15/08/2025

An hour in the sea watch hide this morning saw a few Terns Gannets and Gulls with the only quality a single juvenile Black Tern going west.

Whinchat by the Polish Memorial this morning

Around The Point and TA a sprinkling of migrants, single Pied Flycatcher, 2+ Whinchats, Willow Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroats etc. 

A visit to Burrowes this evening found juvenile male and female Ruff from Firth, 3 Little Ringed Plovers and 100+ Common Terns.

Willow Warbler on The Point this morning looking stunning in the sun.

Cattle Egrets bathing in the ARC this afternoon but no migrant waders yet. 

This stunning Bedstraw Hawk-moth will I'm sure be the Moth highlight of the year in my trap

A beautiful Peach Blossom, a scarce visitor to my trap

 

13/08/2025

 Spotted Flycatcher at the bottom of the Long Pits

A disappointing early morning on the peninsular, however birds were obviously dropping in during the day with the light showers, Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Common Redstart, Willow Warblers etc.

As the fog horn was going most of the day I resisted the temptation to look at the sea, those that did saw very little. The juvenile Cuckoo is still frequenting the Sea Cale in front of the Power Station. 

There appeared to be no migrant waders dropping into the ARC or Burrowes today.

One of a small fall of Willow Warblers at the LOng Pits today 

Autumn lady’s tresses at the Long Pits

Pied Flycatcher at Galloways

Rest Harrow my first of the year in the trap this morning

Three-humped Prominent trapped at Dungeness by Bob Arnfield last night, it has only been recorded a few times in the last 100 years.

A party of 5 Teal moving west this mornings was the highlight of yet another poor sea watch this morning.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth in my garden while I was emptying the moth trap which contained 264 Common Wainscots but no quality.

The only migrant on the peninsular of note was a very elusive Pied Flycatcher in a private garden, I heard it call several times but didn't see it. Hopefully overcast skies tonight will drop some migrants for tomorrow.

This juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was the highlight of this afternoon watch from the boats

11/08/2025

An hour at the sea watch hide this morning saw little of note except 10+ Hummingbird Hawk-moths by the wall. The Ta and The Desert were equally quiet, a Common Redstart in the latter early afternoon per CF.

A brute of a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon, but very little else.

A Greenshank from Firth late afternoon with c150 Common Terns there, the ARC was equally quiet with just 2 Black-tailed Godwits and 3 Great White Egrets of note.

 

09-10/08/2025

Tree Pipit in the bushes in the trapping area yesterday

Tree Pipit in the hand, thanks to Jacob and the DBO ringing team

Avian wise a rather disappointing weekend as migrant birds were thin on the ground, singles of Common Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher and Whinchat, a sprinkling of Wheatears with 22 recorded at the Midrips per Dave Scott, also a few Common and Lesser Whitthroats, Garden Warblers, Willow warblers and the odd Chiffchaff. Up to 5 Black-necked Grebes at Lade with another found today on Burrowes, A juvenile Black Tern on Burrowes still present but the juvenileArctic Tern didn't linger. The sea remains quietwith small nubers of Terns, Gannets and Kittiwakes. Along the power station wall 10+ Hummingbird Hawkmoths and 8 Clouded Yellows.

A pristine Striped Hawkmoth was a nice surprise in my trap yesterday, only the second ever. 

 

A German ringed Mediterranean Gull at the ARC this afternoon

Large Thorn was new for the year this morning

A Pale Grass Eggar, I usually manage to catch at least a couple of these a year, they are very scarce and only occur in the Dungeness area as far as I know.

08/08/2025

1 of 9 Hummingbird Hawk-moths by the power station wall on my way to the sea watch hide

An hours sea watching this morning was enough to realise that there was little or no sea bird migration  today, according to the observatory ringing team the same could be said about land bird migration.

A quick look at the SE end of the ARC found no sign of the Pectoral Sandpiper, though it could have been hidden by the vegetation, 2 Common Sandpipers could be seen. From Hanson this morning the usual Egrets and wildfowl but nothing new, another visit late afternoon found a juvenile Black Tern feeding around the old Cormorant island but I'm not convinced it is not the same bird found by John Young on Burrowes.
 

Juvenile Black Tern and Juvenile Common Tern at Firth this afternoon

A walk up to Dengemarsh was pleasant but very few birds seen, 2 Greenshank flew over towards hayfield 3 and Common Sandpiper was on Dengemarsh islands.

Common Terns bathing at Firth

Adult and juvenile Little Ringed Plovers at Firth this afternoon

Cynaeda dentalis (Starry Pearl) my personal favourite micro moth

Scarce Bordered Straw

06/08/2025

This very elusive Common Redstart has been present in The Desert for at least 4 days, today was the first time I managed to lift the camera to it albeit distantly. Also there Grasshopper Warbler was seen early morning, and a few each of Common and Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge and Willow Warbler. 3 Spotted Flycatchers were found early evening by Graham Parry & Nicky Betts round the trapping area. 

This juvenile Cuckoo was probably the star bird on The Point today.

Lovely image of the Juvenile Cuckoo in a private garden today. Image courtesy of David Gower

This Heron stood like this on the island from Hanson for at least 10 minutes before it flew off after being disturbed by a Great White Egret. There was very little change in the birds on the ARC, also the Pectoral Sandpiper appeared again at the south end, this bird can be elusive hiding among the vegetation.

A couple of hours sea watching this afternoon was again fruitless.

A Willow Warbler in the Willow Trail this morning

A pristine Bordered Straw from this mornings moth trap

05/08/2025

 An hour from the sea watch hide this morning produced just a few Sandwich and Common Terns that were generally just feeding offshore, also trickle of Gannets and Kittiwakes, the only notable was a Common Sandpiper that flew West along the tide line.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth

Behind the hide by the wall along the road to the carpark, a Black Redstart, 12 Hummingbird Hawk-moths and a Clouded Yellow were notable.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth nectaring on Valerian

Clouded Yellow nectaring on Valerian

Clouded Yellow disturbed by a Hummingbid Hawk-moth

Wheatear behind the railway station this morning

In The Desert this morning my first Common Redstart albeit very briefly of the year courtesy of Richard, also 3 Wheatears, a couple of Willow Warblers and a few Common and Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Garden Warblers were in a private garden.

There was no sign if the Pectoral Sandpiper at the SE end of the ARC this morning or in another look this afternoon. From Hansont he usual Egrets, Garganey, Common Sandpipers and Little Ringed Plovers, a juvenile Dunlin and a Hobby were noted, also the Avocet chicks were showing off flying up and down the length of the lake.  

Garganey on the ARC from Hanson

Another sea watch this afternoon was again uninspiring, though 2 Harbour Porpoises were feeding close inshore, but evaded the camera showing up my incompetence. 

04/08/2025

Early morning from Hanson saw the a single Garganey, 3Great White Egrets, 4 Cattle Egrets, 5 Common Sandpipers and 3 Dunlin among the resident wildfowl, it was good to watch the 2 Avocet chicks flying strongly around the lake causing mayhem wherever they landed, due to the parent bird steaming into any hapless bird that was had the temerity to be on the same island as the chicks. 

My plan when I left the ARC was to go to the fishing boats, but the wind was rising and dampness was in the air so I thought better of it, mainly because usually when a storm is coming in there is very little to be seen on the sea at Dungeness, hopefully as is often the case the couple of days after a storm can produce birds. 

 

The moth trap was as expected poor though I did get my first Small Rufous of the year and 4 Tree-lichen Beautys which were not long ago a great rarity.  

Tree Lichen Beauty

Small Rufous

Another visit to Hanson this afternoon and to Burrowes just in case a storm blown waif had dropped in drew blanks at both sites. There was no news either way on the Pectoral Sandpiper, 3 Black-necked Grebes were on Lade South per PT.

02/08/2025

Garganey at Hanson first thing this morning

Very little change around the reserve today, basically the same as yesterday and the day before, bumping into a juvenile Cuckoo was a bonus.

A frustrating sea watch this afternoon when a large Shearwater sp flew East at a great distance making ID for me impossible. 100s of Terns moved West with 12 Black Terns the best.

Lesser Whitethroat along the path to Hanson

Shouting match at Dengemarsh

Juvenile Cuckoo at Hookers late morning

Chocholate-tip my first of the year