08/11/2025

Unsurprisingly the morning sea watch was rather poor due to a westerly breeze and the bright sunlight in our faces. A full list can be found at the following link Sea Watch Totals

Yellow-browed Warbler, Many thanks to the Observatory ringing team for sharing with us.

In the Trapping Area there were many Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs, at least 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, a Pallas's Warbler and a at least 1 Firecrest. Around The Desert and TA at least 14 Continental Blackbirds and 5 Song Thrushes, several Redpoll and Siskins flew over and at least 3 Dartford Warblers around. Of note a small fall of Black Redstarts with a minimum of 14 birds. Early afternoon Sean O'Donnell found another Pallas's Warbler at the Old Lighthouse Garden feeding on the outside of the hedge.

Pallas's Warbler

Pallas's Warbler at the Old Lighthouse

A Clouded Yellow in The Desert

2 of the 4 Brown Hares seen around today

06/11/2025

Excellent visibility this morning from the fishing boats where Napoleon showing well on his column at Wimereux. Shame that it was such dull conditions today.

Another early morning passage of several 1,000s of Auks coming out of the bay, by 08.30 all passage had ceased. A full list can be seen at the following link SEA WATCH

2 Mute Swans flying out to sea towards France was an oddity this morning

A wander through The Desert late morning found a Dartford Warbler with another close by, also several each of Firecrests, Goldcrests, Chiffchaffs and Continental Blackbirds 

Firecrest

A blinged up Goldcrest

Continental Blackbird

This Crimson Speckled behind The Sactuary was undoubtedly my best find of the day

A Yellow-browed Warbler was trapped in the TA mid afternoon, many thanks to the DBO ringing team for showing the bird to the assembled admirers.

The only other news from the peninsular was that Bitterns have been showing well at the ARC, especially late afternoon when the Starling roost is gathering from Hanson.

05/11/2025

Razorbills and Guillemots

A bit of a theme at the moment for the first couple of hours of daylight at the fishing boats, 1,000s of Auks streaming out of Lade Bay with smaller numbers of Gannets and Kittiwakes, Sandwich Terns, Red-throated Divers etc, by 09.00 passage has more or less stopped.

At the ARC this morning Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs in the bushes and at least 2 Kingfishers around Hanson Hide, several Great White Egrets were present also a single Grey Plover among the usual wildfowl.

Black-necked Grebe

Another cycle ride out to and around the Scotney complex, saw a single Green Sandpiper on the Eastern Pit, Black-necked Grebe again in the SE corner of the main pit, the sward only had the feral geese after 2 Marsh Harriers had flushed everything else. Carrying on to Camber was generally disappointing as all the Golden Plover were out in the fields towards the wind turbines. Cycling out towards the wind turbines I managed to get fairly close to the Golden Plover flock that contained c1500 birds, scanning through them I located 3 Ruff, but could not pick out an American Golden Plover, though it was probably with them, I blame the Merlin, Sparrowhawks, Common Buzzards and Marsh Harriers for continually spooking the Plovers.  Coming back towards Lydd along the the back of the lakes I relocated the 2 Whooper Swans in the same place I found them a few days ago.

Whooper Swans

 

04/11/2025

A stunning Sunrise at the fishing boats this morning

1,000s of birds streamed westwards past the fishing boats in first couple of hours of daylight, by 09.00 there was barely a trickle. A full list of the sea watch can be seen at the following link SEAWATCH TOTALS

Razorbills streaming past the boats early morning

Guillemots streaming past the boats early morning

This Black-necked Grebe was very close to the cycle track along the front of Scotney late morning, apart from 5 Barnacle Geese, 4 Pintail and the usual wildfowl the rest of the complex was very lacking in birds.

Many thanks to Colin for the call telling me that 20+ Crossbills had been seen in The pines at the ARC this morning. I made my way there in hope rather than expectation, so I was very pleasantly surprised to hear and see them them as I approached The Pines. 

Perched Crossbills are rare occurrence on the Dungeness peninsula, these gorgeous birds were in the Pines by the Water Tower at the ARC. As usual I took far to many images. 

Crossbills coming to a puddle to drink

03/11/2025

1w Caspian Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

 Another day of mainly staring at the sea, it wasn't the most engrossing day, though better than I expected, a full list of the the days sightings at the fishing boats can be seen at the following link SIGHTINGS

                                                                          Curlew

Red-throated Diver

Grey Plovers at the ARC early afternoon

There were several Firecrests and Chiffchaffs in the trapping area today per OL. At the ARC the highlight of my visit was a pair of Grey Plovers along with usual wildfowl. There was no news from the reserve. At Scotney just the 5 Barnacle Geese and 4 Pintail of note per RA.

01/11/2025

 A somewhat wet and windy sea watch this morning, though it did brighten up. My camera paid the price for me not noticing the rain running down the side of the boat on to the camera, it still works but the lens is very foggy.🤦 full details of todays sea watch can be seen at this link Sea watch Totals 

Gannets were slow starting, then between 09.00-10.30 they picked up with 600+ moving West

Pallas's Warbler

I had just arrived home from the mornings sea watch when Owen called me to say he'd had brief views of a Yellow Brow type Warbler in the scrub a couple of hundred yards down the road from Springfield Bridge, Dengemarsh, less than 5 minutes later I arrived and joined Owen just as the bird showed itself to us as a superb Pallas's Warbler. Thankfully even with a fogged up lens I was able to get some images of it. While I was there I also saw Firecrest, Goldcrest, Chiffchaff and Dartford Warbler, Many thanks to Owen for the call.

Pallas's Warbler

Elsewhere on the peninsula the Slavonian Grebe was still on Burrowes, at least a dozen Swallows were seen, also several each of Great White and Cattle Egrets. Late afternoon the Starlings put on another great murmuration at the ARC.

31/10/2025

 

Todays Little Auk, not an award winning image🥴

An excellent day of mostly sea watching with a long break late morning early afternoon for rain. 

The main highlights were were a Little Auk, Great Northern Diver, Sooty Shearwater, a Storm Petrel sp, Arctic Tern and 100s each of Kittiwake, Razorbill and Guillemot, also a Puffin which appeared when I'd popped home for lunch😢 A full list of todays sea watch can be found on this link SEA WATCH TOTALS

News from the reserve was fairly scant though the Slavonian Grebe is still on Burrowes per JY, the Black-necked Grebe was stillon Scotney main lake today apparently.

Great Skua from this afternoon

One of the 100s of Kittiwakes that moved west today