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Kent Birding – Highlights of the Week – 8 May 2025

Western bonelli

Western Bonelli’s Warbler – Neil Davis

A Western Bonelli’s Warbler cemented an excellent week in the Sandwich/Worth area. Only the 12th for Kent, the Western Bonelli’s Warbler was singing actively near the Observatory on the 8th, spending most time in the so-called Oasis. It also called occasionally which clinched the ID. It followed several good sightings in the area during the week. A mini-influx of Red-footed Falcons was very exciting as well with at least three seen in the area, with a male and a female spending the day around Great Wood, Worth on the 5th. The second Temminck’s Stint of the Spring was at Minnis flood, Worth on the 7th, a Golden Oriole sang briefly at Great Wood, a Hoopoe flew past as did an Osprey earlier in the week. And finally, a Hooded Crow spent an afternoon around the Aspargus fields at Sandwich. Following some good birds in recent weeks at Dungeness and North Foreland, it was clearly Sandwich Bay’s turn this week!

But there were good birds elsewhere. The best of which was 2nd year male Montague’s Harrier that lingered briefly at Reculver on the 2nd.

KOS Open Day at Dungeness RSPB Reserve 11th May 2025

This Sunday  - May 11th - KOS Open Day at Dungeness RSPB Reserve 10.00am - 4.00pm - Join Us!

Kent Birding – Highlights of the Week – 1 May 2025

Whinchat

Whinchat – Andy Taylor

The warm weather and easterly winds brought a few more scarcities to the county, although ‘Pom season’ at Dungeness probably just took the limelight. No fewer than 64 Pomarine Skuas flew past during the week, with a group of 26 on the 30th. The many hours of sea-watching at Dungeness also delivered some further highlights. Puffin and Roseate Tern were notable, both being additions to the Kent year list.

KOS Field Trip - April 2025 - "Two Counties"

Ray O’ Reilly - KOS Fieldtrip organiser writes:- 

 ‘Our April 2025 KOS Field Outing was an Inter County affair starting in East Sussex and finishing in Kent. 

Kent Birding – Highlights of the Week – 24 April 2025

If you are enjoying the Weekly Highlights, why not join the KOS AGM on Wednesday 30 April at 7.30pm, after which I will present the Kent birding highlights of 2024. From interesting breeding records, great sea-watching days to Fan-tailed Warbler, Scops Owl and Yellow Warbler, there is a lot to reflect on. See kentos.org.uk for Zoom-link and AGM agenda.

Red rumped Swallow 3

Red-rumped Swallow – John Carnell

The best bird of the week was a Caspian Tern that circled over Swalecliffe on the 21st . This was only the 9th record since the 1980’s although it has become more regular in recent years.  North Foreland had an excellent run of scare birds on the 22nd, with a Red-rumped Swallow, Hooded Crow and White Stork seen on that day. Earlier in the week a Hoopoe had also flown past the regular observers there.

‘Pom season’ at Dungeness started early this year, with the first two Pomarine Skuas past on the 18th, with another seven in subsequent days.

KOS days at Dungeness - by Andre Farrar

Dunge

I’m delighted to announce that KOS have an agreement to run a series of open days at the Dungeness RSPB Visitor centre.

After the closure of the shop, everyone is keen to develop a new programme of events and activities that are attractive to the reserve’s visitors and can bring in new ones. For KOS this is a great opportunity for us to develop a physical presence and meet more of our members (and prospective members) face to face.

Our first date is Sunday 11 May 2025 – spring is one of the best times to be at Dungeness. You’ll have the chance to other KOS members and explore Dungeness – we’ll run walks throughout the day.

Further dates for your diaries:

Sunday 17 August is the second open day with the aim of encouraging families to come along.

Sunday 28 September will feature the second Big Kent Bird Migration Watch

KOS Field Trip - Blean, Worth & Sandwich March 25th

Ray O’ Reilly writes:- ‘The  March 2025 Kent Ornithological Society Field Outing took place on March 25th.

It was a splendid Spring day and we saw many butterflies - especially Commas  - as well as 69 species of birds.

Kent Birding – Highlights of the Week – 17 April 2025

BW Stilt

Black-winged Stilt – Martin Casemore

The excellent run of rare and scarce birds showing up in Kent continues. Last week’s Booted Eagle lingered, as hoped, long enough for those assembled at a high vantage point near Cliffsend on Friday morning. It showed twice, before disappearing North around 10.30 am. It was seen later in the week in Norfolk.

A drake Surf Scoter past Dungeness on the 12th was another great sighting, being only the 11th record for Kent. It was first spotted past Beachy Head at 6.51am, which allowed those birding locally at Dungeness to rush over to the coast in time. Right on cue, it was picked out in a group of some 15 Common Scoter an hour later. This was the start of an impressive couple of days for the Dungeness area. A Black-winged Stilt was discovered also on the 12th on Hayfield 1 and lingered for a couple of days. That same day a Goshawk flew over and a Serin was seen twice in the area. A day later, on the 13th, Dungeness joined in on the Hoopoe influx, while a Red-rumped Swallow was discovered at the ARC and spent the remainder of the afternoon at Dengemarsh.

DucklingWatch - a citizen science project

Mallard brood

Female Mallard with brood - by Hannah Coburn

Despite being the UK's most common duck, there is still a lot we don’t know about Mallards. The UK’s breeding Mallard population has declined by 8% since 2012, but the reasons behind this downward trend are unclear. This spring, researchers at the University of Essex have launched DucklingWatch, a citizen science project in which people across the UK can report their sightings of Mallard broods.

Kent Birding – Highlights of the Week – 10 April 2025

Booted Eagle

Booted Eagle - Jonathan Dodds

An excellent week of birding ended with a true mega: a pale-morph Booted Eagle was picked up by Dave Ellingworth over Broadstairs late afternoon on the 10th. This might become the first accepted record for Kent for this species no less (a record from some years ago is still in circulation with the BBRC). As it circled the wider area, apparently in search of a roosting place, it was seen by many of the local birders. It was last seen close to darkness so hopefully it can be refound.

Excitingly, the influx of Hoopoes continued. After up to five birds were seen last week, Hoopoes showed up at four further locations this week: North Foreland on the 4th, Bough Beech on the 5th, Farringham on the 7th and St Nicolas at Wade on the 9th. Again, the birds didn’t stick around for long, with the Bough Beech bird the most accommodative being twitchable for an afternoon. Other very good birds were a Green-winged Teal at Worth Marshes on the 5th and two Purple Herons at Long Pits, Dungeness on the 10th.

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The Kent Ornithological Society was founded in 1952

Our aims are to record and monitor the county’s bird life providing both an accurate historical record of Kent’s birds but equally importantly providing data that can be used to help protect valuable habitats from development and other threats.

In doing this, we seek increase knowledge and understanding of birds and their habitats in the county and encourage and support people seeking to take up birdwatching as a hobby.

Membership of the society is open to all and costs £15 a year. Members receive a free copy of the annual Kent Bird Report and regular electronic newsletters. See details

The Society runs regular online talks and an outdoor programme of field meetings. They are opportunities for both beginners and experienced birdwatchers to meet others in the county and to develop their knowledge and skills.

We are a charity regulated by the Charity Commission registered as charity number 212489.

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