OCTOBERFEST 2026

Not my most inspiring October but here are the highlights.

CLOUDED YELLOWS WERE FLYING WELL INTO OCTOBER.

MALE BLACK REDSTART AT SAMPHIRE HOE.

BRENT GEESE AT MINNIS BAY

JACK SNIPE at Rest Harrow Scrape.

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WOODCOCK Having a rest on the seawall at Samphire Hoe.

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REED BUNTING

GOLDFINCH

HUMES WARBLER found by Jamie Partridge at South Foreland.

CHIFFCHAFF with the HUMES.

CHIFFCHAFF

Had a look round the Harbour after Storm Austen but nothing much to see apart from a Red Throated Diver  which was in the outer harbour one day then came into the marina the following day.

RED THROATED DIVER DOVER HARBOUR.

RTD IN THE MARINA

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RED EYED DIVER.

FIRST WINTER SHAG IN THE WELLINGTON DOCK.

DARTFORD WARBLER AT FAN BAY

IN THE GORSE AT THE EASTERN END OF FAN BAY

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YELLOWHAMMER AT WANSTONE FARM

AUTUMN ALMANAC 2026

 After my Tanzanian marathon I needed a rest and I am sure you did too.The autumn migration gets underway as soon as the birds have completed their breeding duties with Swifts and adult Cuckoos among the first to leave.Passage birds can turn up anywhere but more often than not coastal sites are obviously more likelyto receive migrants.

HOOPOE FOUND AT ABBOTSCLIFFE 

17 YEARS AND ONE DAY AFTER THE SAMPHIRE HOE BIRD.

BLACK REDSTART AT SAMPHIRE HOE

FEMALE GARGANEY AT DUNGENESS

GREEN SANDPIPER IN THE RAIN AT STODMARSH

ONE OF THE DOVER CHOUGHS,Evidently they have bred successfully raisng 6 chicks this summer. 

WHEATEAR AT SAMPHIRE HOE

CURLEW SANDPIPER at Rest Harrow scrape.

COMMON SANDPIPER

WRYNECK an annual but elusive passage migrant,this one at Swalecliffe

Having a stretch.

WILLOW WARBLER at Samphire Hoe

WILLOW WARBLER

WHINCHAT at Samphire Hoe

WHINCHAT.

GOOSANDER ON THE RIVER DEE AT LLANGOLLEN NORTH WALES

A SECOND GOOSANDER

THE ELUSIVE DIPPER AT LLANGOLLEN IT TOOK 3 DAYS TO SEE.

BEARDED TITS AT STODMARSH

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WHEATEAR AT SANDWICH BAY

Thats about it for now =good birding folks/