10/08/2025

Sunrise at the fishing boats this morning

A full list of the days excellent sea watching below.

This Dotterel dropped into the field whilst I was scanning for the American Golden Plover

1 of 5 Curlew Sandpipers that were in the field with Golden Plovers at Jurys Gap this morning
 

The only image I took of the juvenile Red-backed Shrike  this morning

Juvenile Red-backed Shrike showing its crossed bill yesterday

Even with a damaged eye and a crossed bill the juvenile Red-backed Shrike was a prolific hunter, not just of caterpillars, I saw it catch at least 3 Great Green Bush Crickets as well as Dragonflys and grubs.

                                         Juvenile Red-backed Shrike showing its damaged eye

                           Roosting juvenile Red-backed Shrike coughing up a pellet

Roosting juvenile Red-backed Shrike 

The 61 White Storks that went out to sea at The Point yesterday

Ringed Plovers and a Dunlin past the fishing boats this afternoon

Sanderling past the fishing boats this afternoon

08/09/2025

Early this morning I had the American Golden Plover at Jury's Gap all to myself, though it was still quite distant.

While I was the AGP a flock of 15 Glossy Ibis flew over heading for Scotney/Lydd. These represented the first record for Dungeness greater area this year, a short while later they were seen to fly ever Dungeness then out to sea. What seems like a different party of 8 turned up at Boulderwall Farm. Also at Jury's Gap a party of 40 Yellow Wagtails, also a Green Sandpiper and 2 Greenshank over.

Glossy Ibis overhead

I had a hospital appointment that took up most of my day, but I did get back just in time to see the Grahams juvenile Montagu's Harrier.

Juvenile Montagu's over Boulderwall fields this afternoon. Image courtesy of Graham Parry the finder 
 

07/09/2025

The American Golden Plover still at Jury's Gap today

American Golden Plover with European Golden Plovers

Spotted Flycatchers at the Long Pits

Today was day of many 1,000s of Hirundines moving through The Peninsula and out to sea, it is always a brilliant spectacle watching them sweep across the shingle then out to sea, towards the continent then Africa. The land was generally quiet though there was a Pied Flycatcher and a Redstart in The Moat, a scattering of Wheatears and Whinchats, in The Desert and East of Long Pits, the bushes held Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs. The reserve is still very quiet though I'm sure in next few days it will pick up.

A rubbish pic of a Swift only because fit is probably the last on I'll see this year

A couple of 1,000s of Sand Martins over the peninsula today

One of the 1,000s of Swallows leaving the peninsula today

Wheatears in The Desert

A Whinchat in The Desert today

A Hummingbird Hawk-moth in my garden today

05/09/2025

 This morning with a light West wind  blowing I gave the sea watch a miss and went to the ARC, where I could only find the Garganey and singles of Black-tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper and a Golden Plover, there were plenty of Sand Martins hawking the lake.

Next stop Burrowes , I had just got to Firth where there were no waders at all when Owen messaged to say he had found a Wyneck in The Desert, a quick about turn and I was soon on site but no bird, I was joined by John ad James and after a few minutes James spotted it sitting up on a Bramble, where it showed nicely if distantly, as often happens it dropped down and melted away.

Wryneck posing with a Stonechat, 

While looking for the Wryneck Jacob radioed that 2 Honey Buzzards were going out to sea, but we were unable to locate them, a while later an Osprey flew West distantly,there were also at least 7 Common Buzzards thermalling over The Desert.

This afternoon I cycled down to Jury's Gap to look for the Dotterel, as I scanned from the bank I thought I could see it so cycled closer and found Ray looking at the same bird, on closer inspection I could see it was not the Dotterel but an American Golden Plover, thankfully it hung around for other locals to see it and it was still present this evening.

American Golden Plover, shame about the horrible heat haze.

American Golden Plover with 3 European Golden Plovers in front of it

There were at leat 50 Yellow Wagtails on the Scotney Sward this afternoon

The Last couple of days.

Good numbers of Balearic Shearwaters have been passing The Point in the last few days

Very good numbers of Arctic Skuas have been seen (Full details are on Trektellen

Arctic Skua

Little Terns have also been seen in good numbers the last few days

Little Tern

Black Terns have been on view from the boats constantly 

Black Tern feeding on the Grey Seals scraps

Whimbrels passing the fishing boats

Several Caspian Gulls have been seen around the fishing boats

Garganey from Hanson

The ARC has not been at its best lately with very few waders Terns or Gulls dropping in there, the Garganey continues to feed there along with a couple of Pintail and the Egrets and wildfowl. 

The weather has made wandering around the reserve challenging and highlighting the impracticability of the Firth Screen,  also the doors on Makepiece Hide which were swinging back and forth and will doubtless damage the frames if they are allowed to continue to do so.

The forecast is for the next couple of days to be calmer so hopefully we can start looking in the bushes again. 

Pintails from Hanson

Black-tailed Godwits on Burrowes from Dennis's Hide

01/09/2025

A Brilliant day of sea watching at Dungeness today, non stop passage of birds. 

                                    Todays Balearic Shearwaters were all a bit distant

   

Little Terns passing the fishing boats

One of the 60+ Arctic Skuas

A flock of Ringed Plovers with a Moulting adult Curlew Sandpiper trying to hide among them

A different angle on a Black Tern

Dutch ringed Caspian Gull limping badly due to the colour ring coming adrift

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

There was very little other news today as most of us were sea watching, though the Dotterel was still present at Jurys Gap.