Ardea purpurea

Uncommon Passage Migrant

2025 Worth Marshes RSPB, single bird, 2nd-26th September.
River Wantsum, Reculver, juvenile, 24th August.
Reculver, juvenile flew west at sea, 1st August, and the same bird was probably seen later at Swalecliffe.
Worth Marshes RSPB, single bird flew north-west, 29th July.
New Hythe, single bird, 27th April.
Dungeness, two adults, 10th-11th April.
2024 Stodmarsh, three birds, two adults and one immature, 8th May until 30th June.
  Sandwich Bay/Worth Marshes, single bird, 2nd-26th May.
  Minster Marshes, single bird, 30th April.
  Dungeness, two adults, 13th March until 9th April.
2023 Ham Fen, juvenile, 21st September.
  Dungeness RSPB, single bird, 18th-20th May.
  Stodmarsh NNR/Grove Ferry, single bird, 15th-20th May.
  Elmley, adult, 10th-13th May.
2022 Seasalter, juvenile bird, present from 27th August until 2nd November.
  Stodmarsh NNR, juvenile bird, from 23rd July until 4th September. Joined by second juvenile from 27th July.
  Dungeness RSPB, adult bird, 15th-25th May.
  Stodmarsh NNR, adult bird, from 18th April until 7th May.
2021 Conningbrook CP, juvenile bird, 22nd August.
  Seasalter, single bird, 6th June.
  Stodmarsh NNR/Grove Ferry, single bird, 20th and 31st May.
  Dungeness Long Pits, single bird, 12th May.
  Ham Fen, single bird, 8th May.
  Westbere, single bird, 21st-30th April.
2020 Swale NNR, juvenile bird, 22nd-26th August.
  Worth Marshes, first-summer bird, 1st June.
  Dungeness RSPB, first-summer bird, 7th-13th May.
2019

Chambers Wall, Reculver, single bird, 19th September.

 

Stodmarsh, adult, 22nd-30th June.

2018

Swalecliffe, juvenile, 31st August.

 

Cliffe Pools, juvenile, 11th August until 1st September.

 

Sevenoaks WR, juvenile, 20th July.

2016

Allhallows, freshly dead young bird, 24th September.

 

Elmley, juvenile, 28th August until 29th September.

 

Reculver, juvenile, 15th August.

 

Pegwell Bay, single bird, 20th May, may have been the same as at Grove Ferry.

 

Grove Ferry, single bird, 15th-25th May.

 

Dungeness, single bird, 28th April.

 

Reculver, single bird, 11th-12th April, and subsequently seen at Stodmarsh on the 13th, and at Sandwich Bay on 14th.

2015

Dungeness RSPB, single bird, 13th May.

 

Pegwell Bay, single bird, 15th April.

2014

Nicholls Quarry, Palmarsh, single bird, 16th May.

 

Dungeness RSPB, single bird, 22nd April until 2nd May.

2013

Dengemarsh Gully, Dungeness, single bird flushed, 6th May.

 

Pegwell Bay, single bird, 22nd April.

2012

Oare Marshes, juvenile, 29th-30th July.

 

Stodmarsh/Grove Ferry, juvenile, 29th June-1st July, again 25th July to 3rd August, and finally 19th-27th August.

  Dungeness RSPB, single bird, 5th-13th June.
2011 Dungeness RSPB, juvenile bird, 2nd November.
  Dungeness RSPB, single bird, 16th August.
  Elmley RSPB, single bird, intermittently form 6th-18th August.
  Pegwell Bay, single bird, 10th May.
  Sandwich Bay, single bird, 1st May.
  Dungeness RSPB, immature bird joined the adult, 4th-5th May.
 

Dungeness RSPB, adult bird, 29th April until 6th May.

2010

Stodmarsh, single bird, possibly that from Sandwich, 23rd May.

 

Sandwich Bay BO, single bird, 20th May.

 

Dungeness RSPB, single bird, 27th-28th April, with second bird joining it on 29th-30th April. These birds were soon seen carrying nesting material, and quickly became Britain's first successful breeding pair, fledging two young. The first bird to fledge did so on 3rd August, and the second on 6th or 7th. The last sighting of any bird was the adult female on 30th August.

2009

Reculver, single bird, arrived from south, 23rd May.

2008

Dungeness RSPB, adult, 6th May.

 

Sandwich Bay BO, adult first seen on beach and later near observatory, 20th April.

2007

St. Nicholas-at-Wade, single bird few inland, 10th June.

2006

Dungeness, immature flew out to sea, 30th August.

 

Bough Beech, single bird flew north, 21st April.

2005 Manston, immature flew south-east towards Pegwell, 19th April.
2004

Dungeness RSPB, 30th September.

 

Brooksend, Minnis Bay, 4th June.

 

North Foreland, immature flew west, 15th May.

 

Elmley, sub-adult, 14th-15th May.

 

Pegwell Bay, adult flew north, 22nd April.

2003

Capel-le-Ferne, one flew East, 13th April.

2001

Long Pits, Dungeness, first summer, 20th June.

 

Dungeness RSPB, 20th May.

  Dungeness, one in off sea, 13th April.
2000

Minnis Bay/Reculver, juvenile, 13th August to 10th September. Seen around Chambers Wall, Reculver and Marshside.

 

Reculver, 13th August.

 

Lydd Golf Course, adult flying east, 7th May.

 

Dungeness, two adults, in off sea, 6th May.

 

Swale NNR, adult, 1st May.

 

Bough Beech, 6th April.

1999

Grove Ferry, juvenile, 1st September.

 

Stoke Fleet, immature, 29th August to 3rd October.

 

Minnis Bay/Reculver, juvenile, 26th July-3rd October. Seen widely around Chambers Wall/Wantsum area.

 

Grove Ferry, juvenile, 30th July to 11th August.

 

Dungeness, one north, 21st-22nd May.

 

Stodmarsh, immature, 15th May.

 

Sandwich Bay, 8th-9th May.

 

Sandwich Bay, 29th March.

1998

Walland Marsh, adult, 28th May to 21st June.

1997

Denge Marsh, juvenile, 6th September.

 

Pegwell Bay, adult, 1st-4th May. Considered to be same bird as Brooksend.

 

Brooksend, Minnis Bay, adult, 27th-29th April.

1996

Dungeness RSPB, adult, 12th May. Also seen at Lydd and Lade, same date.

 

Binney Farm/Reservoir, Allhallows, first summer, 6th May.

 

Stodmarsh, one south, 22nd April.

1994

Sandwich Bay, juvenile, 14th September.

 

Foreness, one south-west, 18th August.

1992

Oare Marshes, 1st August.

 

ARC pits, Dungeness, 23rd May.

 

Copt Point, Folkestone, sub-adult, in off sea, 15th May.

1991

Stodmarsh, 31st May and 4th June, possibly same bird as Dungeness.

 

Dungeness RSPB, 31st May.

1990

Reculver, adult, one east, 24th October.

 

Grove Ferry, adult, 21st July.

 

Westbere, adult, 7th-12th May.

 

Reculver, sub-adult flew west, 6th May.

1989

Dungeness RSPB, 20th May.

 

Dungeness RSPB, 1st April.

1988

Dungeness area, juvenile, 12th September.

 

Dungeness area, first-summer, 20th May.

1987

Minnis Bay, immature, 19th-22nd October.

 

Worth Marshes, immature, 20th-21st August.

 

Dungeness, adult flew south-west, 6th August.

 

Folkestone Warren, adult, 28th July.

 

Stodmarsh, adult, 20th April.

 

Sandwich Bay, adult, 20th April.

 

Dungeness area, adult, 20th-21st April.

1986

Westbere/Stodmarsh, adult, 31st May to 1st June.

 

Sandwich Bay, 1st May.

1985

Dartford Marshes, immature, 13th-14th September.

 

Hayesden, immature, 25th July to 5th September.

 

Capel Fleet, Sheppey, 27th April, and again 4th May.

1984

Minnis Bay, 22nd August to 6th October.

1983

Sandwich Bay, immature flew west, 14th May.

 

Foreness, immature flew east, 8th May.

 

Stour Valley, 22nd-26th April.

1982

Stodmarsh, adult, 30th October.

 

Dungeness RSPB, 27th May.

1981 Cliffe Pools, first-summer, 15th July. Presumed same as Yantlet Creek.
 

Yantlet Creek, first-summer, 11th July.

 

Reculver, sub-adult, 24th May.

 

Fordwich, adult, 18th-28th April, and again on 2nd May.

1980

Stodmarsh, 10th July.

 

Stodmarsh, probable adult, 25th June.

 

Stodmarsh, immature, 18th May.

1979

Stodmarsh, probable sub-adult, 17th June.

 

Westbere/Stodmarsh, 19th-22nd May.

1978

Elmley Reserve, immature, 13th November.

 

St. Margaret's, 17th October.

 

Dungeness area, immature, 8th August

 

Stodmarsh, adult, 29th-30th June.

 

Fordwich, adult, 25th May.

 

Sandwich Bay, 20th April, with probably same bird on 29th April.

1977

Fordwich, 1st June.

 

Sandwich Bay, immature, 20th May.

1976

Sandwich Bay, 19th-22nd June.

 

Stodmarsh, immature, 6th June.

 

Stodmarsh, 30th May.

 

Sevenoaks, 2nd May.

1975

Dungeness area, 19th April.

1974

Sandwich Bay, immature, 10th September.

 

Stodmarsh, two birds, 19th May.

 

Dungeness area, 21st April.

1973

Dungeness area, 29th July.

 

Murston Pits, adult, 20th May.

 

Stodmarsh, adult, 29th April.

1972

Marden, immature, 9th-19th September.

 

Sevenoaks, immature, 17th August.

 

Sandwich Bay, adult, 21st-22nd June.

 

Stodmarsh, immature, 1st June.

1971

Medway Estuary, immature, 6th August.

 

Sandwich Bay, adult, 15th-16th May, presumed same as Stodmarsh.

 

Sandwich Bay, adult, 7th May, presumed same as Stodmarsh.

  Stodmarsh, adult, Apr 25th-May 19th.
  Stodmarsh, Apr 25th-May 19th.
 

Kennington, Ashford, immature, 23rd-24th April, with possibly same bird Stodmarsh, Apr 25th-May 19th.

 

Chetney, 31st March.

 1970

Stodmarsh, 24th July to 13th August.

1969

Sandwich Bay, immature, 31st August to 30th September.

 

Grove Ferry, adult, 4th May.

1968

Reculver, juvenile, 11th August.

 

Stodmarsh, adult, 27th April.

1967

Stodmarsh, 24th to 31st July.

 

Great Bells, Sheppey, 12th and 25th June.

1966

Chetney, adult, 3rd-4th August.

1964

Dungeness area, 20th May.

 

Sandwich Bay, 8th April.

1963

Tenterden, immature male, 19th July, subsequently died.

 

Dungeness area, 5th May.

1961

Snargate, Romney Marsh, immature, 9th August.

 

Sandwich Bay, immature, 7th July.

1958

Stoke, 2nd-10th August.

1948

Gravesend, 27th March. Found exhausted on foreshore; died 7 days after capture.

1941

Romney Marsh, male, obtained, 2nd May, now at Maidstone Museum.

 

Deal, 2nd May.

1936

Stour Valley/Sandwich, 17th and 18th May.

1925

Romney Marsh, two birds, 6th April.

1894

Kemsley, immature shot, 1st May.

1876

Nr. Ham Street, immature shot, 1st May.

1862

Fairfield Brack, Romney Marsh, immature, 1st May.

1847

Lydd, adult, 29th March.

1838

Romney Marsh, immature, obtained, September.

The Kent Ornithological Society was founded in 1952

Our aims are to record and monitor the county’s bird life providing both an accurate historical record of Kent’s birds but equally importantly providing data that can be used to help protect valuable habitats from development and other threats.

In doing this, we seek increase knowledge and understanding of birds and their habitats in the county and encourage and support people seeking to take up birdwatching as a hobby.

Membership of the society is open to all and costs £15 a year. Members receive a free copy of the annual Kent Bird Report and regular electronic newsletters. See details

The Society runs regular online talks and an outdoor programme of field meetings. They are opportunities for both beginners and experienced birdwatchers to meet others in the county and to develop their knowledge and skills.

We are a charity regulated by the Charity Commission registered as charity number 212489.