Kent Ornithological Society 
Spoonbills – Oare – Peter Eerdmans
In a week with lots of glorious sunshine, the best new birds only showed briefly. A juvenile Iceland Gull only spent a few minutes at Swalecliffe on 28 February while a Common Crane flew off shortly after being discovered at Elmley on 1 March. The Serins were more accommodating resurfacing at Restharrow Scrape, Sandwich Bay on 2 March after hiding from view for 10 days. Two males and a female showed well at times, with the males starting to sign softly.
While early migration was perhaps less than expected as temperatures remained quite low, signs of Spring around the county continued with for instance singing Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps as well as displaying Goshawks and other raptors. Sea-watching was quiet this week, but a group of 23 Red-breasted Merganser on 5 March on the sea at Swalecliffe is worth a mention.
The rest of the highlights remained rather stable over the week. The trio of scarce ducks remained in the Dungeness area (Smew, Long-tailed Duck and Greater Scaup), with the male Greater Scaup also still present at Collard’s Lake. Hen Harriers, Short-eared Owls, Cattle Egrets, Spoonbills, White-fronted Geese and Hawfinches all remained in their typical wintering spots, such as Sandwich, Dungeness, Sheppey, Oare and Stodmarsh. The group of Snow Buntings at Reculver which started the winter with four is down to the last individual.
This coming weekend warmer weather from the South-East could bring the first Wheatears, Barn Swallows and Garganey to Kent. Good luck.
Peter Eerdmans
(Thanks to all the observers who posted their records on the KOS Sightings website, BirdGuides, eBird and/or the main Kent Birding WhatsApp groups, Thursday-to-Thursday. Apologies for any omissions. If anyone has any photos they think may be useful for the weekly, please send to me by Wednesday. All records of rarities are still subject to official confirmation by the relevant rarities committees)