Kent Ornithological Society 
Merops apiaster
Rare but fairly regular vagrant
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1827 |
Kingsgate, Thanet, one shot, May. |
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pre-1884 |
Lydd, adult, shot. Exact date unknown. Bird now in Dover Museum. |
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1882 |
Mereworth, near Wrotham, adult, 24th June. |
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1953 |
Sevenoaks, seen in flight, 15th May. |
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1955 |
Sandwich Bay Estate, one present, 6th June. |
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St. Mary's Bay, Dymchurch, flock of ca.12, 25th-26th September. These birds are believed to originate from the East Sussex breeding colony, where 13 birds were seen to fly east from the previous day, and were not to return. |
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1958 |
Betteshanger, single bird, 11th July. |
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1969 |
Sandwich Bay, one hawking insects, 25th May. |
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1971 |
Dungeness, one flew south-east over Channel, 8th June. |
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1974 |
Dungeness, singles on 19th May and 7th August. |
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1978 |
Dungeness, one flew over, 21st May. |
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1979 |
St. Margaret’s, one flew south-east out to sea, 19th May. |
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Iwade, single bird, 3rd July. |
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1981 |
Westcliffe, Ramsgate, one present, 13th June. |
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Kingsgate, single bird, 16th June. |
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1986 |
Dungeness, one in off sea, 16th May. |
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Dungeness, one flew north-west, 7th June. |
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1987 |
Walmer, party of six birds, watched for two hours, 20th June. |
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Foreness, one flew west, 5th July. |
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1988 |
Dungeness, one seen on 13th June, with another on 6th September. |
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1989 |
Foreness, single bird, 24th May. |
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St. Margaret's, a party of five birds flew up-channel, 28th May, and presumed same, four flew south at Sandwich Bay on 29th. |
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1990 |
Foreness, one flew west, 16th May. |
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1991 |
Dungeness, 4-6 birds present, 31st May. |
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Kingsdown, two birds flew north, 29th June. Probably same two birds flew west, Reculver, an hour and a half later. |
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Littlestone, single bird, 3rd July. |
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Colney Hill, Dover, four flew east, 14th July. |
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Sandwich Bay, one flew west, 14th July. |
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Dungeness, five present on 27th July, with another on 1st August. |
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Walderslade, four flew over, 24th August. |
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1992 |
Sandwich Bay, one present, 11th May. |
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Foreness, one flew south, 20th May. |
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1993 |
Foreness, one flew west, 19th May. |
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St. Margaret's, one north, 2nd June. |
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Dungeness, one flew north-west, 5th June. |
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1995 |
Whitstable, one east, 13th September. |
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1997 |
St. Margaret’s, one flew past, 9th May. |
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Birchington, six birds frequented Quex Park, 15th-16th May. |
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Dungeness, single bird, 25th May. |
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St. Margaret's, single bird, 29th-30th May. |
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Bockhill, single bird, 12th August. |
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Dungeness, single bird, 8th September. |
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1998 |
Dungeness, single bird present, 23rd May. |
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Pegwell Bay, single bird, 10th June. |
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1999 |
West Stourmouth, four birds present, 10th May. |
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Capel-le-Ferne, one present, 16th May. |
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Deal, single bird, 12th June. |
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Dungeness, single bird, 12th July. |
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2001 |
Capel-le-Ferne, one present, 25th May. |
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St. Margaret's, single bird west, 31st May. |
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2002 |
Dungeness, single bird, 9th May. |
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Bockhill, single bird, 31st May. |
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St. Margaret's, single bird, 20th June, and again later at Bockhill. |
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Rye Street, single bird, 28th June. |
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Dungeness RSPB, single bird, 15th July. |
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Kingsdown, single bird, 4th September. |
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2003 |
Dungeness RSPB, single bird present, 6th July. |
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Shuart Farm, St. Nicholas-at-Wade, single bird, 13th July. |
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Kingsdown, one south, 22nd July. |
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2004 |
Dungeness, party of five adults flew over, 16th May. Later tracked via St. Margaret's, Bockhill, and Kingsdown to Sandwich Bay. |
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St. Margaret's, single bird, 18th May. |
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Abbotscliffe, single bird, 18th May. |
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Stonar, two birds, 22nd May. |
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Pegwell Bay, single bird, 24th May. |
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Seasalter, 10 birds flew west, 6th June. |
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Foreness, 3 birds flew over, 9th June. |
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2005 |
Whiteness, Foreness, single bird, 18th May. |
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Kingsgate, two birds, 19th May. |
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Kingsgate, three birds west, 28th May. |
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Dungeness BO, single bird heard, 16th July. |
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2006 |
Dungeness, single bird, 30th-31st May. |
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2007 |
Reculver, single bird flew north-west, 23rd May. |
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Dungeness, single bird, 27th May. |
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2008 |
Dungeness RSPB, single bird present, 12th May. |
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Whitstable, single bird heard calling, 13th May. |
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Church Hougham, single bird, 14th May. |
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Sandwich Bay, single bird, 14th May. |
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Samphire Hoe, single bird, 3rd June. |
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Dungeness, single bird, 6th June. |
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Worth Marshes, 3 birds flew over, 13th June. |
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2009 |
Bough Beech, three birds, 25th May. |
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Clay Hill, Dargate, single bird flew west, 29th May. |
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Dungeness RSPB, single bird present, 24th July. |
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2010 |
Dungeness BO, single bird, 24th May. |
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Samphire Hoe, two birds flew west, 8th June. |
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2012 |
Dungeness, single birds present, 17th, 19th and 22nd May. |
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Foreness, six birds present, 21st May. |
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Fowlmead CP, three birds, 21st May. |
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Shellness, four birds, 27th May. |
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Samphire Hoe, single bird, 3rd June. |
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Kingsgate, single bird, 12th June. |
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2013 |
Saltwood, Folkestone, a flock of ten, 14thMay. |
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Dungeness Point, single bird, 24th May. |
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Nicholl’s Quarry, Hythe, single bird, 24th May. |
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Grain, single bird, 25th May. |
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Bockhill, single bird, 29th May. |
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Stonelees, single bird, 8th-10th June. |
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2014 |
Dungeness/RSPB, single birds, many between 17th-26th May. |
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New Romney, group of four birds, 23rd May. |
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Water Tower Pits, Dungeness, group of four birds, 24th May. |
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St. Mary-in-the-Marsh, group of four birds, possibly same, 24th May. |
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Dungeness BO/RSPB, group of four birds, possibly same, 24th May. |
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Bockhill,group of three birds, 23rd May. |
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Dungeness RSPB, two birds, possibly same, 1st June. |
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Margate, single bird, 31st July. |
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2015 |
Dover, five birds, 19th April. |
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Kingsdown, single bird, 16th May. |
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Pegwell Bay, single bird, 19th May. |
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Dungeness RSPB, flock of ten birds, 25th June. |
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Kingsdown and later Hawkinge, flock of seven, presumed same, 27th June. |
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Pegwell Bay, five birds, 8th July. |
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Sandwich Bay, three birds, 10th July. |
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Bockhill, four birds, 10th July. |
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Dungeness RSPB, single bird, 29th July. |
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Bockhill, three birds, 3rd August. |
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Deal, four birds, 5th August. |
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2016 |
Dungeness BO, single bird, 9th May. |
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Worth Marshes, two birds, 24th and 28th May. |
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Pegwell Bay, single bird, 19th May. |
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Margate, single bird, 4th June. |
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Dungeness RSPB, single bird, 23rd July. |
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2017 |
Hythe, single bird, 14th May. |
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Dungeness BO, single bird, 15th May. |
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St. Margaret’s, single bird, 15th May. |
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Dungeness RSPB, single bird, 23rd May. |
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Willop Basin, Hythe, flock of six, 26th May. |
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Dungeness BO, single bird, 27th May. |
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Dungeness BO and RSPB, single bird, 2nd June. |
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Dengemarsh, single bird, 9th June. |
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Pegwell Bay, single bird, 13th June. |
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Foreness, single bird, 15th June. |
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Dungeness BO, single bird, 17th June. |
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Bockhill, single bird, 4th July. |
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Dengemarsh, single bird, 4th July. |
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Worth Marshes, single bird, 5th July. |
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2018 |
Dungeness BO, two birds, 11th May. |
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Sandwich Bay, single bird, 18th May. |
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Littlestone, single bird, 23rd-24th May. |
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Littlestone, flock of five, 4th June. |
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West Hougham, flock of six, 6th June. |
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2019 |
Lade Pits, single bird, 21st May. |
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Dungeness BO, single bird, 23rd May. |
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Rye Street, single bird, 21st June. |
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Dungeness, two birds at old lighthouse before heading north, 24th June. |
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Muswell Manor, Leysdown, single bird, 1st September. |
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| 2020 | A typical clutch of spring records, predominately from south coastal locations. There were singles at Dungeness BO on May 4th, Lade Pits on the 5th and Dungeness BO on the 7th, one at Southfleet on the 15th, two at Bockhill on the 23rd, one at South Foreland on both the 25th and the 27th, one over Greatstone on May 28th, then singles at Dungeness BO and flying NE at South Foreland on June 2nd and Sandwich Bay on the 13th. There was one autumn record, of one at Bockhill on Sept 7th. Treating those of May 4th-7th, and of May 23rd-27th as the same would give a year’s total of nine birds, but it is not possible to be sure. |
| 2021 | A typical set of late spring records, but including a number of relatively large groups, giving a total of 40 birds, the second highest total for Kent. The first was one heard as it flew N at Walmer on May 25th. One was heard calling several times at Samphire Hoe and another was heard over Lydd on May 31st. One flew NE at South Foreland on June 2nd, and there were also singles at Dungeness that day and on the 5th. On June 8th, at least two were heard at Samphire Hoe and a little later a flock of ten was seen perched in hawthorns on the outskirts of Dover, before flying off; those two groups are assumed to have been the same. Nine flew in off the sea at Folkestone Warren on the 9th and were also heard but not seen at South Foreland. Also on June 9th, at least one was heard at Church Hougham and four moved N over Worth Marshes; based on timings these were different from the Folkestone nine. Finally, another flock of nine flew N at Sandwich Bay on July 1st. |
| 2022 | It was another good spring for this species. The first was one at South Foreland on May 16th, there were two inland at Hartley (Longfield) on the 19th, one N at Bockhill on the 20th, eight at South Foreland, Bockhill and Walmer on the 22nd, when birds were also heard calling at Worth Marshes and Dungeness, eight again at Bockhill on the 25th and two at Worth Marshes on the 30th. Further singles were reported at Bockhill on June 4th and 23rd, at Dungeness BO on July 9th and Kingsdown on the 10th. Lastly, there was one at Worth Marshes on Sept 3rd and the 4th. |