Rough-legged Buzzard

Details
Keith Privett
Kent List records

Buteo lagopus

Rare passage migrant, and winter visitor.

 

In 2007 the KOSRP decided to make Rough-legged Buzzard, a reportable species anywhere outside of Sheppey/Swale, requiring at least a written description of any future records. The following are all records accepted, in the county, since that time.
2007   Sheppey, single bird from 2006, remained until 6th April. 
   Sheppey, adult female, possibly previous years bird returning, 23rd October, remaining until the year end.
   Foreness, juvenile bird, 25th October.
  Sheppey, two additional birds, 30th October.
  Chambers Wall, single bird, 26th October.
2008 Sheppey, adult female from previous year remained until at least 9th March.
  Sheppey, the adult female was joined by a juvenile male, which remained until 13th April.
  Dungeness area, adult male, 7th May.
  Bockhill, and later that day at Dargate, single bird, 10th May.
  Sheppey, returning adult female, 25th November, until year end.
2009 Sheppey, the adult female from previous year remained until at least 15th March.
  Sheppey, first-winter bird, 27th January until at least 22nd February.
  Bockhill, single bird, 5th April.
  Yantlet, single bird, 19th April.
2010 East Sheppey, single bird, 25th October.
  New Hythe, single bird, 24th December.
2011 Reculver Marshes, single bird, 4th-11th January.
  Chartham Mill, single bird, 12th March.
  Hythe, two birds, 24th April.
  Dungeness, single bird flew south, 6th May.
  Capel-le-Ferne, single bird, 14th May.
  Sheppey, single bird, 16th October.
  Shuart Farm, Reculver Marshes, single bird 22nd October.
  Newchurch, single bird, 24th October.
  Foreness, single bird, 25th October.
  Sheppey, two birds, 28th October, with one, a juvenile, remaining for two weeks.
  Elmley NNR, adult female, was present for most of December until the year end.
  Palmarsh, single bird, 1st November, was later reported from West Hythe on 13th November, remaining in the area until the end of the year.
2012 Sheppey, the adult female from previous year remained until early April.
  Thames Marshes, single bird, 7th January, with two birds present the next day, which were both seen again 10th-11th, with one remaining until 28th.
  Sheppey, two birds, present from 7th-9th April, with one remaining until 12th.
2013 Pegwell, single bird circling to the east, 19th April.
  Pegwell, juvenile bird flew S, 12th October, and later SW past Bockhill.
  Cliffe Pools, single bird, 24th October.
2014 Eastry, single bird, 25th January.
  Sandwich, single bird flew north, 12th March.
  Reculver, single bird, 7th November.
2015 Scotney Court GP’s, single bird, 19th-24th October.
  Grain Country Park, single bird found moribund, 24th October.
2016 Seaton, single bird, 24th January.
2017 Lade Pits & Dungeness BO, single bird, 1st December.
  Harty Marshes/Capel Fleet, single bird, 5th December until year end.
2018 Harty Marshes/Capel Fleet, single bird, remained from 2017 into the first week of January.
  Dungeness RSPB Reserve, single bird, 26th September.
  Reculver, single bird, 28th October.
  Dungeness RSPB Reserve, single bird, 30th October.
  Dartford Marshes, single bird, 30th October.
  Rainham Marshes, single bird, 30th October.
  Bough Beech, single bird, 21st November.
  Cockles Bridge, Dengemarsh, single bird, 14th December.
  Harty Marshes, single bird, 29th December.
  Chetney Marshes/Funton Creek, first-year bird, 20th December until the year end.
2019 Chetney Marshes/Funton Creek, the first-year bird from 2018 remained until at least the 21st April.
  Chetney Marshes/Funton Creek, the previous bird was joined by a second on 6th January, and also remained until at least the 21st April.
  Elmley NR, one of the previous two birds was also seen intermittently, from 3rd March until 25th April.
  Dunkirk, single bird, first seen on 6t March, and then again on 19th and 29th April.
  Funton Creek, first-winter bird, 1st December, until year end.
2020 Funton Creek, the 2019 first winter bird, remained in the area until 25th February.
  Worth Marshes, single bird flew north, 21st March.
2021 Swale NNR, first-winter bird, 28th January until 5th March, occasionally visiting Elmley and Conyer.
  Stonar Lake, Sandwich, adult female, 19th April.
  Bockhill, single bird, 30th April.
  Reculver Marshes, juvenile bird, 4th November.
2022 Swale NR, single bird, 1st January.
2023 Hothfield Common, single bird flew south, 5th January.
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