17/01/2026

A line of Razorbills and Guillemots moving west past the sea watch hide

08.00-09.30 from the hide with OL,  Wind SSE3  Temp 7º

Brent Goose: 22E

Common Scoter: 4E

Kittiwake: 455W     c30 present 

Black-headed Gull: present

Common Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Razorbill: 505W

Guillemot: 148W     

Auk sp: 369W      71E

Red-throated Diver: 97W   62E

Fulmar: 1W     1E

Gannet: 61W    21E

Cormorant: present

Grey Seal: 1 present

A line of Razorbills and Guillemots moving west past the sea watch hide

A fairly busy sea watch this morning but not a great deal of variety, good numbers of Kittiwakes but very few juvenile/1w birds amongst them, on the way to the sea watch at least 20 Cattle Egrets were in the Horse field opposite Homeleigh Farm.

My first Jack Snipe of the year around the ARC

Around the ARC I found my first Jack Snipe of the year with the help of my thermal imager, a pair of Bearded Tits were nearby as were at least 2 Water Rails and Cetti's Warblers, a Bittern made a short flight disappearing quickly into a reed bed. A pair of Ravens appeared to be mating on the top of the Water Tower.

A Great White Egret posing in front of the screen hide

2 Whooper Swans in the field opposite Cockles Bridge

 By 15.00 the light was very poor, the 2 Whooper Swans were in the field opposite Cockles Bridge, due to the poor light I called it a day. The Lesser Whitethroat is still in my garden for 19th day.

16/01/2026

The early morning sea watch was fairly busy with plenty of Auks again, 2 Velvet Scoter provide the only quality.

                                             Razorbills and Guillemots moving west early morning

07.50-09.30 from the hide with OL, RW & CP.   Wind SSW4  Temp 7º

Brent Goose: 23E

Teal: 5W

Velvet Scoter: 2W

Common Scoter: 2W      7E

Oystercatcher: 1E

Sanderling: 1W

Dunlin: 192W

Kittiwake: 197W   

Black-headed Gull: present

Common Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Razorbill: 528W

Guillemot: 712W     

Auk sp: 832W       327E

Red-throated Diver: 242W  

Fulmar: 3W     

Gannet: 12W    4E

Cormorant: present

Grey Seal: 1 present
A cycle ride around the Scotney complex was disappointing with only the Scaup at the old sandpit the only quality, quantity was made up by Wigeon, Lapwing and Golden Plover.

Lunchtime back home gave me the opportunity to take more pictures of the Long staying Siberian Lesser Whitethroat. Despite it being in the open a good deal of time, once again I didn't manage to see it poo, so still no DNA.

Siberian Lesser Whitethroat

A Walk around the reserve with John this afternoon saw the Great Northern Diver on Burrowes near Scott,

while at Christmas Dell 13 Common Snipe was a reasonable count, John heard the Water Pipits on the flood fields, alas my hearing is now very poor.

At the ARC late afternoon despite the reduced numbers of Starlings the murmuration was still quite spectacular. 2 Whooper Swans came in to roost at 17.00, also 21 Cattle Egrets and 15 Great White Egrets.

Great Northern Diver from Scott

There are at least 8 Common Snipe in this image taken at Christmas Dell

14/01/2026

 07.50-09.20 from the hide with RW. Wind WSW2  Temp 3º

Brent Goose: 5W

Wigeon: 6W      8E

Common Scoter: 3E

Little Gull: 1 adult feeding along the colour change

Kittiwake: 54W   

Black-headed Gull: present

Common Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Puffin: 1W

Guillemot: 419W     

Razorbill: 116W

Auk sp: 2,392W        57E

Red-throated Diver: 258W          1E

Gannet: 25W

Cormorant: present

The local Little Owl was out enjoying some welcome sunshine this morning

After a busy sea watch I stopped off at Cockles Bridge where 3 Cattle Egrets were feeding but no wild Swans today.

While having breakfast I spent a while watching the Lesser Whitethroat in my garden chasing the Great and Blue Tits off the feeders, until the Rook came to feed. The Dunnocks, Robins Gold, Green and Chaffinches all do well from the Rook as it spills lots of Sunflower Chips to the ground.

1w drake Scaup on the flooded Sand Pit

After breakfast I went to Scotney where 100s of Golden Plover and Lapwings were wheeling around with a few Dunlin but I couldn't pick out the Little Stint that was there earlier, the goose highlight there was just 10 Barnacle Geese. At flooded sand pit the 1w drake Scaup was still there with a few Tufted Duck, Pochard, Wigeon and Teal. I spent some time scanning the fields for the Hen Harrier thats been frequenting the area but no joy. A general look around this afternoon in the gloom when the cloud cover had rolled in saw the Great Northen Diver distantly on Burrowes.

The Lesser Whitethroat still in my garden for its 16th day

12/01/2025

 

Adult Little Gull West pat the hide in the early morning gloom

07.50-09.30 from the hide with OL, RW & PE  Wind NW5  a balmy 8º

Brent Goose: 7E    5W

Wigeon:2W

Teal: 9E     5W

Common Scoter: 1E    7W

Velvet Scoter: 1W

Red-breasted Merganser: 1W

Great-crested Grebe: 1E      2W

Little Gull: 1W

Kittiwake: 34W   

Black-headed Gull: present

Herring Gull: present

Great Black-backed Gull: present 

Guillemot: 228E     4W

Razorbill: 16E

Auk sp: 292E    12W

Red-throated Diver: 3E    383W

Fulmar: 1W

Gannet: 24W

Cormorant: present

Very little change on the peninsular today, the cold weather hasn't appeared to have brought any new birds to the peninsular.

39 Bewick Swans on Walland Marsh today including neck collared bird Nadine who can be tracked live on line HERE . Many thanks to Neil Burt for finding the website.

Adult and 2 juvenile Bewick Swans Walland Marsh

Little Stint on the sward at Scotney in the afternoon gloom

Lesser Whitethroat still in the garden today

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