11/01/2026

A pair of Peregrines in the field opposite my house eyeing up the Greylag flock

As I was tied with family most the weekend I didn't get out much. It appears that there has been very little change in the birds around the peninsula, the Great Northern Diver is patrolling Burrowes Pit, A White-fronted Goose flock is still frequenting the fields around Dennes Lane per NB, up to 39 Bewick Swans at Ashentree Lane also NB, the 2 Whooper Swans were in the field opposite Cockles Bridge early morning, then presumably moved out onto the marsh later, also at Cockles Bridge up to 7 Cattle Egrets. 

A freshly deceased Sparrowhawk at the ARC this morning, it looked as though it had recently made a kill judging by the amount of plucked feathers around, whether it was killed by something stealing its kill or perhaps it was disturbed and flew into a branch in panic I have no idea, I could see no evidence to believe it was killed by human intervention.

Redwing at the Old Lighthouse early yesterday morning

More of the long staying Lesser Whitethroat in my garden, giving me the opportunity to try out different camera settings.

Amazing that it has survived the very cold weather and storm Goretti

08/01/2026

As it was very misty and murky this morning I gave the sea watch a miss, enabling me to have an early breakfast instead, despite the murky conditions the Lesser Whitethroat was the first bird to visit the feeders, it was also the last late this afternoon in the pouring rain.

I took the opportunity of being at home to get some domestic stuff done, until a message came from PT that a Spoonbill had just dropped into the Scotney main pit by the large island, a couple of miutes later I joined Paul to find the bird was hidden behind the island, I went back to the farm track where it was visible from albeit distantly. That is the first area record of the year and is probably the Rye bird having a fly around.

       Some of the 38 Greater White-fronted Geese at Dennes Lane today, also 54 Egyptian Geese there

Greater White-fronted Geese with a single Brent Goose at Dennes Lane today

2 Bewick Swans at Dennes Lane today.

 After stopping at Dennes lane I went further out onto Walland looking for more Wild Swans but found none, indeed I saw very little avian life on the marsh this morning. 

At Cockles Bridge there still 30 Bewick Swans but I could see no Whoopers.

Early afternoon from Dennis's Hide in the company of JY I saw my first Caspian Gull of the year and a handful of Goldeneye, but no sign of the Great Northern Diver. By mid afternoon the rain was falling.

07/01/2026

A very quiet sea watch apart from the Red-throated Divers

08.00-09.00 from the hide with RW Wind WNW2 a balmy 2º

Kittiwake:3E 

Black-headed Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Auk sp: 156E     18W

Red-throated Diver: 27E  340W

Gannet: 15 present

Cormorant: present

Goldeneye feeding along the ice shelf from Hanson

The cold weather doesn't seem to have instigated much in the way of cold weather movements at Dungeness, a thrash around today found no Woodcock or Jack Snipe and only a handful of Common Snipe. Skylarks, Reed Buntings and Linnets are all virtually non existent here at the moment, I've seen more Firecrests than Larks.

There are still a few White-fronted Geese around but apparently no Tundra Bean Geese.

A male HEn Harrier was seen at the back of Scotney per CT and the Little Stint was still at Flat Pit per OL. The Great Northen Diver was still on Burrowes late this afternoon.

Common Buzzard ARC

Bearded Tits at the ARC this morning

Whooper Swan with Bewick Swans opposite Cockles Bridge late morning

Knot at Greatstone this afternoon

Lesser Whitethroat still in the garden today

 

06/01/2026

I stood in front the hide as it was warmer there than inside.

07.55-08.55 from the hide Wind NW2  a bitterly cold -5º

Brent Goose: 4W

Great-crested Grebe: 2E

Oystercatcher: 1E  

Black-headed Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Guillemot: 5E

Auk sp: 17E 

Red-throated Diver: 110E  

Gannet: 1E   3W

Cormorant: present

On my way back home for breakfast I stopped at the ARC and wandered down to Hanson, a Firecrest was feeding in the Sallows along the track to Hanson, from the hide most of the viewable lake was frozen, but there was Wigeon, Teal, Shovelers, Coots and Lapwings on the islands. I also pulled in to Cockles Bridge  and immediately noticed an extra group of Swans in the field opposite, a quick scan soon revealed 20 Bewick Swans and 2 Whooper Swans, also 2 Cattle Egrets there and another flew over my garden.

Not much other news today apart from the Great Northern Diver was still on Burrowes.

Whooper Swans left hand bird and centre, the rest are Bewick Swans

White-fronted Geese in field opposite the Shetland Pony field

Common Gulls, Knot, Grey Plover, Dunlin and Turnstone, on frozen Greatstone Beach this afternoon. Closer inspection of the Dunlin shows one with a Cockle clamped to its leg. 

Lesser Whitethroat still present today

05/01/2026

Black Redstart on the power station wall behind the sea watch hide this morning

Once again a very poor sea watch this morning in the freezing conditions.

08.25-09.25 from the hide with OL  Wind NW3  a bitterly cold -3º

Brent Goose: 10E

Common Scoter: 3E

Great-crested Grebe: 12 present

Kittiwake: 1E   

Black-headed Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Guillemot: 27E

Razorbill: 5E

Auk sp: 252E    15W

Red-throated Diver: 62E    10W

Gannet: 233E   8W

Cormorant: present

Black redstart: 1 present

Around Walland the Bewick Swans still present but the Whoopers are elusive, best seen as dawn breaks when they leave either Burrowes, New Diggings or ARC, they appear to have no set routine. White-fronted Geese can usually be seen at Dennes Lane, behind Scotney Pits and quite often around Boulderwall/Dengemarsh, all the Tundra Bean Geese seem to have left. Tree Sparrows and Yellowhammers are relatively easy to see around the marsh. The Great Northern Diver is still on Burrowes but little else at the moment surprisingly with most of the country frozen.

The Starling Murmuration is still ongoing at the ARC with Bitterns seen there everyday.

35 Bewick Swans & 2 Mute Swans at Midley today

Greater White-fronted Geese on Walland Marsh today

Tree Sparrows on Walland Marsh today

Very poor image of a Little Stint I spotted yesterday at the back of Scotney

Chiffchaff in the garden today

Rook doing its best to empty one of my feeders in the garden

The extraordinary Lesser Whitethroat still surviving the freezing temperatures in my garden

03/01/2026

A very poor sea watch this morning in the freezing conditions.

08.05-09.05 from the hide with RW & OL  Wind NW3  a bitterly cold -2º
Brent Goose: 2E

Common Scoter: 3W
Kittiwake: 5W    1 present
Black-headed Gull: present
Common Gull: present
Herring Gull: present
Great Black-backed Gull: present 
Guillemot: 9W       3E
Auk sp: 158W    37E
Red-throated Diver: 24W      94E
Gannet: 21W    29E
Cormorant: present

Great Northern Diver

Apart from the Diver Burrowes was unproductive as there are very few Gulls coming in at the moment, not sure if it is the tides or the cold.

The local Little Owl was enjoying the sun today in its sheltered perch. The 1w drake Scaup was on the old sand pit today per SM, a brave man to wander out there today. There were several flocks of Greater White-fronted Geese around the reserve today, sadly as far as I know no one saw any Tundra Bean Geese. Out on Walland more White-fronts and at least 32 Bewick Swans also Tree Sparrows, Yellowhammers and Corn Buntings, 70+ Curlew were in the fields along Caldecott Lane and several small parties of Golden Plover.

Little Owl

Greater White-fronted Geese and a Common Snipe

Bewick Swans at Midley, Walland Marsh

The Lesser Whitethroat sp. still hanging on in my garden today

01/01/2026

Velvet Scoters in the early morning light 

 08.00-09.30 from the hide with RW, OL & SO  Wind WNW5  a bone chilling 1º

Velvet Scoter: 2E

Common Scoter: 12E    1W

Great Crested Grebe: 2E   1 present 

Oystercatcher: 1E

Kittiwake: 12W

Black-headed Gull: present

Common Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Great Skua: 1E

Guillemot: 16W       3E

Auk sp: 438E       32W

Red-throated Diver: 82E    246W

Gannet: 74E   70W

Cormorant: present

Merlin: 1 present

Grey Seal: 1 present

A perishingly cold sea watch gave a nice start to the year with Bonxie, Velvet Scoter and Merlin.

When I got back home for breakfast the Lesser Whitethoat soon appeared and disappeared just as quickly, which it did on several occasions while I was home.

Lesser Whitethroat joining a Great Tit at the feeder

Lesser Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat

Looking very different in the low afternoon light

I could see the reserve car park was busy from home, so I gave it a miss. The Great Northern Diver, Whitefronts and Goldeneye were all still present per JY, RW. At the ARC the Bittern was showing in its usual spot per NB. 

On Walland Marsh the Bewick Swans were still at Ashentree Lane, 2 Whoopers were at Caldecot Lane per JD, NB and 19 Whitefronts were at Dennes Lane but no sign of any Tundra Bean Geese.

At Scotney 2 Goosander were a surprise find by CG, also 4 Black-necked grebes and the Scaup still present.

2 Goosander on the far bank of Scotney from the double bends

The Scotney Scaup seems to be moulting quite quickly

4 Black-necked Grebes at Scotney viewed from the double bends