American Golden Plover (with Bonaparte's Gull) - Nigel Jarman

As hoped, a rare wader turned up this week. A beautiful summer-plumaged American Golden Plover was discovered at Oare Marshes in the morning of the 14th. It stayed for a few hours, and, remarkably, could be seen together with the other North American vagrant at Oare, the Bonaparte's Gull. There have been less than a dozen records of American Golden Plover in Kent, although it has become more regular in recent years. Another good bird this week was a Caspian Tern at Stodmarsh, also on the 14th. It stayed only briefly.

Caspian Tern - Timothy Bagworth

An Osprey at Elmley on the 14th was an early returning bird. Wader passage, outside of the American Golden Plover, was modest, with one Spotted Redshank reported at Elmley and one Little Stint at Oare. Quails continued to be heard, with at least five in the Bockhill/Kingsdown area. Garganeys were seen at Stodmarsh, Oare and Dungeness, while a handful of Yellow-legged Gulls were reported along the coast.

Sea-watching was quiet with one Manx Shearwater past North Foreland and a Black Tern seen off Seasalter. 

As we move into the second half July, migration should start to pick up. Enjoy.

Peter Eerdmans

American Golden Plover - Nigel Jarman

(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)