Red-necked Phalarope - Tim Bates

After an absence of 10 years, a second Greenish Warbler for the spring was a nice surprise. It was found on the 3rd at Langdon Hole and seen on-and-off during the day. Another good bird was a beautiful female Red-necked Phalarope at Cliffe Pools on the 1st. Unfortunately it was only seen by a single observer and could not be refound the next day. An Icterine Warbler was found singing at Bockhill on the 29th. A significant movement of Red Kites on the 31st along the east and north coast was another highlight. At some locations 150 could be counted in a relative short period of time. This movement is an annual event and seems to involve wandering sub-adult birds from the UK population. The day before there was a more modest movement, but it included a Black Kite which was seen throughout the morning in the South Foreland/Bockhill area.

Greenish Warbler - Jamie Partridge 

There was another Golden Oriole this week, this time at Dungeness and it showed itself well enough even for a photo! In terms of further raptors, a Montague's Harrier flew over South Foreland, a female Red-footed Falcon was seen again at Worth from the 1st, while an Osprey flew over Bough Beech. The Serin remained at North Foreland, while a Bee-eater was heard over Dungeness on the 3th.

Golden Oriole - Martin Casemore

Sea-watching was predictably quiet, but picked up late on the 3rd with the first Balearic Shearwaters of the year past Dungeness (and a good number of Manx Shearwaters).

At the end of May, the unofficial Kent year list stands at 252, two behind last year's total this time of year. Apart from the last remaining summer migrants, we added a nice long list of birds: Greenish Warbler, Iberian Chiffchaff, Icterine Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Temminck's Stint, Black-crowned Night-heron, Montague's Harrier, Bee-eater, Red-backed Shrike, Red-rumped Swallow, Golden Oriole, Savi's Warbler and Long-tailed Skua.

What will we add in June? Good luck.

Peter Eerdmans

Black Kite - Shane Vale

(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)