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Local weather

Update

The Observatory can accommodate up to 9 people in two dormitories, you need to bring your own sleeping bags and it is self-catering. As well as Birdwatchers, we welcome people from many areas of interest including Moths, Butterflies, Bugs and Beetles or just a general interest in Nature and the local environment. Please forward any Dungeness recording area records to the Warden.
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27th Mar

A search of the trapping area produced two Jack Snipe of note but it was otherwise very quiet on the land. Most of the attention was focused on the sea where another seven hours of watching produced 1052 Brent Geese, six Shovelers, an Eider, 753 Common Scoters, a Red-breasted Merganser, 23 Curlew, 151 Kittiwakes, 14 Mediterranean Gulls, 307 Common Gulls, 211 Sandwich Terns, our first Common Tern of the year, a Great Skua, nine Arctic Skuas, 266 Red-throated Divers, singles of Black-throated and Great Northern Divers, nine Fulmars and 460 Gannets.

Two Porpoises and a Grey Seal were seen offshore.

26th Mar

A fresh south-east wind was blowing so most of the effort today was directed toward the sea. Six hours of watching produced 1067 Brent Geese, seven Shelduck, 15 Shoveler, four Teal, six Eider, 1752 Common Scoters, three Red-breasted Mergansers, three Mediterranean Gulls, 19 Sandwich Terns and a Great Northern Diver of note. Very quiet on the land but a Merlin was seen at the fishing boats.

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

25th Mar

With a stiff SSE wind blowing today most of the interest was offshore where 6.5hrs of watching produced 1993 Brent Geese, 15 Shovelers, 14 Teal, 268 Common Scoters, 11 Red-breasted Mergansers, 12 Dunlin, a Mediterranean Gull, 103 Sandwich Terns, 153 Red-throated Divers, two Black-throated Divers and seven Fulmars of note.

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore.

24th Mar

Very quiet with just one Mediterranean Gull offshore and two Willow Warblers, 12 Wheatears and a Black Redstart on the land.

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.

I ran the Audiomoth a couple of nights ago but had not been able to check the recordings until this morning. It was very quiet so it was a surprise to hear a short series of four calls from a Stone-curlew.at 0250hrs on 23rd. A Water Rail was also recorded.

23rd Mar

The sea was very quiet with just 45 Common Scoters and four Mediterranean Gulls of any note. A handful of birds on the land included a Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard, four Willow Warblers, ten Chiffchaffs, 12 Wheatears and ten Siskins.

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore.

22nd Mar

A very quiet morning with rain from about 0900hrs. The only birds of note on the land were a second-winter Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats, two Willow Warblers at the Long Pits, seven Wheatears around the New Lighthouse and five Siskins overhead. Seawatching produced just four Mediterranean Gulls and 13 Sandwich Terns.

Five Porpoises were feeding offshore.  

21st Mar

A dull, overcast morning which became increasingly foggy during the afternoon. A handful of migrants on the land included the first Willow Warbler and Blackcap of the spring along with a Woodcock, a Snipe, a Merlin and six Wheatears and also ten Siskins overhead. Seawatching was very slow again with just five Teal and seven Sandwich Terns of interest.

Two Porpoises were feeding offshore. 

20th Mar

A small arrival of birds on the land with a Woodcock, a Snipe, 30 Chiffchaffs and five Wheatears. Seawatching remains slow with just 14 Shelducks, 26 Shovelers, three Pintails, 151 Common Scoters, two Whimbrel and six Sandwich Terns of note.

Seven Porpoises were feeding offshore.

A Red Chestnut was the best of a small overnight catch of moths. Surprisingly this is only the seventh Observatory record. Five Comma butterflies were also seen.

Red Chestnut Cerastis rubicosa   Dungeness   20th March 2024


19th Mar

A few migrants on the land included two Snipe, 13 Chiffchaffs, a Firecrest and ten Wheatears. Seawatching was slow going but 233 Brent Geese, three Shelducks, seven Shovelers, 11 Mediterranean Gulls, three Sandwich Terns and an Arctic Skua were seen during the morning. A Bittern flew over the Observatory calling at 2153hrs.

A Porpoise was seen offshore and a Brown Hare was seen in the Desert.

18th Mar

A lovely, bright and sunny day but not a great deal to be seen. The best on the land were a cock Pheasant, a Water Rail, 44 Jackdaws, 16 Chiffchaffs, three Wheatears and five Siskins.

Four Porpoises and a Grey Seal were feeding offshore and a Brown Hare was seen in the Desert.

A Hummingbird Hawkmoth was seen in the trapping area.

A Pied Shieldbug found in front of the Observatory was only the second record for the Observatory area. Hundreds of Firebugs were also found.

Pied Shieldbug Tritomegas bicolor   Dungeness   18th March 2024