Saturday 28th Walls continue to do well. At least six were flying around the Estate along with a few Small Coppers, Speckled Woods, and Large Whites. Saturday 21st A good count of nine Walls was on RSPB Worth marshes. Friday 20th The buddleias have been busy recently with various vanessids and Speckled Wood seem to be getting more numerous. Sunday…
Saturday 21st A hot day on RSPB Worth saw lots of Odonata activity. At least 35 Migrant Hawkers and 70 Common Darters were seen. Thursday 19th A late-ish Ruddy Darter was in the Dragonfly Pond fields. Tuesday 17th Two Willow Emerald Damselflies were in the Observatory carpark. Thursday 13th Five Willow Emerald Damselflies, 28 Migrant Hawkers, and five Common Darters…
Sunday 28th A cool, overcast, start with only a gentle breeze was a good beginning. Warblers were moving through in big numbers. One-hundred-and-ninety-five were ringed plus there was a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff with rings from elsewhere in the UK. The other birds were also typical of autumn – six Goldcrests and singles of Dunnock, Blackbird, Great Tit and Jay.…
Monday 30th The early onslaught of wind and rain gave way somewhat around midday. Three Balearic Shearwaters were seen flying south with three Arctic Skuas, one Great Skua, one Little Gull, and one Arctic Tern also of note. There was an increase in winter wildfowl in Pegwell Bay. Sunday 29th Thank you to all who attended the Big Kent Bird…
Wednesday 28th After a week of windy and/or wet conditions it was perfect today to look for odonata. The recently-discovered SCARCE BLUE-TAILED DAMSELFLIES were still present. At least seven were on the new Dragonfly Ponds. Also on the Estate were four Blue-tailed Damselflies, six Common Blue Damselflies, one Red-eyed Damselfly, 34 Small Red-eyed Damselflies, one Azure Damselfly, two Willow Emerald…
Wednesday 28th There were 66 butterflies of 11 species on today’s BMS Transect. There was an increase in ‘whites’ and ‘blues’ but a decrease in ‘browns’. Tuesday 27th Hot off the press! A PURPLE HAIRSTREAK was photographed at Stonelees, the first SBBOT record, and the third hairstreak species to be recorded here this year. Wednesday 21st Nine species were seen…
Thursday 29th Clear and calm again but this time the temperature stayed above 15°C. This brought about an increase to 408 moths of 71 species. The highlight was another Porter’s Rustic. Other migrants included 11 Silver Ys, two Palpits vitrealis and singles of Dark Sword-grass, Diamondback and Rush Veneer. Twenty-two Delicates may well have been all locals and 102 Setaceous…
Friday 30th A calm start followed by a stiff breeze mid-morning. To emphasise the approach of autumn Blackcap was the most numerous with 35 of the 48 new birds being Blackcap. Next most numerous was Chiffchaff with five. There were also two Reed Warblers, three Willow Warblers and singles of Robin, Lesser Whitethroat and Whitethroat. Although hirundines could be heard…
Friday 30th The Estate held a Pied Flycatcher, a mobile Greenshank, nine Whinchats, six Yellow Wagtails, and 50 Linnets. Over in Pegwell Bay there were good numbers including 110 Ringed Plovers, 60 Dunlins, and a Curlew Sandpiper and inland on RSPB Worth marshes there were three Great White Egrets and 120 Teals. Thursday 29th Another hot day out there. There…
Wednesday 31st Seven Willow Warblers and a Green Sandpiper were on the Estate and a handful of Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls feeding together offshore. Our first Spotted Flycatcher and a few more Willow Warblers and Green Sandpipers were on New Downs. Tuesday 30th A Grasshopper Warbler was seen briefly at the Point. There were now three Great White Egrets…
