09-10/05/2026

Today felt like an end of season sea watch, I doubt many more Skuas will be seen this spring here.

Dark phase Pomarine Skua passing the Dungeness Bouy

                                    A flock of 4 Pomarine Skua passing the Dungeness Bouy

                                                           Dark phase Pomarine Skua 

Some of a flock of 8 Pomarine Skuas passing East in the awful haze

Whimbrel and a Bar-tailed Godwit

A very cold Sunday with a stiff North wind produced a very poor early morning sea watch, the Temminck's Stints were still at Boulderwll though relocated to the ARC late afternoon, wher 3 Sanderling and a Dunlin were on the islands, the drake Garganey was still present.

One of 3 Temminck's Stints on the Boulderwall Flood

Temminck's Stints flying off to the ARC

A drake Garganey with a presumed Yellow-billed Pintail

                                    A drake Garganey with a presumed Yellow-billed Pintail

Sanderling at the ARC

Grey Plover on Burrowes

Lapwing Chick(2 taken by a Grey Heron this afternoon)

Great-crested Grebes with young on their backs on the Boulderwall Flood

Reed Bunting singing in a cloud of midges

A Puss Moth, the 3rd this year to grace my trap 

6-7/05/2026

I finally heard a Cuckoo at the ARC yesterday, there are a small number of Hobbys around  though in general spring migrants are thin on the ground. A singing Willow Warbler at the southern end of the ARC was the only sign of new passerines today. A flock of 7 Glossy Ibis flew over the ARC towards Late morning. At Dengemarsh several Bearded Tits, booming Bittern more Hobbys and few Common Terns of note.

A sea watch this afternoon produced Pomarine, Great and Arctic Skuas and 3 Eider which are increasingly scarce now, also a few Whimbrel, Sanderling and Bar-tailed Godwits. A full report will be on Trektellen.

                              Good to see the Lapwing chicks still doing well at Boulderwall

One of several Bearded Tits seen around the reserve

Ruff at Boulderwall this morning

Common Blue at the ARC

3 Eider passing the sea watch hide this afternoon

Sanderling passing the sea watch hide this afternoon

The first Lime Hawkmoth of the year in the trap today

4-5/05/2026

This Iberian Chiffchaff found by Jacob early yesterday morning was the standout bird of the day, there were virtually no other new migrants on the peninsula.

Iberian Chiffchaff

 Iberian Chiffchaff

As with yesterday there was no new migrants on the peninsula, also the same was lack of sea passage.

This afternoon I visited The Midrips where I found 36 Avocets(some attempting to nest) 26 Dunlin, 17, Whimbrel, 9 Bar-tailed Godwits, 6 Ringed Plovers, 4 Redshanks, 2 Greenshank, 2 Turnstone, 26 Shelduck, 4 each of Wheatear and Yellow Wagtail.

 

Turnstones posing on a groyne  at The Midrips

Dunlin on the Midrips

Yellow Wagtail at The Midrips

Wheatear nesting around a shot up old tank on The Midrips

03/05/2026

A flock of 50 Black-tailed Godwits toured the peninsula in the fog before settling down on the ARC, it is unusual for a flock of this size to be seen at Dungeness.

On the new Boulderwall Flood the Temmincks Stint, Wood Sandpiper and Glossy Ibis were all still present today but very elusive and distant, hiding behind the islands at the back of Boulderwall.

Burrowes was very disappointing, usually in foggy conditions Hirundines and Terns will turn up but not today.

Dengemarsh held all 3 Egret species, a Bittern was booming by hayfield 3, Bearded Tits were busy nest building at several spots around Dengemarsh and 5+ Hobbys were hawking there.

A presumed migrant Short-eared Owl was found at Galloways late morning.

The undoubted highlight for me was a Turtle Dove that was found this afternoon near Springfield Bridge, a once common species that is now barely annual on the peninsula.

Black-tailed Godwits

                                                             Black-tailed Godwits

 

Turtle this afternoon near Springfield Bridge

Numerous Painted Ladies were around the reserve today

02/05/2026

A partially Leucistic Brent Goose passing the sea watch hide

I've not posted for a few days due to me sea watching from dawn to dusk and falling asleep as soon i got back home each day. So far the sea watching has not been exceptional apart from a day of 1,500 Little gulls movng East. There have been reasonable numbers of Pomarine Skuas passing, whereas Great Skua and Arctic Skua numbers have been low, Common Scoters have also been low as have all the Terns, Black-throated Diver numbers have been good and there is still time for other species to pick up.

Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwit passing the sea watch hide

On Friday afternoon we bade goodbye to Tony (Panzerman) Greenland who passed away on 1st April after a long illness. He still had the last laugh on us, as while we were at his wake a superb adult Long-tailed Skua flew past the sea watch hide.😂😂

Members of the Dungeness Bird Observatry at Tony's wake

One of the many Sedge Warblers on the reserve today

First Glossy Ibis of the year on the peninsula today

Lapwing Chicks on the new Boulderwall Flood

The first Wood Sandpiper of the year on the peninsula

One of several Little Ringed Plovers around the reserve today

27/04/2026

This mornings sea watch started well with 2 majestic Pomarine Skuas sailing past the sea watch hide soon after I arrived, unfortunately the watch went downhill rapidly from then on, 3hrs watching this afternoon was lovely in the sun, it was only the company of Richard and James that stopped me from going to sleep.

However this morning was rescued by James finding a lovely trilling Wood Warbler in the trapping area, it was typically elusive in the canopy of the Sallows but eventually gave nice views and photo opportunities.

Wood Warbler in the canopy of the Sallows in the trapping area this morning

Wood Warbler in the canopy of the Sallows in the trapping area this morning

Grizzled Skipper in The Desert today

From Hanson late morning 7 Ruff, 2 Avocet, 2 Common Sandpipers, 3 Ringed Plovers and a Black-tailed Godwit. The reserve was once again disappointing. On the new Boulderwall Flood a White Wagtail also several Lapwing Chicks and Little Ringed Plover. 6 Hobbys were hawking over Dengemarsh.

7 Ruff at the ARC from Hanson late morning