04/03/2026

 

Large Tortoiseshell

As  Dungeness was fog bound all day, we had a Wednesday club day out to Orlestone Forest which was bathed in warm sunshine, primarily to hopefully see Large Tortoiseshell butterflys was ver successful. We also had super views of Crossbills and a Goshawk and got a few year ticks we don't see at Dungeness on the shingle like Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Jay, Treecreeper, Bullfinch etc. The trip ended in the usual manner with Tea and cake provided by Owen.

Large Tortoiseshell

Large Tortoiseshell. Wings closed.

Male Crossbill

Male and Female Crossbills

03/03/2026

An hours sea watch this morning in flat calm conditions was as expected unproductive avian wise, 26 Harbour Porpoises were counted off shore.

At Cockles Bridge the 2 Whooper swans and 15 cattle egrets were still insitu. The ARC held little maybe due to a digger working there. Between the VC and Scott at least 3 Firecrests and 3 Chiffchaffs, a single Common Snipe at Christmas Dell were the other highlights. 

The new Boulderwall Flood is definitely attracting the birds

2 White-fronted Geese at the back of the Boulderwall flood

The family of 3 Whooper Swans still in the field behind the Jurys Gap sand pit East Sussex

The first Comma of the year to visit my garden

A new male Sparrowhawk visited my garden today

Also 2 Marsh Harriers and 3 Common Buzzards over.

The Lesser Whitethroat(halimodendri) still in the garden todat, but far more elusive in the warmer weather

02/03/2026

Flock of 70+ Pintail passing the sea watch hide this morning

An excellent morning sea watching, sadly petered out rapidly c11.00

07.15-12.00  from the hide with OL, Wind SSE 7 Temp 10º,

Brent Goose: 164E   

Shoveler: 158E

Gadwall: 2E

Pintail: 403E

Teal: 10E

Eider: 1 E female
Common Scoter: 97E

Red-breasted Merganser: 2E
Great-crested Grebe: 12E     2W

Curlew: 2E    1W

Sandwich Tern: 2E
Kittiwake: 132E  
Black-headed Gull: 87E

Mediterranean Gull: 10E
Common Gull: 104E
Herring Gull: present
Great Black-backed Gull: 54W

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 2E 

Guillemots: 43E    6W
Auk sp: 9E      5W

Red-throated Diver: 158E     16W
Fulmar: 6E 
Gannet: 19E       8W
Cormorant: present no count

Starling: 1 SE out to sea

Harbour Porpoise: 3 present

Grey Seal: 1 present

Elsewhere the 2 Whooper Swans and Cattle Egrets were still at Cockles Bridge. A stratospheric White-tailed Eagle flew over the peninsula seen by Brenda, the alarm it caused was seen by several observers around the peninsula.

Shovelers

Brent Geese

Adult female Eider

The gorgeous Lesser Whitethroat still present in the garden today.

01/03/2026

Brent Geese passing the sea watch hide this morning

The weekend sea watching  has been less than inspiring in the miserable weather, however I'm hopeful for next week.

There has been very little else around the peninsula, 2 Peregrines frequenting Dengemarsh along with 2 Water Pipits. Yesterday saw the arrival of 4 Sand Martins at the ARC, sadly they had gone by the time I got there, they are quite scarce in the Spring here but abundant in the Autumn. As well as the 2 Whooper Swans at Cockles Bridge, the family of 3 were still in the field behind the Jurys Gap sand pit, East Sussex today. 26 White-fronted Geese were on Walland Marsh.

Guillemots West past the Bouy this morning

Common Scoter West past the Bouy this morning

Great-crested Grebes west past the sea watch hide this morning

 

Water Pipit at Dengemarsh Flood yesterday afternoon

Shoveler from Hanson this morning

Some of the Cattle Egrets at Cockles Bridge this morning

  

The 2 Whooper Swans at Cockles Bridge this morning

The Lesser Whitethroat has made it into March

26/02/2026

The last few days has seen a small increase in the passage of wildfowl past the sea watch hide, nothing spectacular but it is a start of the spring migration. The first Sandwich Terns of the year, also flocks of Pintail and Brent Geese, hopefully things will pickup in the next few days.

Elsewhere on the peninsular the 2 Whooper Swans can still be seen around Cockles Bridge along with 15 Cattle and 7 Little Egrets. At Boulderwall 2 White-fronted Geese and 2 Great White Egrets of note. The family of 3 Whooper Swans were still in situ at the back of the sand pit, Jurys Gap, East Sussex today.

Some of yesterdays Pintails passing the sea watch hide

Some of the Brent Geese that have been passing the last few days

A single Velvet Scoter in a small flock of Common Scoter yesterday

Whooper Swans at Cockles Bridge today

Cattle Egrets at Cockles Bridge today

Cattle Egrets at Cockles Bridge today

A Kestrel with prey photobombing the Little Egrets at Cockles Bridge today

The Lesser Whitethroat (halimodendri)still present today

24/02/2026

A small flock of Brent Geese passing today

The warmer weather today sprked a little off shore movement but nothing to get to excited about. Highlights were 110 White-fronted Geese, a party of 6 Tufted Duck, a single Spoonbill and 470 Brent Geese.

The 2 Whooper Swans were still in the fields opposite Cockles Bridge along with 15 Cattle Egrets, The reserve, ARC and Dengemarsh were all covered but little of note was seen, likewise Scotney and Walland Marsh.

There were several singing Corn Buntings around Scotney

I found 5 pairs of Stonechats around Scotney today

Adult and Juvenile Whooper Swan at the back of the Jurys Gap sand pit, the other adult was keeping its distance from them

The local Little Owls were enjoying the mild temperatures today

The Cormorants were catching many fish that look like Whiting this afternoon

The Range Safety Boat steaming through the slick of Cormorants of the fishing boats this afternoon

The Lesser Whitethroat(halimodendri) still in the garden today

23/02/2026

I had hopes of a bit movement over the sea this morning, however it didn't take long to realise it was not to be. 230 Brent Geese passed in 3 flocks was it, after I left a Slavonian Grebe drifted East per Jacob.

It seems that all the Bewick Swans have left Walland Marsh on their way back towards Russia, Nadine the satellite tagged bird is already in North West Germany.

At Cockles Bridge the 2 adult Whooper Swans are still frequenting the fields opposite, 16+ Cattle Egrets are spending much time in the triangle with the sheep.

The family of 3 Whooper Swans are still feeding in the fields behind the old sandpit at Jurys Gap East Sussex. The 1w drake Scaup is still to be found on Scotney main pit where a Black-necked grebe was found this afternoon by Ray Allen.

Most of my time today was spent videoing the Lesser Whitethroat which I will upload when edited.

The Lesser Whitethroat finally leaving a deposit of 💩 for me