Gulls Hydrocoloeus minutus   Burrowes, RSPB   25th October 2026

 

24th Oct

Violent NW winds overnight decreased during the day bring with it a bit of seawatching and some passage overhead. The highlight of the day was probably a remarkable total of 23 Woodlarks while other notable birds included 113 Stock Doves, three Snipe, a Great White Egret, 25 Swallows, three House Martins, a Mistle Thrush, two Rock Pipits, 112 Chaffinches, six Bramblings, a Redpoll, 520 Goldfinches, seven Siskins and 21 Reed Buntings. Grounded migrants included 17 Chiffchaffs, 13 Goldcrests and two Firecrests. Six Dartford Warblers were also seen.

Seawatching produced 41 Little Gulls, 16 Mediterranean Gulls, a first-year Caspian Gull, two Great Skuas, singles of Storm and Leach's Petrels and a Manx Shearwater and also a Great Northern Diver feeding offshore.

Four Porpoises and three Grey Seals were feeding offshore.

23rd Oct

Gale force SE winds meant another day of mainly seawatching which produced 11 Wigeon, 41 Little Gulls, 93 Kittiwakes, a Pomarine and two Great Skuas, ten Leach's Petrels, four Sooty Shearwaters and a Manx Shearwater in 5.5hours of coverage. A first-year Caspian Gull and two Yellow-legged Gulls were roosting on the beach and a Hen Harrier flew out to sea.

A Woodcock, a Barn Owl, eight Chiffchaffs, a Dartford Warbler and 11 Goldcrests were seen in the bushes while a Rock Pipit and five Siskins flew over.

22nd Oct

Bright and sunny but with a cold NW breeze. Seawatching produced another flock of six Tundra Bean Geese and a second-year Caspian Gull but not much else.

Birds passing overhead included 64 Stock Doves, a Great White Egret, a Little Egret, four Woodlarks, 18 Skylarks, 30 Swallows, a Grey Wagtail, seven Rock Pipits, 160 Chaffinches, a Redpoll, 275 Goldfinches and five Siskins while grounded migrants included 25 Chiffchaffs, a Lesser Whitethroat, 29 Goldcrests, a Firecrest and a Ring Ouzel.

A Brown Hare was seen.

The highlight of the day was a Long-tailed Blue which spent several hours around the south-east corner of the Trapping Area.

Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus   Dungeness   22nd October 2026