28/08/2026

A morning and afternoon sea watch produced my first 2 Balearic Shearwaters of the year, c8 Arctic Skuas are loitering for unwary Terns and a couple of Fulmars were present but little else. 

Osprey over the Jurys Gap sand pit late morning

Osprey over the Jurys Gap sand pit late morning

Osprey over the Jurys Gap sand pit late morning

Around the reserve an impressive flock of 17 Garganey (albeit mainly asleep) at Dengemarsh found by

Richard. On Burrowes 4 Little Stints, 30 Knot, Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Ruff, Dunlin. Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers, Common Sandpipers and Black-tailed Godwits.

At the ARC numerous Common Snipe, Wood Sandpiper Common and Green Sandpipers, Ruffs, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers and 3 Garganey.

Opposite Kerton Road junction 2 Whinchat, Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Blackcap and Willow Warblers.

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull playing with is food at the fishing boats this afternoon

A couple of Fulmars past the fishing boats this afternoon

27/08/2026

The White-winged Black Tern was still present today and still showing in the gloomy conditions this morning. A bit of a wader fest with 19 species today on the reserve with Spotted Redshank, Common Redshanks, Greenshanks, Curlew,Wood, Green and Common Sandpipers, Little Stints, Black-tailed Godwits, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Knots, Ruff, Turnstone, Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers, Lapwings, Common Snipes and Dunlin. 

Another Honey Buzzard was over the peninsula today making 5 in the last 2 days, I have managed to miss every one so far.🙄

A sea watch this afternoon was a rather slow affair, with 280+ Sandwich Terns, 5 Arctic Skuas and a Marsh Harrier.
 

White-winged Black Tern from Firth

Ruff

Little Stints

Great White Egret

Great White Egret takes a Jack Pike in front of Hanson

One of 4 Garganey seen from Hanson today

25/08/2026

Juvenile Caspian Gull same bird as below

Dutch ringed Juvenile Caspian Gull (this bird was first seen yesterday bur still present today) 

Arctic Skua harassing a Sandwich tern at the fishing boats this afternoon

The last few days has brought us strong NE winds, with them came 1,000s of Sandwich Terns and Gulls, but very little else. The first 2 Sooty Shearwaters of the year and double figure numbers of Arctic Skuas, also a couple of Ospreys neither of which hung around.

A German ringed bird from a mixed colony, even the ringer didn't know what it was

A moulting adult Curlew Sandpiper from Firth late afternoon

The White-winged Black Tern was still present. also a couple of Little Stints still present at Firth.

22/08/2026

An early morning visit to The Midrips along the Green Wall, found 40+Willow Warblers gorging themselves on a large hatching of flys, they joined by at least 6 Wheatears and c20 each of Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits, these attracted the attention of a Hobby, unusually I only saw 2 Yellow Wagtails when normally there are tens of them present. A juvenile Marsh Harrier was quartering the marsh which on had a single Whimbrel and 3 Dunlin on it,  in the Sueda a brief view of a Grasshopper Warbler.

Again today there was no sign of the Golden Plover flock.

Every Rock seemed to have a fly catching Willow Warbler on it

Around the margins of the old sand pit at Jurys Gap at least 9 Ruff, 6 Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper and 2 Dunlin, a Curlew and 2 Redshank flew through.

Ruff

Ruff with spume on its feet

Feeding Ruff

Feeding Ruff

Possible Hybrid Caspian x Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats this afternoon

An extraordinary late afternoon today, while sitting with Dave Bunney eating Sheila's delicious Ice Cream at Southview where there was Pied Flycatcher and a Redstart, due to the woeful internet coverage at Dungeness. I was totally unaware that there was Wood Warbler and a Wryneck showing well in The Moat. Thanks to a a phone call from Colin who some how managed to get through to me to let me know about them. On arrival the Wryneck was showing very well and did so for at least an hour before being chased off into the Brambles by a Fox. A little further around The Moat the Wood Warbler was showing intermittently, I was way to slow to get any usable images.

Wryneck in the Broome in The Moat

A very showy Wryneck

Cattle Egret at Boulderwall

20/08/2026

The early morning sea watch was abandoned quite quickly this morning due to poor visibility, rain and general lack of seabird movement.

In the gloom from Hanson a Wood Sandpiper

A Ruff in the gloom

1 of the seemingly ever present Garganey from Hanson this morning

One of 5 juvenile Water Rails in front of the Screen Hide also an adult there. 

Another Wood Sandpiper along with a Green and 8 Common Sandpipers, a Black-tailed Godwit and the usual Egrets were seen from the screen.

A juvenile Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats trying to eat a very stiff Dogfish

Sandwich Tern with a Sand Eel at the fishing boats this afternoon

3 Little Stints from Firth

Also from Firth 2 Black Terns, the White-winged Black Tern, several Common Swifts, 2 Greenshank, a Knot and several Common Sandpipers

Little Stint

Little Stint

Little Stint with a Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover

4 Little Stints with 3 Ringed Plovers