SSE gusty wind 15-22mph am, 20-30mph pm. Dry, 100% cloud cover, 12C to 13C. Cold in the breeze.

A hirundine passage had started early at the Point with Steve Gale recording an excellent 16,000 Swallows heading south then west up to 09:15. I started at the top of the Long Pits and noted small numbers of Swallows heading south across the Long Pits using a different flight path to those Steve was recording at the Point. Still plenty of Chiffchaffs around associating with Tit flocks, with at least 47 on the northern side down as far as the Causeway. Also five Robins, and singles of Song Thrush and Great-Spotted Woodpecker plus 16 Meadow Pipits south.

Had an enjoyable natter with Steve Gale as we birded the Desert, as he recounted some incredible Dungeness birding moments.

Earlier in the morning there had not been too much being recorded on the sea and it wasn't until 14:40 that I arrived at the Fishing Boats to find the visiting KOS group plus Martin, Richard and Stephen behind the boats. I felt like a bit of a bus queue as a line of watchers stretched out across the shingle. 

Initially, there didn't seem to be much happening but a couple of Sooty Shearwaters had been recorded heading east earlier. At around 15:30 the number of Little Gulls heading west started to greatly increase and in an hour up to 16:30 I had 231, with the day total standing at 263. They were all distant but great to see them in flocks of 20 mixed in with feeding Gannets and the occasional Kittiwake. In the same hour, two Balearic Shearwaters, one Manx and two Black Terns also headed west.

The Bus Ride

The Desert to the north of the Long Pits

Kestrel numbers across the Desert still remain high. This one hunting out of the wind in the lee of a gorse clump.