First moth of the year in the garden trap-a Hebrew Character. At Bossenden Wood, Dunkirk,this morning, I did manage to see a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker but still didn't manage to photograph this elusive species. However, a Treecreeper posed in the sunshine.

Treecreeper

 Hebrew Character

Spent another sunny day at Dungeness yesterday. At the ARC pit a Bittern and Great White Egret were on show but a long way away from the hide. At Scotney a walk behind the farm produced very little apart from a couple of Buzzards and a Hare. After lunch, and some searching, a Dartford Warbler showed along Kerton Road, and on the main part of the reserve the Glaucous Gull and Black-throated Diver showed well from the Dennis Hide. The Slavonian Grebe was stil present from the Christmas Dell hide but we failed to see any Smew. A 2nd Great White Egret was on Dengemarsh.

 Common Buzzard

 Dartford Warbler

 Black-throated Diver

Had a good at Dungeness yesterday on a generally sunny day. It started well at The Hanson Hide where my friend first heard movement in the reeds close to the hide, which proved to a very close Bittern. Initally obscured, we had to wait a while but eventually the bird emerged and posed for quite a while in the open. We then finally caught up with the Caspian Gull at the Fishing Boats. Around the RSPB Reserve in the afternoon, we also noted the regular Glaucous Gull, 2 Goosander, 2 Smew, Slavonian Gebe, 2 Little Egrets and a Great White Egret.

Bittern

Caspian Gull

Still nothing in the moth trap. Went to Dungeness again last Thursday, where the day started well with a Kingfisher showing well from the Hanson Hide, with 2 Goosander, Great White Egret and the distant Black-throated Diver also present. We failed to find the Caspian Gull at the Fishing Boats or patch, but a passing Red-throated Diver was my first this year. Back on the reserve 3 Smew (1 Drake) and a Slavonian Grebe were seen from the Christmas Dell Hide, with another Great White Egret. The Glaucous Gull arrived on Burrow's Pit mid afternoon. Finally I managed to pick out 1 of the Tundra Bean Geese at Scotney in poor light to finish the day. 

Kingfisher

 Shoveler

No moths to report. However, yesterday I finally managed to see a few Hawfinches in bright sunshine near Godmersham Church. In the afternoon there were 2 Purple Sandpipers and a Sanderling at Hampton Pier as the tide came in. 

Hawfinch

 Purple Sandpipers

 Sanderling

 Hawfinch

A Common Plume moth on the shed door is the only moth species seen so far this year. Spent yesterday at Dungeness  in fine weather where the highlights were: a Bittern on the ARC pit, Long-tailed Duck at Lade, plus the Glaucous Gull, Goosander, 3 Smew (1 Drake), a Black-throated Diver and 4 Great White Egrets on the reserve. On Walland Marsh we failed to locate the Bewick's Swans but about 40 Tree Sparrows and 40 Fieldfares were noted.

Black-throated Diver

 Drake Smew

 Kittiwake at the Fishing Boats

We've reached the end of another year which proved to be a very good one for the moth trap with 378 species recorded which was 60 more than my previous best, and included 11 new macro species and 20 new micros, which in the 18th year of trapping is quite surprising, and I guess must be due to the excellent warm weather in early summer. My best records were the Clifden Nonpareil in the Autumn and the White Spot on 2nd June. I was also pleased to record some relatively common species which were firsts for the garden, which included Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Scorched Wing and Shoulder Stripe. Further afield I was also very pleased to get an opportunity to photograph Fisher's Estuarine Moth, a local rarity.

Clifden Nonpareil

 White Spot

Small Elephant Hawk-moth

Fisher's Estuarine Moth

ScorchedWing