It was superb last night for migrant (or locally bred migrant?) moths at the Observatory. Best being a Striped Hawkmoth, two Scarce Bordered Straw, a Ni Moth, 92 Small Mottled Willow (highest obs count), eight Pearly Underwing, six Delicate, two amplana and a vitrealis. However just two Silver Y!

Nice one! However it is unfortunately the third! We heard an individual at Lydd-on-Sea on Saturday night, but was waiting till we could see the cricket before we put news out.

Come stay at Dungeness Bird Observatory this autumn! There is plenty of availability, and hopefully lots to look at too! #kentbirding

An excellent start to the day with plenty of birds in the Trapping Area, with a total of 67 birds ringed there. The highlights amongst the Willow and Reed Warblers included 1cy Nightingale, Pied Flycatcher and Black Redstart. #kentbirding

Check of the beach by the lifeboat station this eve provided plenty of waders going between there and Lade Sands with 190 Sanderling, 153 Dunlin, 10 Turnstone, 30 Ringed Plover, a Redshank and a Knot, but best of all was a smart Curlew Sandpiper. Also a ringed German Common Gull.

A decent arrival today with at least 80 Willow Warbler dotted about the recording area, however apart from a few more Reed Warblers there wasn't much mixed in with them. Overhead passage was reduced to just a handful each of Swallow and Yellow Wagtail. #kentbirding

There had been no further sign of this bird until last weeks sighting. An excellent find by Peter Eerdmans, and thank you to Markus Risch for the ringing info!

We have now got the details back on the ringed Gull-billed Tern that was seen briefly on the RSPB Reserve on the 17th. The bird was ringed as a chick in Germany, north-west of Hamburg, on the 12th June 2025 and was then seen in the Netherlands on multiple days in July and August. #kentbirding

A day of ringing gave the year's highest total so far with over 130 ringed, the majority being Sand Martins with 108 ringed (plus two British controls). Nightingale is not an annual bird in the recording area nowadays, so a first-year bird out of the Trapping Area early morning was the highlight.

Autumn is ticking on with the first Willow, Garden and Grasshopper Warblers being recorded in the last few days, and Sand Martins continue to head out to sea with the peak so far being a thousand on the 17th. Moth traps still producing, an Eastern Bordered Straw the best from last night #kentbirding

After a quiet period at Dungeness, a first of the year Treecreeper at the Long Pits this morning was quickly overshadowed when Peter Eerdmans went on to find a colour ringed Gull-billed Tern on the ARC Pit at the RSPB reserve. Unfortunately no sign since initial sighting at c13:45hrs. #kentbirding

A generally quieter day apart from a good increase in out to sea passage of Sand Martin with 174 recorded. There is still plenty of insects to look at, with at least six Red-veined Darter on one pool as well as lots of butterflies, including a few more fresh Painted Lady today.

The autumn feeling continues to grow with a juvenile Common Redstart in the Trapping Area and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull at the Fishing Boats. Other bits include Red Kite, two Marsh Harrier, 42 Swift, 46 Sand Martin, five Swallow and three Yellow Wagtail moving overhead.

An excellent turn out for our moth event today, with a nice variety of moths present. Thanks for everyone that attended and we are already looking forward to next year's event!

The day came to life, when a check of Lade Sands, just north of the recording area, gave a male Kentish Plover amongst a small group of Ringed Plovers. The bird being still present at dusk 600m south of Lade toilet block and is the first wider Dungeness record since 2019. Video by Dave Scott.

We are just one week away from our annual #moth event. Have you signed up to join us? Last year over 200 species were seen during the event! We hope to see you there.

Chrysocrambus linetella was by far the highlight of last nights moth traps at the Observatory. Potentially just the ninth British record?

On what has been a particularly quiet day, the highlight has to go to a male Banded Demoiselle that arrived in off the sea and landed on the first bit of shingle it could find! This is our first record since 2023.

The Squacco Heron has been showing exceedingly well at the top of the Long Pits, but flew high towards the RSPB reserve at 14:30hrs. Back of the camera photograph by Martin Casemore. #kentbirding

Have you seen that we are running our annual #moth event again over the night of 3rd July and the following morning? Last year over 200 species were seen during the event! The best of last nights catch were singles of Purple Marbled (new for the Observatory traps) and Small Marbled!

Volunteer at with us this autumn! There are spaces available for September and October. #kentbirding

An excellent day of seawatching provided two Arctic Skua, two Puffin, 39 Fulmar, eight Balearic Shearwater, 324 Manx Shearwater and 163 Swift all passing from the Fishing Boats. Video of Manx Shearwaters passing the Fishing Boats taken by Dave Scott. #kentbirding

A good night for moths locally with a couple of excellent records. The best from the Observatory traps being an Eastern Bordered Straw but elsewhere Sean Clancy caught a Fir Carpet and Chris Philpot caught a Striped Hawkmoth, both of which taken in New Romney.

Other highlights from today include four Bee-eaters (messing around the northern part of the recording area this afternoon before dispersing elsewhere), two Honey Buzzards flew over as well as two White Storks. A further two Honey Buzzards were seen over the reserve from the moat #kentbirding

An excellent day, with the main highlight being the first Observatory record of Greenish Warbler since 1995 with a male showing and singing well in the Trapping Area for most of the day. Click this link to listen to nearly seven minutes of songs and calls: xeno-canto.org/1137087

Another decent seawatch with nearly all day coverage again providing 167 Grey Plover, 56 Whimbrel, 28 Redshank, eight Turnstone, 100 Sanderling, eight Arctic Skua, 13 Pomarine Skua and a Shag all moving east. #kentbirding

Some more good seawatching today with the best being 105 Whimbrel, 102 Knot, 59 Sanderling, 18 Little Tern, 154 Black Tern, 539 Kittiwake, 11 Arctic Skua, 24 Pomarine Skua and three Great Skua all east. #kentbirding

A respectable seawatch, with the highlights being 53 Grey Plover, 25 Black Tern, 317 'commic' Tern, 137 Common Tern, 17 Arctic Skua, two Pomarine Skua, two Great Skua and 11 Black-throated Diver. Hopefully a bit more passage over the coming days too. #kentbirding

The Iberian Chiffchaff (third Dungeness record) was definitely today's highlight after it finally settled at the top of the Long Pits. Listen to its song below, put over Ross Newham's image. The sea provided a few bits this eve, including 1000+ Common/commic Terns and a Pomarine Skua. #kentbirding

Some more excellent seawatching with the highlight being a superb adult Long-tailed Skua east. Other notables being 253 Brent Geese, 13 Velvet Scoter, 38 Little Tern, 10 Black Tern, 43 Little Gull, 25 Arctic Skua, 26 Pom Skua, a Puffin, 9 Black-throated Diver and a Great Northern Diver. #kentbirding