Nige Jarman
Bockhill (birding) & Kingsdown (mothing)
East Kent VC15
Birds Moths Butterflies Music
- A few year ticks around Worth at the weekend: Cattle Egret Dartford Warbler (1 of 2), Water Pipit (at least 10) & White-fronted Geese. Throw in '000s of ducks & Lapwings for a true winter spectacle.
- This 3w Yellow-legged Gull was the best at Deal this afternoon. Been very quiet lately.
- Some more wildfowl record shots from Sandwich: Long-tailed Duck (Prince's Golf Course reservoir) & White-fronted Geese on Worth & R. Stour floods.
- Iguanodon footprints on the wave cut platform at Fairlight, E. Sussex today.
- A goose-fest on Romney Marsh this afternoon: record shots of Tundra Bean & White-fronted with Bewick's Swans at Hook Wall and Whooper Swan at Swamp Crossing.
- This 3rd wint Caspian Gull eventually came to the mix at Deal today.
- Some nice Caspian Gull action in St Margaret's Bay with at least 4 present this morning.
- Dusky Warbler at Westbrook, Thanet today. A very atypical, showy individual.
- Hawklords new 5-piece line up at Underworld, Camden tonight. Great sound at a new venue for me.
- Despite Dusky & Pallas's Warblers on site #Bockhill, another 2 Yellow-browed Warblers my only reward for a full day in the field.
- The Pallid Swift at Whiteness, Thanet today. A very showy individual.
- The sublime @psbhq.bsky.social last night at The Barbican with London Contemporary Orchestra. Amazing sound.
- This Golden Twin-spot was the pick of a meagre catch last night.
- Wheatear at Kingsdown Rifle Butts (1 of 3 #Bockhill today) + Yellow-browed Warbler at Bleriot's Memorial, Dover.
- Yellow-browed Warbler & Siberian Chiffchaff at Kingsdown Beach this afternoon. Both found by @brendanryan1.bsky.social.
- My 2 favourite autumn moths: Satellite & Merveille du Jour from last night.
- Dusky-lemon Sallow & Streak, two less than annual species from this week.
- Today was all about crests, plus 3 Yellow-browed Warbler (2 #Bockhill) & this individual in the South Foreland Valley in the drizzle this afternoon.
- A showy Yellow-browed Warbler in Kingsdown & later a lovely Caspian Gull in the Big Field #Bockhill
- The lovely Great Grey Shrike at Worth this evening was showing very well & catching Migrant Hawkers in the sun.
- Mothing has been a bit slow here, so this fresh Flame Brocade was a welcome addition to the garden list.
- Red-breasted Merganser wasn't the species I expected to be drawn by flinging sliced white on Walmer beach this evening.
- Clouded Yellow this morning on Kingsdown Rifle Butts. Only my 2nd for this year.
- A definite October feel #Bockhill today: Gt Sp W-P, Chiffchaff, Firecrest & Goldcrest. Increase in all these, with 150+ Chiffchaff the dominant species.
- Blair's Mocha has been the pick of this week's trap - from Weds night.
- A very record shot of the Red-necked Phalarope at Worth Marshes this evening.
- Yellow-browed Warbler #Bockhill Kingsdown Leas this morning. #kentbirdmigrationday
- Highlights #Bockhill today: 3 Pied Flycatcher, Ring Ouzel, 6 Wheatear, thousands of Swallow, Firecrest, Garden Warbler - a good day out.
- The Osprey #Bockhill today, drifted down channel at Hope Point.
- A busy day #Bockhill today, plenty of Chiffchaff, a few Willow Warbler, Wheatear & Whinchat.
- Pick of the trap was this stunning Cosmopterix pulchrimella. A Pellitory-of-the-wall feeder & first discovered in Britain in 2001.
- The long-legged Crambid Antigastra catalaunalis was pick of the trap last night.
- Convolvulus Hawk-moth, my first of the year. Always smart to catch.
- Rosy Underwing (what's left of it). A new moth for me here & still a rare species in Kent.
- Vestal was the pick of a quiet trap last night.
- A good morning #Bockhill with 1st Ring Ouzel of the autumn, Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Wheatear, Whinchat and this dapper male Redstart in the Freedown.
- Dewick's Plusia from last night. Although far more numerous & more widely distributed in the UK, not a species I trap very often here.
- What's at the end of every rainbow..... a Spotted Crake. A record shot of the New Downs, Sandwich bird this evening.
- 1 adult & 2 juvenile Dotterel near St Margaret's this morning.
- Always tidy when you get both: Bonelli's Eagle & Western Bonelli's Warbler from S Spain last week.
- Always great to see some fabulous Chameleons in S Spain
- It was good to finally get Rüppell's Vulture at La Zarga in S Spain last week.
- I generally trap 1 or 2 Latticed Heath in a year, so to get 19 in one night is exceptional! Presumably local dispersion, but could potentially be immigrants? Anyone else getting increased counts?
- 2 Long-tailed Blue at Kingsdown Leas this morning.
- A great day #Bockhill today with Wheatear, Tree Pipit, Grasshopper Warbler, Cuckoo and this confiding Whinchat.
- Acrobasis tumidana from last night, showing the raised scales distinguishing it from A. repandana
- This stunning Striped Hawk-moth was the highlight from last night.
