Kent Ornithological Society 
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This page shows records submitted for birds seen between 19 May 2026 and 27 May 2026. Sightings from the most recent 7 days are not available to non-members. Please consider joining the KOS to see more recent records, or if you are a member, login here. Rare and scarce species species are shown in orange and unusual species in blue.
Wednesday 27 May 2026
King's Wood (near Challock) (21:30 to 22:10) Clear [Tabitha Fleming] Map
1 Nightjar, 3 Tawny Owl
Cliffe Pools (09:40 to 14:45) High tide [Stephen Gatley] Map
c460 Shelduck (Nearly all on Flamingo Pool), 2 Pochard (Pair), 6 Tufted Duck (3 pairs), 2 Gadwall (Pair), 15 Great Crested Grebe, 4+ Cuckoo (2 calling), 18+ Avocet (Including 9 roosting on Flamingo Pool), 38 Oystercatcher (Including 35 roosting on Flamingo Pool), 6 Ringed Plover (On Flamingo Pool), 1+ Little Ringed Plover, 2 Sanderling (On Flamingo Pool), 2 Common Tern, 2 Mediterranean Gull (Flew over), 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Jay, c10 Sand Martin (c10 nesting holes in sandy mound near the fort), 1 Lesser Whitethroat (Singing male), 1 Nightingale (Singing male)
South Street (Selling) (08:25 to 12:30) Full sun and warm, with a light N.N.E. breeze. [Colin Fisher] Map
4 Common Buzzard (pair were displaying at Gould's Wood), 3 Green Woodpecker, 6 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Kestrel, 3 Jay, 3 Swallow, 1 Willow Warbler (Gould's Wood), 27 Chiffchaff, 3 Garden Warbler (singing), 22 Blackcap (singing), 6 Whitethroat, 1 Spotted Flycatcher (Fox Wood Pond), 2 Nightingale (pair seen together), 1 Greenfinch (male)
North Foreland (06:00 to 10:00) [John Carnell] Map
5 Ringed Plover (S), 2 Guillemot (S), 106 Gannet (S), 1 Red-footed Falcon (2CY female. Low low overhead, straight out to sea.9.23)
Cliffe (Alpha Pool) [Stephen Gatley] Map
8 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Common Tern (Birds on small island including a pair mating)
Doddington Place (Doddington) sunny [John Guiver] Map
1 Swallow, 6 House Martin, 2 Firecrest (at least), 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Pied Wagtail
Higham Marshes and Bight High tide [Stephen Gatley] Map
1 Brent Goose (At Higham Bight), 1 Egyptian Goose, 2 Tufted Duck (Drakes), 5 Shoveler (All drakes), 4+ Gadwall, 5 Avocet, 1 Oystercatcher, 8 Black-tailed Godwit
Tuesday 26 May 2026
Newnham (07:50 to 08:50) [Graham Wickenden] Map
30 Mediterranean Gull (Hawking for insects at roof level, with more joining from the East all the time)
Iwade (07:40) [Daniel Oates] Map
1 Cuckoo (Possibly 2 - Flew over garden calling)
South Swale LNR (06:05 to 09:45) Full sun and hot, wind E.N.E. light air. [Colin Fisher] Map
2 Gadwall, 14 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Cuckoo (calling at Cleve Hill), 20 Oystercatcher, 8 Curlew, 2 Common Tern, 7 Mediterranean Gull, 3 Grey Heron, 2 Swift (flew west), 2 Little Owl (Beach Huts), 1 Kestrel, 38 Carrion Crow (mudflats), 21 Sedge Warbler, 14 Reed Warbler, 1 Swallow, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap (male at Cleve Track), 4 Whitethroat (singing), 6 Stonechat, 1 Yellow Wagtail (male on Cleve Marsh), 2 Corn Bunting (singing), 1 Yellowhammer (male singing at the end of Cleve Track near the road)
Monday 25 May 2026
Bedgebury Forest (20:15 to 21:50) Warm! Still [Chris Roome] Map
2 Woodcock (Roding), 2 Nightjar (Displaying), 2 Tawny Owl, 1 Willow Warbler, 4 Garden Warbler
Riverhead (06:50 to 07:10) [Alex Westenberger] Map
1 Chaffinch, 1 Bullfinch, 1 Greenfinch
Sunday 24 May 2026
Goathurst Common (Ide Hill) (22:00 to 22:20) Added to BirdTrack. [Richard Jenkinson] Map
2 Nightjar (2 (possibly 3?) seen; flight calls heard, but no 'churring'), 2 Tawny Owl (2 (possibly 3?) young calling)
Dengemarsh (12:15 to 12:45) [Stephen Message] Map
2 Honey Buzzard (Circling, eventually headed NW)
High Halstow (10:00 to 12:00) Sunny and hot with light breeze. Sitings by SB [Iain Black] Map
3 Cuckoo, 1 Little Owl, 2 Hobby
Cliffe Pools RSPB Reserve (09:15 to 12:00) Clear, sunny and warm. Light E breeze. High tide about 07.30. WeBS count. Black Barn Pools mostly dried up. [Murray Orchard] Map
1 Greylag Goose, 25 Shelduck, 7 Pochard, 4 Tufted Duck, 2 Gadwall, 1 Mallard, 17 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Cuckoo (two singing males and a male chasing female - bubbling call heard), 4 Coot, 27 Avocet (Very little breeding activity as BBPs dried up), 66 Oystercatcher (roost of 60 on FP and 6 around various pits, two on nests), 2 Ringed Plover, 2 Little Ringed Plover (pair with 4 chicks), 8 Lapwing (1 on nest), 4 Common Tern (likely to be little or no breeding this year due to low water levels), 179 Black-headed Gull (just 83 AON on small islands in Crystal Pool, all other breeding islands abandoned due to low water levels), 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Nightingale (still 3 singing males), 1 Greenfinch (singing male)
Newnham (08:50 to 09:50) [Graham Wickenden] Map
20 Mediterranean Gull (Loose flock appeared to be hawking for insects for at least an hour)
Riverhead (08:15 to 09:45) Added to BirdTrack. [Richard Jenkinson] Map
7 Mediterranean Gull (09:45; a group of 7 (5 ad, 2 1st sum) W over the garden; a curious late spring movement), 1 Firecrest (08:15; singing IVO the south end of Shoreham Lane)
West Kingsdown (near Farningham) (07:50 to 07:51) Warm, sunny, no wind [Dan Cuthbert] Map
2 Siskin (Two males)
Oare Marshes (05:30 to 10:00) A pleasantly cool start with a bit of mist, but soon sunny and very warm again with just a gentle ENE breeze. Temp. 13 - 23C. HT circa 07:15. [Murray Wright] Map
4 Mute Swan (pair with two cygnets WF), 4 Egyptian Goose (pair with two well grown goslings EF still), 2 Pochard (pair on EF), 2 Tufted Duck (pair on EF), 1 Red-legged Partridge (in road at bends first thing), 2 Cuckoo (pair), 2 Turtle Dove, 6 Lapwing (female with three well grown young, plus nesting pair on EF), 57 Black-tailed Godwit (roosting on EF at HT), 15 Mediterranean Gull (11 ads. and four 2cy's on EF + several over), 1 Spoonbill (flew W along Swale), 2 Barn Owl (one hunting around EF and one on SHeppey), 2 Nightingale (incl. one UC), 5 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Corn Bunting (UC)
Reculver (05:00 to 11:00) [Chris Hindle] Map
1 Avocet, 8 Mediterranean Gull (flying W)
Godmersham Church [Keith Privett] Map
1 Egyptian Goose, 2 Stock Dove, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Blackcap, 6 Mistle Thrush, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Greenfinch
Kennington [Keith Privett] Map
2 Swift
Stodmarsh [Keith Privett] Map
5 Cuckoo, 1 Turtle Dove, 5 Stock Dove, 1 Water Rail, 11 Common Tern, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Great White Egret, 10 Cattle Egret, 3 Grey Heron, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 10 Bearded Tit, 5 Skylark, 4 Sedge Warbler, 5 Reed Warbler, 2 Swallow, 3 Long-tailed Tit, 15 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Garden Warbler, 4 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Nightingale, 3 Reed Bunting
Saturday 23 May 2026
River Medway Cuxton to Snodland (06:00 to 09:00) high tide [R Vink] Map
5 Shelduck (2 broods of 8 and 9 ducklings), 2 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Cuckoo, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 10+ Swift, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Common Buzzard, 7 Reed Warbler, 5 Swallow, 20+ House Martin (At Snodland colonie), 1 Cetti's Warbler
Worth Marshes (Sandwich Bay) Hot sunny and slight breeze [Ian Bradshaw] Map
3 Turtle Dove (around wooden bridge), 3 Ringed Plover, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Greenshank, 1 Ruff (Reeve), 1 Curlew Sandpiper (minnis flood), 3 Spoonbill (seen flying over south marshes), 1 Great White Egret, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Hobby
Friday 22 May 2026
Kennington [Keith Privett] Map
4 Mediterranean Gull
Thursday 21 May 2026
Boughton under Blean (14:00 to 15:30) Fine and warm [Rebecca Torry] Map
3 Blackcap (Heard), 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 Bullfinch (First time I have seen them here)
North Foreland (06:30 to 10:00) [John Carnell] Map
3 Spotted Flycatcher (Two passing along clifftop, one in an estate garden.)
South Swale LNR (06:00 to 10:40) Cloudy with sunny intervals and a moderate S.S.W. breeze. [Colin Fisher] Map
2 Eider (east end of the Swale), 10 Great Crested Grebe, 8 Grey Plover (Castle Coote), 2 Ringed Plover (Castle Coote), 1 Lapwing (flew west), 1 Whimbrel, 90 Bar-tailed Godwit (mudflats), 10 Black-tailed Godwit (mudflats), 3 Redshank (Castle Coote), 1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Little Owl (Beach Huts), 2 Kestrel (male and female), 1 Bearded Tit, 17 Sedge Warbler, 24 Reed Warbler, 17 Swallow (flew west), 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 4 Whitethroat, 1 Spotted Flycatcher (Cleve Track behind the Sportsman near the road.), 10 Stonechat (three were juveniles.), 2 Yellow Wagtail (Castle Coote), 2 Corn Bunting (singing)
Wednesday 20 May 2026
Oare Marshes (05:15 to 10:30) A little light rain soon clearing then sunny intervals with a moderate WSW breeze. Temp. up to 17C. LT circa 09:45. With RM, RR and PG. [Murray Wright] Map
5 Egyptian Goose (pair with two goslings still on EF, plus a third ad. early soon chased off resident pair), 2 Eider (eclipse drake and a duck hauled out on mud along the Sheppey-side edge of the Swale E of the Ferry Inn), 24 Gadwall (EF), 37 Mallard (EF), 1 Grey Partridge (in road at bends briefly first thing per RR), 2 Cuckoo (pair showing well near cottages), 1 Turtle Dove, 87 Ringed Plover (on mud), 2 Lapwing (pair on EF - one sitting), 28 Dunlin (on mud), 2 Common Tern (pair on EF), 1 Spoonbill (subad. roosting on EF), 50 Swift (over reserve), 1 Barn Owl (Sheppey-side), 1 Hobby (over), 1 Lesser Whitethroat (male singing), 1 Nightingale (singing and showing well opp. cottages), 3 Yellow Wagtail
Godmersham Church [Keith Privett] Map
2 Egyptian Goose, 2 Grey Partridge, 9 Mistle Thrush, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 Greenfinch
Oare Marshes Mostly sunny with a moderate SW'ly brreze. HT 15.25 [Damon Smith] Map
9 Mute Swan, 1 Greylag Goose (EF only), 4 Egyptian Goose (2 adults 2 goslings), 4 Shelduck, 31 Gadwall, 27 Mallard, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Moorhen, 14 Coot, 3 Avocet, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Lapwing, 2 Whimbrel (Swale), 1 Bar-tailed Godwit (with blackwits), 230 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Dunlin (EF), 2 Common Tern (EF), 25 Black-headed Gull, 1 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Swift, 1 Swallow, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail
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