Month: May 2026

Baking hot days at the end of May, very light winds and a large high pressure over Northern France and most of the UK. An almost undetecable Easterly on the 25th and seemingly quiet at first, a handful of Swallows, a Swift, a singing Reed warbler but then a famililar call over the harbour field and Rich and I picked up a Red–rumped swallow, quite high and moving fairly slowly for this species here at the coast. Rich managed the below record shot, my camera was packed away in my bag.

After this was looked for in coming raptors which we didnt get past 2 Marsh Harriers and a Hobby.

Today (the 26th) A similarly hot day with few migrants but saved by a singing Quail just above Fan Bay, It sang only twice whilst Rich and I stood there for 15 minutes or so. Jason M had a purring Turtle dove in the valley.

I was away for Saturday and Sunday this weekend and missed a singing Golden Oriole in Top wood (RB) on Sat whilst next door had anotehr Bee eater the same day and Russ had a male Honey Buzzard over the valley on the Sunday.. Its a great time of year!

Perfect and long awaited light South Easterly winds today. Very little moving over head bar some light Finch movement first thing.

At 09.15 I picked up at Honey Buzzard over the sea coming in towards the Eastern docks, I stood at the West end of Langdon on the tramway and did my usual trick of legging it to where I think it will arrive which did some good but views were still fairly distant.

A fairly standard arrival here without the close views or chasing from gulls that make them more memorable. Peter Erdmans also had a nice male HB arrive at Langdon and one came in at Abbots cliff too, so a good day for channel crossing as expected. I’m away over the bank holiday weekend, I may live to regret it, but good luck to all who get out!

Not the first time these two species have featured together in a day here before nor is the first time that the 21st of May has delivered a good day here. a 5am start for Light to moderate SSW winds with a fog mid channel first thing that cleared by 10am.

Nige Jarman rang me to let me know he’d just had a Bee eater low down heading SW from Bockhill, I waited on light house down for a few minutes for the imminent calls but nothing…30 minutes later I heard 10 or so Bee eater calls over the valley from a bird, by the sound of it moving west but just couldn’t get on it, it sounded quite high at this point. A Hobby flew in off at the light house at point blank, c100 hirundines and 20+ Swift also in off and straight inland rather than along the coast and 2 singing Reed warblers were noted.

I aimed to be watching for raptors over the harbour by 10 am and just before 11’o clock I picked up a Honey Buzzard over the water out to the SE of the harbour, it took a few minutes to come in high and fast due to the moderate carrying wind. Its trajectory was slightly too far NE for a direct hit and came in over Langdon hole, circled over the Coast guard and headed inland.

Other notables since my last post are a Turtle dove over the valley on the 19th, 3 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Arctic Skuas and a Shag from the Bay on the 20th.

Daily coverage but still nothing to write home about. Cool Northerly winds dominate and it generally feels like early spring rather than mid May. Notable birds since last posting have been a Common Crane on the 11th, picked up by Nige Jarman coming in over the cliffs at the monument, I saw it fly over st Maragrets and continue West. The same day I had 3 Willow Warblers in Langdon hole, A Hobby and a Marsh Harrier flew in off the sea on the 12th, a Merlin did the same at dawn today (16th) and was briefly chased by a Peregrine.

A large number of Gulls were on Shakey beach midweek, seemingly feeding on sprats/mackerel and loafing on the beach. Amoung them was this beautiful Razorbill which hauled out onto the shingle and allowed some close views, its not every day you see an auk’s iris in south east Kent. A Grey Plover also joined the gulls on the beach and a 2cy Shag was fishing under Shakey Cliff.

Some promise at the end of next week in the form of warm continental air, fingers crossed.

A brief update since my last local blog post – Due to persitent NE winds, clear skies and very little rain highlights have been few and far between despite almost daily coverage: A Red–necked Grebe flew close in from the bay on the 28th of April, briefly alighting on the sea before continuing down channel. 4 Bonxies, 3 Arctic and a Pomarine Skua are my best from multiple sea watches from the Bay plus 2 Poms from Folkestone Harbour arm, a Great White Egret flew down the valley on the 27th a Single Hobby on the 22nd, a Ring Ouzel on the 25th and the odd Willow Warbler and Wheatear are perhaps the only notable grounded passerines I can think of.

The lightest North Easterly wind that Ive been in up here in weeks but still a chilly brisk wind. Very little to look at in the bushes bar a Whinchat mid afternoon near the lighthouse, a scarce bird in Spring here.

c50 swallows, 2 House Martin and 4 Swift moved NE overhead, as did 2 Red Kites. Noteable butterflies so far this spring have been lots of Dingy Skippers and 2 Green Hairstreaks today.

Tomorrow looks like my first South Easterly winds of the spring so i’ll be out all day, lets see what good that does me!

I’ve just returned from a 4 day Tarifa trip, I couldnt resist the HB’s. Some incredible moments, with over 2,000 during our first 2 days followed by counts in the hundreds thereafter, not much more to say about it than that really, here are some images.