Dungeness: One of 4 Hobbys sheltering in the Willow Trail this morning.

Dungeness: Great-crested Grebes feeding young on the new Boulderwall Flood this morning.

The Friday Birders Club away day to Rye Harbour LNR, an excellent day out in great company with tea and cake provided by Owen. Sandwich & Common Terns, sadly just a single Little Tern, 11 wader sp. Spoonbill, Hobby, White-fronted Goose and much more.

Dungeness: Several Hobbys were hawking over the ARC complex this afternoon between the showers. #UKBirding

Dungeness: The Southern Marsh Orchids are starting to appear around the ARC.

Dungeness: A very pleasant sunny, frosty and windless early morning walk around the reserve. Booming Bittern, 5+ Hobbys, curious Fox cubs, lots of Lapwing chicks and more.

Dungeness: Lots of Hirundines over the lakes today in the cold damp weather, also a dejected looking Hobby sitting in the rain. #UKBirding

Dungeness: The Temminck's Stints at Boulderwall were more obliging for the camera today, then relocated to the ARC. #UKBirding

This morning a typical Pomarine Skua sea watch, long period of very little to see then a flock appears, but they are well worth waiting for as they cruise by with languid wingbeats that ooze power. 3 Temminck's Stints at Boulderwall & the 1st Garganey on the reserve with Yellow-Billed Pintail?

Dungeness: My efforts don't do justice to this lovely singing Iberian Chiffchaff that Jacob found around the Long Pits early this morning, It still has the Olive pollen stains on its face. #UKBirding

Dungeness: A Turtle Dove was today's undoubted highlight, once common on the peninsula it is now barely annual, this one courtesy of Andrew Lawson. A party of 50 Black-tailed Godwits toured the peninsula, ending up at the ARC. Many Painted Ladies were around the peninsula. #UKBirding

Dungeness: After several days of intense sea watching, I spent today around the reserve. A Temminck's Stint on Boulderwall but very distant was probably the highlight, first Glossy Ibis and Wood Sandpiper of the year on the peninsula, good to see Lapwings doing well on Boulderwall.

Dungeness, Kent: a gathering of the birding family to say a final farewell to Tony Greenland at Littlestone Golf Club. Whilst we were here a close in Long-tailed Skua passed the point - you couldn’t have made it up! The rare ground beetle Hister quadrimaculata was my day’s highlight.

Dungeness: A lovely trilling Wood Warbler found in the trapping area by James was typically elusive in the canopy of the Sallows. #UKBirding

Dungeness: A superb day of mainly sea watching, highlights 22 Pomarine Skuas, 1,400+ Little Gulls, 1,000s of Common/Arctic Terns, Great Skuas, Arctic Skuas and many waders. Full details will be on Trektellen. #UKBirding

Dungeness. A Harbour Porpoise photobombing one of the Pomarine Skuas that came past the sea watch hide this morning. #UKBirding

This Pine Beauty was the highlight of another disappointing night in my VC15 trap. Quite scarce on the shingle peninsula.

Dungeness.: This presumed 2nd year Merlin landed on the beach in front the sea watch hide this morning. Due to my incompetence with the camera the flight image is blurry, it was taken at F18 😒 #UKbirding

At Dungeness today

Dungeness: Light rain early morning dropped lots of Willow Warblers on the peninsula, also Pied Flycatcher, singing Wood Warbler, Redstarts, a Ring Ouzel, Garden Warblers, Blackcaps, Common & Lesser Whitethroats, many melted away as the sun came out. #UKBirding

326 gannets west close to shore at the Bill, a single arctic skua, six (!) common terns and a fair number of Sandwich Terns east per IP et al

A refreshing wander out the back of Scotney this evening, 40+ Yellow Wagtails, Swallows nest building under the old conveyer, also a Sedge Warbler singing in a sea of Rape. #UKBirding

This Lunar Marbled Brown was a very nice surprise in my VC15 trap today. A scarce moth on the peninsula, the first since 2019 I believe. @migrantmothuk.bsky.social #Teammoth

The best night so far in my VC15 trap 22 of 6, but still very poor. The highlight being Lesser Swallow Prominent less than annual in my trap.

Dungeness: A very smart Ring Ouzel that was trapped and ringed early this morning by the DBO ringing team, many thanks to them for the call.

Dungeness: My first Willow Warbler of the year at the ARC this morning, lovely to watch it fly catching while constantly singing. #UKBirding

Dungeness: On an otherwise uninspiring day around the peninsula, there were at least 4 Water Pipits around Dengemarsh. #UKBirding

@docmartin2mc.bsky.social has sent me the DNA results of the Lesser Whitethroat wintering in my garden and confirmed it as S c curruca, not what I expected, but more unusual than the Eastern races. Many thanks to him and his staff for all their work. The bird is still present for its 88th day.

Dungeness: A bitterly cold morning brought an arrival of at least 30 Wheatears to the peninsula. These are 4 of at least 10 around the DMG. #UKBirding

As I got out of my car at home after an underwhelming sea watch, a female Sparrowhawk came past me like a rocket and took out a feral pigeon under a feeder, took it deep in the hedge and spent an hour plucking and eating it before leaving with a very full crop. The Eider was the sea watch highlight.

Dungeness: A very windy and cold day on the peninsula. A visit to Burrowes lunchtime saw my first Swallow of the year, also a Sand Martin there. In 4hrs of Sea watching the first Manx Shearwater of the year was the highlight and very little else. #UKBirding

After going missing for a couple of days and me thinking it had gone the Lesser Whitethroat (halimodendri)? appeared again despite the visits of the gorgeous male Sparrowhawk.

Bearded Tits and my first White Wagtail of the year at Dengemarsh today when the fog cleared. #UKBirding

It's always tough to obtain good views of Water Pipits at Dungeness, a couple today in Dengemarsh Flood were no easier. The lone Ruff at Dengemarsh was showier. #UKBirding

After at least 78 days in my garden (30/01/2025)-17/03/2026) it appears that the Lesser Whitethroat (halimodendri)? has departed. hopefully in due course the DNA sample will prove its race. #UKbirding

Red Sword-grass not a rare moth nationally, but very rare on the Dungeness peninsular, 1 in2021 was the first since 1963, my one today is I believe the second. No doubt SC will put me right if necessary. #Kentmoths

Another fog bound day on the Dungeness peninsula. The lesser Whitethroat (halimodendri)? has been getting more elusive lately, but a brief spell of sunshine early afternoon encouraged it out. #UKBirding

The Wednesday clubs day out to Orlestone with new member Jacob as our carer. Super views of Crossbills, a Goshawk and other woodland birds we don't see at Dunge. We also a great views of or target for the trip at least 2 Large Tortoiseshell Butterflies. Tea and cake back at the car provided by Owen.

As the sea watching and peninsula was very quiet today I spent some time watching the garden. My first Comma of the year, a new male Sparrowhawk came in and landed almost within touching distance of me. The Lesser Whitethroat(halimodendri)? still present, but far more elusive in the warmer weather.

One of two very elusive Water Pipits on Dengemarsh Flood this afternoon. #UKBirding

Good test for the Swarovski AT Balance in foul weather on Isle of Man today. Hard not to be impressed with the IS when phonescoping this Wigeon flock on 4x Optical iPhone zoom/18x scope zoom. Scope/phonescope setup handheld on half-down window of van. IS off, then on, then off in clip. #BirdingGear

Another thoroughly miserable day on the peninsula, but this beauty still residing around the garden cheered me up. #UKBirding

I spent severals hours today taking video of The Lesser Whitethroat(halimodendri)? Blueskys 100mb is somewhat limiting, lots more to edit and eventually upload to YouTube.

Finally after 7 weeks of watching and photographing this Lesser Whitethroat)halimodendri)? it gave me this look and I just knew it was going to do the deed 💩, safely collected into a moth pot. #UKBirding

I celebrated this Lesser Whitethroat(halimodendri)? 50th day in the garden just to get a poo sample, I put trays under the feeders to catch it, all to no avail. It fed avidly then would disappear into the bush for a few minutes, no doubt doing the deed. #UKBirding

A few bits fro around the area despite the miserable weather. 21 Cattle egrets in the Horse Paddock, Nadine the neck collared satellite tracked Bewick Swan keeping her distance, one of several Tree Sparrows and the lingering Lesser Whitethroat (halimodendri) still present. #UKBirding

A nice afternoon at Scotney where the drake American Wigeon was re-located at East Sussex end by @dungenessowen.bsky.social , the 4 Walland Marsh Tundra Bean and the 3 Pink-footed Geese finally found there way onto the local patch(Scotney Sward), also 3 White-fronted Geese. #UKBirding

The Scotney American Wigeon on the ARC from Hanson, re-found by Ray O'reilley late morning. At Dengemarsh late afternoon a 3w Polish ringed Caspian Gull P:6WL and a 1w Caspian Gull. #UKBirding

Spent an hour or so sitting in the garden clutching a moth pot hoping to collect a Poo sample from the Lesser Whitethroat (halimodendri) to no avail, it was quite vocal. A House Sparrow challenged it on the feeder but not a single feather flew.🥲 #UKBirding