Our Butterfly year commences. Our first butterfly of 2016 was a Red Admiral at Dungeness on the 20th Jan closely followed by a Peacock today (25th), also at Dungeness. Both seen during warm sunny spells and in sheltered spots. Not sure winter is really over yet but none the less still very nice to ...

Then the Weather Turns. Of course it had to happen. No sooner had I said how good the weather was then it changed. Still mild, but now wet and windy. One thing it has not done is changed the birds and other wildlife we are seeing. Still no big influxes of anything. Still the same birds and amazingl...

One Swallow does not make a Summer When seen in December though it certainly makes you think of Summer. What a crazy month weather wise here in Kent. Whilst many elsewhere have suffered with wind and heavy rain we have mainly basked in warmth and sunshine. So far in December we have seen a Common S...

Warm, Sunny and unseasonal. I realise that some parts of the Country have not had it so good but here in Kent the weather has been unusually warm. I can't remember a November when we have seen so many wild flowers at Dungeness still in bloom, or on a second bloom. Not just one or two flowers but la...

To add to Allan.W sightings at Dungeness today. This afternoon, in glorious sunshine (16 degrees), we saw and photographed 2 fresh Clouded Yellows, Small Tortoiseshell and 2 Red Admirals along Dengemarsh Gully. In addition, we saw a further 2 Red Admirals and a Small White along side the ARC pit. A ...

Autumn is here. It's no surprise that insect activity is winding down, especially with the periods of cold and wet weather we have had. We have still managed a decent selection of Butterflies and Moths but in general the moth trap has been very quiet. We have had to rely on others to provide a good...

Thanks Goldie, much appreciated. After the excitement of the Acadian Flycatcher, which incidentally has been confirmed as that species from an impressive range of photos and DNA analysis of its droppings, thus a first for Europe, it was always going to feel a bit flat. Especially as Butterflies and ...

Hi Goldie,
Your bird looks like a 1st Winter (Northern) Wheatear to me. Most books show the adult male and female in summer plumage, which have a lot more Grey on the back. The Northern species is the one that occurs in Britain and Northern Europe.

A TRIO OF FLYCATCHERS Before I undertake the next stage of my diary, and in case anyone is wondering, I do not post any photos of the Small Copper at Dungeness for the time being. Hoggers has that market well and truly tied up :) . I am still seeing good numbers there but now rarely even get he cam...

Thank you Pete. Whether the word should have been "objective" rather than scientific, you have have at least confirmed what many of us suspected, that the Long Tailed Blue at Kingsdown was collected by at least two collectors. The weather on their final week present at this location was fa...

Thanks Goldie. The same problem we all have when booking a holiday is to judge the Butterfly season correctly. Being that some species can be up to 2 weeks early or 2 weeks later that's a big margin of error to achieve the species at it's best. When we do get it right all the more reason to enjoy it...

Thanks Pauline for your kind comments. I am well behind again in my Diary updates. I think its because I would rather be out in the field than stuck on a keyboard. I do consider stopping them for a while but then again feel that they are a record of our wildlife exploits and I do find it interesting...

Jack, I personally do not have any evidence of collectors at Kingsdown in 2013 but I understand the concerns raised about this and other locations. 1. I understand someone was seen with a net at Kingsdown the day before they seemed to disappear. I think they were challenged. I also believe it was me...

I actually didn't want or intend to start a thread about the controversial subject of collecting, but I understand Neil's position and apologise for my comments on his Personal Diary in response to the Long Tailed Blue. Now it has been started its perhaps best to differentiate between collecting for...

I do hope that people exercise more caution regarding the exact whereabouts of these insects this time round, however. We really don't want to be seeing individuals with nets taking these specimens Neil, sorry to use your personal diary but David makes a very good point. It has long been suspected ...

Had a brilliant few hours at Dungeness today wrote Allan.W. Sorry to have missed you today at Dungeness. I am normally around the Observatory area but today we spent the morning/ early afternoon checking Dengemarsh Gulley, and the Everlasting Pea on the ARC pit for any sign of the Long Tailed Blue....

Always a bit of a depressing month for me, but occasionally surprises can turn up, and who knows, maybe Long-Tailed Blues will provide an exciting postscript to the 2015 season. You must have a crystal ball. A Long Tailed Blue was seen and photographed at Dungeness today near the gorse about 20 met...

It's big. It's Black and it's special. Friday 7th August 2015. This was a special day for us, unexpected and one that we thoroughly enjoyed. We had gone to Dungeness to look for Clouded Yellows, of which we only saw one. As we arrived we received a message to say that a BLACK STORK had been seen at...

Oh dear! Your hooked on moths now Pauline :) Welcome to the club. Your Bordered Straw is a good one. This species has been arriving off the Continent in large numbers this year. Whilst a lot of sightings are near the coast many our now being seen further inland, with many of the current sightings pr...

Thanks Pauline, the traffic situation has improved considerably. Since David Cameron banged the table at the last Cobra meeting no further instances of Operation Stack has occurred. I am sure that is a coincidence but others may argue a leader taking charge. Just wish he had done it sooner rather th...