Kent Ornithological Society 
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.
We met at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve Car Park and started our walk around the reserve. I was so pleased that we didn't have the windy conditions that we had to endure during last Wednesday's trip that I led for SBBO (Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory).
Spring was very much in the air with most of the birds seen by us singing, displaying or nesting.
Skylark and Meadow Pipit song permeated the air as did the calls of Pied Oystercatcher and Common Redshank.
Sandwich and Common Terns were extremely vocal as was the odd Mediterranean Gull.
Ringed Plovers and Ruddy Turnstones were enjoyed and many Dunlin were displaying elements of their summer plumage with rusty coloured upper parts and black bellies.
There were still the odd Eurasian Wigeon and Common Gulls present and a pair of fine Grey Plovers were found in their handsome full summer plumage - looking silver, black and white.
We looked at the reserve’s John Gooder's Hide, named after the author of the first British and European bird site guide. Walking on to the harbour mouth and then to the Denny Hide we encountered a fine Eurasian Whimbrel at very close range. After completing the circuit back to the car park we went on to Pett Levels, near Winchelsea and we walked up the Pannel Valley NR close by. Reed Buntings, Reed and Sedge Warblers were in chorus, Barn Swallows darted overhead and most of us our we heard our first Common Cuckoo of the year.
On the scrape right in front of the hide there were Little Ringed Plovers, Pied Oystercatchers, Northern Lapwings and Greylag Geese all sitting on safely fenced off nests. Black-tailed Godwit was added to the day list.
We had lunch here before walking back to the road and driving to Dungeness to have a look at the Hayfields and Denge Marsh, our third site with hides today.
Raven, Sand Martin, Greenshank and Sparrowhawk were all seen and a Eurasian Bittern was heard booming from the reed beds. By the time that we had walked backed to the car it was 4pm. Lysbeth Muirhead decided to go to the beach at Dungeness looking for Northern Wheatear which she didn't see but she did have lovely views of a Common Stonechat.
The group managed 78 species and identified several flowering plants and a few butterflies.
Thanks to Yuti Chernajovsky for his wonderful, evocative image of frolicking Common Redshanks.’