03/01/2026

A very poor sea watch this morning in the freezing conditions.

08.05-09.05 from the hide with RW & OL  Wind NW3  a bitterly cold -2º
Brent Goose: 2E

Common Scoter: 3W
Kittiwake: 5W    1 present
Black-headed Gull: present
Common Gull: present
Herring Gull: present
Great Black-backed Gull: present 
Guillemot: 9W       3E
Auk sp: 158W    37E
Red-throated Diver: 24W      94E
Gannet: 21W    29E
Cormorant: present

Great Northern Diver

Apart from the Diver Burrowes was unproductive as there are very few Gulls coming in at the moment, not sure if it is the tides or the cold.

The local Little Owl was enjoying the sun today in its sheltered perch. The 1w drake Scaup was on the old sand pit today per SM, a brave man to wander out there today. There were several flocks of Greater White-fronted Geese around the reserve today, sadly as far as I know no one saw any Tundra Bean Geese. Out on Walland more White-fronts and at least 32 Bewick Swans also Tree Sparrows, Yellowhammers and Corn Buntings, 70+ Curlew were in the fields along Caldecott Lane and several small parties of Golden Plover.

Little Owl

Greater White-fronted Geese and a Common Snipe

Bewick Swans at Midley, Walland Marsh

The Lesser Whitethroat sp. still hanging on in my garden today

01/01/2026

Velvet Scoters in the early morning light 

 08.00-09.30 from the hide with RW, OL & SO  Wind WNW5  a bone chilling 1º

Velvet Scoter: 2E

Common Scoter: 12E    1W

Great Crested Grebe: 2E   1 present 

Oystercatcher: 1E

Kittiwake: 12W

Black-headed Gull: present

Common Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Great Skua: 1E

Guillemot: 16W       3E

Auk sp: 438E       32W

Red-throated Diver: 82E    246W

Gannet: 74E   70W

Cormorant: present

Merlin: 1 present

Grey Seal: 1 present

A perishingly cold sea watch gave a nice start to the year with Bonxie, Velvet Scoter and Merlin.

When I got back home for breakfast the Lesser Whitethoat soon appeared and disappeared just as quickly, which it did on several occasions while I was home.

Lesser Whitethroat joining a Great Tit at the feeder

Lesser Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat

Looking very different in the low afternoon light

I could see the reserve car park was busy from home, so I gave it a miss. The Great Northern Diver, Whitefronts and Goldeneye were all still present per JY, RW. At the ARC the Bittern was showing in its usual spot per NB. 

On Walland Marsh the Bewick Swans were still at Ashentree Lane, 2 Whoopers were at Caldecot Lane per JD, NB and 19 Whitefronts were at Dennes Lane but no sign of any Tundra Bean Geese.

At Scotney 2 Goosander were a surprise find by CG, also 4 Black-necked grebes and the Scaup still present.

2 Goosander on the far bank of Scotney from the double bends

The Scotney Scaup seems to be moulting quite quickly

4 Black-necked Grebes at Scotney viewed from the double bends

31/12/2025

The highlight of this mornings watch was the arrival of Trinity House Ship Patricia

The Bouy was dislodged by c100mts by the NE gales last week, this morning Trinity House lifted it out cleaned it and returned to its original site.

08.00-09.30 from the hide with RW & OL. Wind N2  a chilly 0º

Brent Goose: 4W

Shelduck: 4W

Pintail: 1W      4E

Tufted Duck: 1W

Great Crested Grebe: 2 present 

Oystercatcher: 19E

Kittiwake: 2E

Black-headed Gull: present

Common Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Guillemot: 7E

Auk sp: 348E

Red-throated Diver: 592E    5W

Gannet: 17E 

Cormorant: present

Merlin: 1 present

Alba Wagtail: 1W after landing on Trintiy House ship

Back home after the morning sea watch I was uploading the watch onto Trektellen, when I glanced out of the window at the the feeder I was amazed to see a Lesser Whitethroat sp. on it. Panic ensued as I ran back down stairs and out to my car to grab my camera hoping it would still be there when I got back, fortunately it was, indeed it was still present at dusk.

A strange Goldfinch on my garden feeder

Lesser Whitethroat sp.

Lesser Whitethroat sp.

Lesser Whitethroat sp.

Lesser Whitethroat sp.

Lesser Whitethroat sp.

The local Little Owl enjoying todays sunshine

A single Tundra Bean Goose was with 22 White-fronted Geese at Dennes Lane

30/12/2025

A very poor sea watch this morning , though the Cormorants were a spectacle as they came in from the shipping lane at least c6 miles out in the channel, from the moment we arrived until we left they just kept coming.

08.00-09.00 from the hide with RW. Wind NE3  3º drizzle

Wigeon: 8E

Great Crested Grebe: 4E  

Oystercatcher: 16E

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Guillemot: 4 present

Auk sp: 121E

Red-throated Diver: 174E    

Gannet: 36E 

Cormorant: 7,000-10,000 present

The Great Northern Diver finally posed for a while this morning

There was still at least 5 Caspian Gulls at Burrowes today and a handful of Goldeneye. 32 Bewick Swans were on Walland Marsh. At Scotney the Scaup was present at the double bends.

This Common Crane was my 232nd species for 2025 in the Dungeness area, thanks to a very timely call early afternoon from John Young letting me know it was flying around high in front of my house, it circled for a few minutes before drifting off West into Sussex.

It seems likely that the 32 Tundra Bean Geese that were at Hook Wall yesterday have relocated to Worth Marshes.

There were probably 54 Whitefronts at Dengemarsh today and 6 extra Barnacle Geese per JY.

4 Tundra Bean Geese viewed from Dennes Lane, Lydd with 22 White-fronted Geese

29/12/2025

Harbour Porpoise washed up near the sea watch hide

07.55-09.30 from the hide with RW & OL. Wind ENE3  4º

Wigeon: 2E

Common Scoter: 4E

Great Crested Grebe: 32E  

Oystercatcher: 17E

Sandwich Tern: 1E

Kittiwake: 4E

Black-headed Gull: present

Common Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Auk sp: 445E

Red-throated Diver: 341E    

Great Northern Diver: 1E

Gannet: 223E 

Cormorant: 7,000 present

Most of the rest of my day was spent around Walland Marsh/Scotney looking at Geese and Swans. Around the lanes a few Tree Sparrows, Yellowhammers and Corn Buntings can be found, but winter Thrushes are pretty much non existent here at the moment.

The reserve is fairly quiet now as there are very few Gulls coming in now the NE gales have abated. There are still no Smew or Goosander and just a handful of Goldeneye, Bitterns can been seen at the ARC with a llittle patience. The work at Boulderwall seems to have come to an end so I'm hopeful  that some of the Walland Marsh wild Geese will drop in to what looks to be great habitat.

Some of a party of 22 Greater White-fronted Geese from Dennes Lane, Walland Marsh

A single Tundra Bean Goose was with the Dennes Lane Whitefronts

2 Bewick Swans were enjoying this puddle at Midley, on Walland Marsh

Some of the 32 Tundra Bean Geese viewed from Hook Wall

The Scaup on Scotney main pit viewed from the double bends refused to lift its head

5 more White-fronted Geese dropped into Scotney main pit viewed from the double bends

Great Northern Diver still on Burrowes Pit

Dutch Green ringed L9 Caspian Gull still hanging around on Burrowes this afternoon

 

27/12/2025

08.00-10.00 from the hide with OL. Wind ENE6  a balmy 6º

Shelduck: 3E

Pintail: 1E

Velvet Scoter: 2E

Great Crested Grebe: 37E  

Oystercatcher: 4E

Kittiwake: 58E

Black-headed Gull: present

Mediterranean Gull: 3E

Common Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Guillemot: 1,870E

Razorbill: 98E 

Red-throated Diver: 222E    13W

Gannet: 324E 

Cormorant: 2,000 present

Grey Seal: 2 present

Common Seal: 2 present

The Auks separated by percentage.

Lapwing in field opposite my house this morning

3 Black-necked Grebes at the Kent end of Scotney main pit

Some of the at least 32 Tundra Bean Geese on Walland Marsh today, viewed from Hook Wall, also from the same viewpoint 3 Barnacle Geese, 5 Greater White-fronted Geese, Greylags, Canadas, and Egyptian Geese, also some Bewick swans.

The centre bird in the image above looks interesting?

Tundra Bean Geese whiffling after a short fly around

On Burrowes the now usual Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls, along with the Great Norther Diver, 5 Great White Egrets, 4 Goldeneye and 2 Bewick Swans that were new arrivals today.

Yesterday there was probably at least 3 Kingfishers present.

Left to right:1w Caspian Gull, 1w Y L Gull, 3w Caspian Gull, 2w Caspian Gull

Left to right:Cormorant, Dutch ringed 1w Caspian Gull, 1w Herring Gull 1w Caspian Gull, Gull, 3w Caspian Gull, 2w Caspian Gull

2 Bewick Swans on Burrowes Pit today