24th-25th June 2023

A pleasant warm weekend with a light SSW breeze started with four Crossbills flying inland from Kingsdown Leas and 20-30 Swifts wheeling around the Monument as the House Martins do in the autumn before they move off. At approximately 7:00 am Red Kites appeared moving mainly in a SW direction and by 8:00 we had seen some 15-20 birds. At 8:30 four Kites, one being a Black Kite, appeared over the Monument and moved off towards Deal. The Black Kite was seen inland of St Margaret's for the next couple of hours. 

On Sunday nine more Crossbills were seen at Kingsdown Leas and there was a steady movement SW of 250+ Swifts until about 10:30.

A walk around the Paddock produced good numbers of butterflies with up to 50 Marbled Whites.

Phil, Richard, Tony, Jack.    

Black Kite and Red Kite 24.06.2023 (Gerald Segelbacher)

Black Kite 24.06.2023 (Phil Chantler)

Black Kite 24.06.2023 (Phil Chantler)

10th June 2023

 Highlight this morning was this wonderful Swallowtail, which Richard spotted when we were viz-migging in the Paddock. It was flying strongly north and we assumed that it had continued onwards. However Phil managed to relocate it on the clifftop and it remained settled for about 10 minutes before we lost it. 

Also seen today, two Hobbys, Sparrowhawk, 18 Swifts, c 14 Crossbills, and one Siskin. Meanwhile Nigel had a Honey Buzzard, low over Kingsdown

Brendan, Jack, Richard and Phil

22nd April 2023

 A better day, more birds than we have had for sometime with a Black Redstart, three Wheatears, two Yellow Wagtails, five Ring Ouzels [four males and a female], five Blackcaps, four Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat, six Chiffchaffs and a Willow Warbler. Overhead there were two Red Kites, two House Martins and a steady trickle of Swallows. 

At sea there were 124 Common Scoters, a Bonxie and two Arctic Skuas moving NE.

13th April 2023

 A walk around the entire area. on a pleasant sunny morning. was a little disappointing as we had very few birds of note apart from four Swallows, a Tree Pipit, a Whitethroat, two Blackcaps, eight Chiffchaffs and a Ring Ouzel. 

Phil, Jack.

12th April 2023

Only birds of note was a Red Kite over Hope Point and two Grey Partridges in the big field,

Phil, Jack.

11th April 2023

A wander around the area for a couple of hours produced very little apart from a Swallow, two Alba Wagtails, three Yellow Wagtails, two Blackcaps and three Chiffchaffs. 

Male Brimstone butterfly on the Leas.

Phil, Jack.

9th April 2023

 I walked around the Paddock and had four Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap, two Swallows and three Yellowhammers before meeting Simon when we had a Whitethroat. After this we met up with Brendan, Richard and Phil but birding was curtailed as a thick sea mist came in.   

8th April 2023

After a walk through the Paddock, where it appeared that there was little around, we decided to stand at the vis. mig, point and watch for any overhead movement. There seemed to be a steady movement of finches NE and in a hour and a half we had 95 Siskins, 32 Linnets, 382 Chaffinches and three Brambling. Other than finches there were two Swallows, four Sand Martins, three Rock Pipits and at 09:45, the bird of the day, a Short-toed Treecreeper flew into a bush next to us and gave excellent views to all present.

Short-toed Treecreeper (Nigel Jarman)

Phil, Richard, Nigel, Jack.

2nd April 2023

 Very few notable birds moving on the sea this morning apart from three Red-throated Divers, four Brent Geese, two Shelducks, four Common Scoters, four Red-breasted Mergansers, 20 Dunlin and an Arctic Skua. All birds flying upchannel.

There were at least two Harbour Porpoises feeding just offshore.

A wander around the area produced two singing Blackcaps and six Chiffchaffs.

Simon, Jack. 

25th March 2023

From 06-30 to 11-15 we stood at the clifftop and watched for any migration. The only birds of note were 216 Chaffinches,  two Red Kites, 15 Common Buzzards, a Greylag Goose and, bird of the day, an Alpine Swift that gave very brief views as it flew in a SW direction.

Richard, Simon. Jack.

19th March 2023

A couple hours seawatching in the Bay with birds moving N produced 52 Red-throated Divers, 134 Brent Geese, a Red-breasted Merganser, six Common Scoters and seven Auks. On the sea were 28 Great Crested Grebes and a Shag. Feeding offshore was a Common Seal and two Harbour Porpoises.

Simon, Jack.

12th March 2023

 Again very little about apart from a Chiffchaff and two Stonechats. Met Richard who had seen a Firecrest, two Grey Partridges and one of the Ravens. We continued on, through the Paddock, to the Monument where we had a Short-eared Owl.

After a call from Nigel we were off to the Undercliffe to see a Black Brant that he had found on the rocks. There was also a Black Redstart and a Scandanavian Rock Pipit there, with another Chiffchaff on the beach.

Richard, Nigel, Jack. 

11th March 2023

Very little today apart from four Stonechats and a Chiffchaff on the clifftop. Also a Chiffchaff in the Farm Wood. 

Richard, Jack.