My personal favourite of 2024
I came across these 2 stunning Bee-eaters on the morning of 31/05/2024 in the Willow Trail at the ARC, it was a horrible very wet and windy day, they hawked Bees and Damsels until mid afternoon allowing many birders to see them, then the weather cleared and they went on there way.
Not the best year for numbers at Dungeness, but there were certainly there were many quality days birding had, My pesonal tally for the year at Dungeness was 223 species.
Other Highlights from the Dungeness Peninsula in 2024
Great Northern Diver with a Black-throated Diver from Dennis's Hide. Burrowes Pit, January 2024
A confiding Hoopoe at Greatstone on 12/04/2024
Iberian Chiffchaff trapped at the Dungeness Bird Observatory 12/05/2024
Melodious Warbler in The Moat on 15/05/2024
Woodchat Shrike on the reserve on the afternoon of the 19/05/2024
Also in May several Long-eared Owl territories were located
On the morning of 09/07/2024 I walked into Hanson Hide at the ARC and could scuffling in the hide, I kept around expecting to find maybe a Stoat, then 4 black shapes whited past me to the other end of the hide, I then realised they were Water Rail chicks, I managed to shepherd 3 of the out of the door to freedom, but 1 kept running back and forth across the length of the hide, eventually I removed my fleece jacket and as it scuttled past me I trapped in the jacket allowing me to safely release it to join its siblings.
On 26/07/2024 I had a magical encounter with a Leveret
On 17/08/2024 a Temminck's Stint and a Pectoral Sandpiper were in the Sand Pit
One of several Ospreys that visited Dungeness, this one on 23/08/2024 was ringed as a chick in the nest in central Scotland just a few weeks earlier.
White-winged Tern on the 01/09/2024
01/09/2024 a very memorable day was made even better when this female Honey Buzzard flew along the Long Pits and directly over my head.
Again on 01/09/2024 one of my favourite images of the year was this Spotted Redshank that was flying around Burrowes Pit early evening.
Red-necked Phalarope and Wood Sandpiper on 13/09/2024 in the Sand Pit
on 14/09/2024 Neil and Janet Burt found an American Golden Plover on Burrowes, which was enjoyed by many birders.
On 22/09/2024 Dave Bunney found this Western Bonnelli's Warbler in his garden, it showed beautifully to all visiting birders, our thanks are again extended to to Dave and Sheila Bunney for there hospitality to all.
The only Leach's Petrel I saw this year on the 20/10/2024
2 lovely Yellow-browed Warblers caught by the assistant warden Tom Wright on 012/11/2024,
The amazing sight of a Humpback Whale off The Point at Dungeness on 30/11/2024
The Hume's Warbler found by David Walker by the observatory in mid December
