5-6/10/2026

The lovely Yellow-browed Warbler trapped and processed by the DBO ringing team who kindly showed the bird to me and David G. yesterday

 

Black Tern feeding off the fishing boats yesterday

With flat a calm conditions the sea watching has been grim, so poor that I even spent the afternoon in my garden tidying things up for the winter.

Bothe Little Owls were out this morning and still there 2 hours later.

A small flock of Ruff disturbed from the ploughed fields at the back of Scotney farm.

Once the fog lifted this morning I cycled all around the Scotney Complex. Highlights of a couple of hours out there were 11 Ruff, 3 Green Sandpipers, 11 Dunlin, 4 Ringed Plover, a Greenshank, 6 Redshank, 400+ Golden Plover, 300+ Lapwing, 250 Linnets, 30+ Skylarks, 20+ Tree Sparrows, a Merlin, 3 Marsh Harriers, several Common Buzzards and several Clouded Yellows, downside was large numbers of feral Greylag, Canada and Egyptian Geese.

Ruff over the ploughed fields at the back of Scotney farm

A Common Buzzard with a raucous Rook for company over my garden this afternoon

The 3rd Dialectica scalariella to turn in my trap a nationally scarce leaf miner, specialising on Vipers Bugloss. 

A colourful example of a Vestal from my trap

3-4/10/2026

Single Ruff on the small island at the ARC from the causeway

The exceptionally mild settled weather has seemed to have put bird migration on hold at Dungeness so far this October, apart from the odd day sea watching has been very hard work for little reward, likewise the bushes except for Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Reed Buntings, Thrushes have been as good as non existant and only small numbers of Hirundines over. The American Gold en Plover continues to be reported at Jurys Gap, though I have not managed to see it in my last 9 visits.😞

Wheatear at Scotney

The usual Little Owl enjoying the warm October sunshine

Radford's Flame Shoulder in the MV trap this morning

 

01/10/2026

A wander around The Desert early morning saw many Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Reed Buntings in the bushes, also in there a few Robins, Stonechats and Wheatears, while overhead House Martins, Swallows and a few Sand Martins. The only report from the sea was a couple of Shearwaters, presumably left overs from yesterdays bounty which can be seen Here

Another cycle ride to the sandpit saw 2 Ruff and 2 Turnstones  on the Scotney main lake among the hordes of feral Geese, Wigeon numbers are starting to build there. At the sandpit c300 Golden Plover strung out across the field, alas I couldn't find the American Golden Plover though it was reported as present late afternoon.

Heavily cropped image of Pectoral Sandpiper opposite Dennis's Hide this afternoon

Heavily cropped image of Pectoral Sandpiper over Burrowes

 

28/09/2026

The morning sea watch was as expected very quiet, just a few Arctic Skuas messing around chasing Terns, nothing else was moving.

The local Little Owl late morning

Another visit to Jurys Gap where I could only find c40 Golden Plovers and 4 Ruff, alas I couldn't find the American Golden Plover. Most the bushes to and from the sandpit held Chiffchaffs darting out to grab insects.

Grey Seal hauled out where I normally sit at the fishing boats, it looked so comfortable I moved my position so as not to disturb it. When I did sea watch there was absolutely nothing moving.
 

The beach flies did't seem to bother it

From Hanson late afternoon the Garganey was still present as was the adult Little Gull, also 27 Pintail and 36 Wigeon, among the Gadwall, Shoveler, Mallard,Teal Pochard and Tufties.

The Pectoral Sandpiper was still on Burrowes from Dennis's Hide.

26-27/09/2026

Yellow-browed Warbler in the lighthouse garden early afternoon

The best part of today was spent sea watching, not a classic by any means but enough to keep me entertained. Highlights were the first returning flocks of Brent Geese and several flocks of Wigeon, Teal and Pintail along with 4 Balearic Shearwaters, 20+ Arctic Skuas several 100s of Gannets
 

Guillemot diving moments before a wipe out

The Jurys Gap American Golden Plover(centre) with Golden Plover in the ploughed field yesterday and still present today.

Dartford Warbler feeding on the sea defence rocks at The Midrips

There was plenty of water in the 2 main pools at The Midrips but not a single wader. The pools are probably very polluted from the many years as a firing range.

Wheatear at The Midrips

Curlew on the Scotney sward

24/09/2026

A very poor image of a flock of 38 Balearic Shearwaters that flew east past the hide this morning, I think it's largest flock I have seen at Dungeness. There was also between 30 & 40 Arctic Skuas harassing the large numbers of Sandwich and Common Terns feeding off shore, also 3 Black Terns and a Little Gull.

Little Gull in front the sea watch hide this morning

The Pectoral Sandpiper was again on Burrowes Pit today,. The Glossy Ibis was seen at Boulderwall but appeared to fly off NW. Apart from a Dartford Warbler, Whinchat and Wheatears there was little else reported.

Nearby the American Golden Plover was again in the ploughed field at Jury's Gap.

The local Little Owl busy watching for Beetles while ignoring me.

The gogeous Beautiful Marbled moth that was on my trap this morning

 

23/09/2026

Chiffchaff gleaning insects in the brambles

There must have been 100s of Chiffchaffs around the peninsula this morning, every stop I made they were present, all aong the cycle track to Jurys Gap every bush and patch of scrub had Chiffchaffs in, with smaller numbers of Willow Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Blackcaps and even 3 Garden Warblers. At least 2 Hobbys and a Merlin were around Scotney, waders were  scarce with a singles of Avocet, Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Greenshank and unusually a Knot.

Chiffchaff in Sea Buckthorn

A Glossy Ibis on Dengemarsh viewed from Springfield Bridge first seen and reported by RW. The 4 Black-tailed Godwits were still present at Dengemarsh and 3 Great White Egrets, little else of note seen.

Wheatear by the chicken farm

Speckled Wood along the track to Hanson

9 Pintail, 5 Great White Egrets, a Common Sandpiper a Black-tailed Godwit and a Little Gull could be seen from Hanson. Another Osprey flew out to sea early morning.

22/09/2026

The Pectoral Sandpiper at Firth yesterday afternoon moments before it flew off not to be seen again

Bass being hauled in 3 at a time for a while early morning 

A reasonable sea watch this morning despite the flat calm conditions. 14 Balearic Shearwaters, 4 Arctic Skuas, and a few dabblers moving, lots of Harbour Porpoises and the added fun of watching 4 anglers hauling the Bass and then returning them to the sea.👏
 

Another one goes back into the sea👋

A visit to Hanson this afternoon, where Richard found the elusive Garganey, 2 Little Gulls were still present along with a single Common Sandpiper, a few Pintail and Egrets but surprisingly little else. Richards report of his circuit of the main reserve was very disappointing. A Red-backed Shrike was reported this evening only a few hundred yards from house, unfortunately I was in the shower when the message came through, by the time I read it darkness was falling.

20/09/2026

The only wader on the 2 Midrips Pools was this Avocet

Another visit to The Midrips this morning where the Avocet was the only bird in the pools, also of note was a flyover Whimbrel, a Merlin chasing Linnets and a Common Buzzard on sentry duty.

Over the road in the ploughed field there were only c80 Golden Plovers there was no sign of yesterdays AGP though I'm sure it wasn't far away, a juvenile Hobby was sitting in the field, no doubt tomorrow I'll have another look. In the fields around the old sandpit there were good numbers of Starlings, Lapwing and Black-headed Gulls and Corvids with a few Mediterranean Gulls, Ruff, a Sparrowhawk, Marsh Harriers and Common Buzzards, a single Common Sandpiper was at the far end of the sandpit. On my way back home for a late breakfast I paid my regards to the local Little Owl.

The local Little Owl giving me the look!

Neil & Jan Burt found a juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper at Dengemarsh viewed distantly from Springfield Bridge which frustratingly disappeared almost as soon as they found it. This afternoon I decided to cycle to Dengemarsh for a look for it with no luck, so i moved on to Christmas Dell where I found the bird on a small island where it remained all afternoon showing to those who wanted to see it.

Pectoral Sandpiper on on one of the Christmas Dell Islands

 

19/09/2026

An American Golden Plover(centre) with European Golden Plovers at Jury's Gap today

 The reserve has been very quiet the last few days, a White-winged Black Tern was still around on the ARC today though can be very elusive, 3 Little Gulls were still present, late this afternoon a Red-necked Phalarope was found at the southern end of the ARC by James, Tom and Ollie, presumably a different bird to the long staying bird on Burrowes, viewing the southern end is always difficult due to the speed of the traffic. Sea watching has provided Balearic and Sooty Shearwaters along with many Tern and Arctic Skuas along with a single Great Skua this morning. On the land the Hirundines have provided the numbers.