07/07/2025

A superb video of the Caspian Tern by Dave Scott published here with his kind permission.

There is no doubt about the birding highlight of the past few days, the superb Caspian Tern found Friday evening by Owen. When he found it I was in the shower and didn't pick up the message till late, at least I did get to the Romney Tavern in time to see it albeit distantly. the image below was my best effort
 

Apart from the Caspian Tern birding has been very slow for the last week, the escaped Lesser White-fronted Goose was still on Hayfield 2 this morning per Richard Watkins.

Herring Gull killing one of the Avocet chicks at the ARC, then dropped in the lake without eating it.😠

One of the Avocet parents at the ARC

Curlew at the ARC was about the only new arrival there this morning

Green 4A4 a Normandy rung Great Black-backed Gull was agin at the fishing boats this afternoon

My first juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull was at the fishing boats this afternoon

A very successful and enjoyable moth event was held at the observatory this weekend, despite the cooler weather in excess of 220 species were seen.

Richard hit the jackpot yesterday morning when he found this superb Eastern Bordered Straw in his trap, a very rare migrant and the first at Dungeness since 2006.

An increasingly common moth, this individual was in my trap this morning

Cynaeda Dentalis a micro moth that feeds on Vipers Bugloss, quite common in my trap but I never get tired of seeing this tiny beauty.

02/07/2025

German  Black-headed Gull ringed by Hendrik Trapp with black ring marked XJ3N returned to the ARC today for its 5the summer.

A second pair of Avocets have hatched at least 2 young today at the ARC, also I saw my first brood of Tufted Ducks this year there.

Very pleased to see the the Red-crested Pochard still has her duckling

A surprise in the form of this Honey Buzzard that arrived off the sea mid afternoon flew up the peninsular and inland over the airport.

Ronged Plover trying desperately to draw the Cormorant away from its nest

A couple of adult Dunlin dropped into the ARC today

 

Lunar Hornet Clearwing  the latest addition to my garden Clearwing list

Marbled White Spot new for my trap

Poplar Lutestring not annual in my trap

Gelechia muscosella first for my trap but probably overlooked by me 😐

01/07/2025

 Another very hot and very quiet day on the peninsular, with little turn over of new birds around the reserve. A single Ruff at the ARC with 2 Common Sandpipers and the resident Avocets and Ringed Plovers. On Burrowes another 2 Common Sandpipers and 2 Little Ringed Plovers, I've no idea what the Common Terns are doing there and not sure they do, another Common Candpiper at Denge Marsh and 100s of Sand Martins signal the July influx on the peninsular. With the birding so quiet the busy moth traps are keeping us occupied.  
                                          Young Common Terns from Denge Marsh hide

A very noisy Oystercatcher that in front of Denge Marsh hide

Definitely a record image of 3 Cattle Egrets that were new in at Denge Marsh this morning

100s of Sand Martins were on the wires by the Denge Marsh chicken sheds this morning

Swallow at the local stables

A lovely Scotia adelphella an uncommon moth in my trap

30/06/2025

The first brood of 4 Avocet chicks this year with the adults from Hanson today

We are still waiting for the rest of the Avocet clutches to hatch, also the Ringed Plover and Common Terns, then it will very noisy as the adults protect the young. It is the time of year when there is very little turn over of birds, which gives me a chance to get things done at home.

Blue-headed/Channel Wagtail still on Walland last night

Yellow Wagtail on Walland last night

Juvenile Yellow Wagtail on Walland last night

Tree Sparrow and Common Whitethroat on Walland

Little Owl on Walland

A Leopard, I usually catch a few of these each year 

Another lovely Sussex Emerald in the trap today

A rather tatty Small Mottled Willow was about the only migrant in this mornings trap

A gorgeous Enarmonia formosana (Cherry Bark Torttrix) fairly regular in the trap

 

28/06/2025

Corn Bunting in Lydd Fields

With the constant wind weather the birding and the mothing has been fairly quiet the couple of days, the good news is the first of the Avocet clutches have hatched at the ARC with 4 fluffy young, hopefully the rest will hatch soon along with the Common Terns and Ringed Plovers. The Common Tern chicks on Dengemarsh seem to be doing well also. 

A walk in Lydd Fields today found 4 singing Corn Buntings,  3 Yellow Wagtails and plenty of Reed Warblers in the ditches, overhead a constant stream of Sand Martins moving SW. 

1 of the 1,00so of Sand Martins moving over the peninsular in the last couple of days

Male Emporer Dragonfly at the ARC

Polish 1st Summer Mediterranean Gull red ringed PMJL

Adult Mediterranean Gulls at the ARC

Juvenile Redshank at the ARC

Green Sandpiper at the ARC

September Thorn in my trap yesterday definitely not annual

Neofriseria peliella very common here but nationally scarce

25/06/2025

Sea watching is still rather poor with Mediterranean Gulls and Gannets making the bulk of the birds seen, with a few Terns and the odd Arctic Skua, Manx Shearwater and Fulmar.

Blue-headed/Channel Wagtail

Another evening spent on Walland Marsh primarily hoping to see Barn Owls but failed miserably, this time last year I was seeing several each evening out hunting for their young, none so far this spring/summer. There were plenty of Yellow Wagtails, Corn buntings and Tree Sparrows as recompense. 

presumed offspring of Blue-headed/Channel Wagtail

Young flavissima Wagtails

Adult male Flavissima Wagtail

Corn Bunting

Tree Sparrows

Black-tailed Godwit and Avocet from Firth today

On the reserve  Burrowes is fairly quiet as is Dengemarsh, though the young Common terns at the latter are great entertainment. Hopefully soon the nesting Common Terns, Avocets and Ringed Plovers at the ARC from Hanson will hatch. Hayfield 1 is still wet so looks good for migrating waders to drop in, there were 2 Common Sandpipers from Hanson yesterday.

Feed me!

Adult and soon to be flying Common Tern from Dengemarsh Hide

Norfolk Hawker by the track to Hanson Hide

A gorgeous Small Marbled, a first for my trap

Sussex Emerald is not always annual in my trap, though they are usually fairly tatty when they when they do arrive like this one. 

A Pretty Chalk Carpet was another first for my trap

Plutella xylostella a very common micro moth in my trap