Pintails - Martin Casemore

A nice varied week in Kent birding. Sea-watching picked up, with particularly Dungeness having a good day on the 17th. Good numbers of Pintail (308) and Brent Goose (2708) were seen, but the best were a female Smew (rare in the county these days and even rarer on sea-watches) and a Long-tailed Duck. A Black-throated Diver in full summer plumage was also a nice sighting that day. A group of 7 Black-necked Grebe drifting past the sea-watch hide on the 15th was another highlight this week. The north coast was a bit quieter with the main sightings a Great Northern Diver at North Foreland on the 15th and a Red-necked Grebe at Swalecliffe/Tankerton on the 18th and 19th.

Ruddy Duck - Russ Blackman

Further highlights included a Black Kite over South Foreland on the 19th, a Shore Lark at Cliffe on the 14th and a White-tailed Eagle that flew over Bough Beech on the 14th and presumably the same bird then seen at Stodmarsh on the 15th. The Red-flanked Bluetail, Pallas's Warbler and Ruddy Duck remained in their respective places and were seen on most days, but the American Wigeon was not reported this week. The (Kumlien's) Iceland Gull that has been seen on a couple of occasions around the county in recent weeks was discovered at Worth Marshes on the 13th and again seen there on the 14th. A White Stork circled over Maidstone on the 14th. Two Whooper Swans remained at Cockles Bridge while a drake Scaup remained at Cliffe.

White-tailed Eagle - Peter Richardson

In terms of Sunmer migrants Wheatear (13th), Little Ringed Plover (12th) and Swallow (already reported on the 5th) were added broadly inline with their respective mean arrival dates of recent years. The coming week the likes of Sedge Warbler and House Martin can be expected. 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)