Raven

Raven (Corvus corax)

Rare visitor, formerly bred. Status clouded by escapes.

Nested in the county until the late nineteenth century, when there were three nests between Folkestone and Dover in 1890. The origins of the occasional record of this species must always be in doubt as it is a favourite species with aviculturalists, and has escaped and even been released on a number of occasions. The westward spread of this bird on the Continent continues. Records here begin from the first Kent Bird Report in 1952-

1957	Cliffe, single bird, low overhead, 8th March.
1959	Warden, Sheppey, single bird, 8th November.
1960	Sevenoaks, two birds flew west, 2nd July.
	Lydd, single bird, 3rd May.
1963	Northward Hill, single birds seen on 3rd March, and another on 29th December.
1965	Northward Hill, two birds on 3rd January, and a single on 21st February.
1967	Hildenborough, one flew north, 7th July, with two birds over, 21st August.
1968	Hollingbourne, single bird, 23rd January.
1973	Sevenoaks, single bird, 25th September
	Wrotham, single bird, 30th October.
1975	Sevenoaks, one west, 12th April.
1978	Dungeness, single bird, 26th April.
	Coxheath, Maidstone, single bird, 11th June.
1979	Worth, one flew south-east, 4th February.
1981	Langley, Maidstone, single bird, 15th June. .
1986	Sandwich Bay, single bird over, 14th May.
	Crundale, single bird over, 2nd July.
	Bough Beech, single bird over, 28th September.
1987	Dungeness, single bird over, 25th May.
1990	Dungeness, single bird over, 7th May.
1991	Shuart, Minnis Bay, single bird amongst mixed corvid flock moving south-west, 17th September.
1994	North Foreland, single bird flew south-west, 21st April.
	Herne, single bird flew south, 10th June.
1996	Bough Beech, two birds over, 3rd August, and presumably the same oair over the nearby Winkhurst Wood, 5th August.
1997	Dungeness, many sightings between 16th January and 5th April, probably relate to two or three individuals.
1998	Dungeness, single bird present, 3rd February until 21st April.
2001	Blean Woods, two birds over, 17th August.
2006	Scotney Court, Lydd, two birds, 25th February.
	Samphire Hoe/Capel-le-Ferne, two birds, seen on several occasions, 19th April until 6th May.
	Dartford, two birds over, 14th May.
	Sandwich Bay, single bird over, 26th September.
2007	Samphire Hoe, two birds, 26th March. These birds were seen into April with presumably the same birds visiting Capel-le-Fern, Wye, and Dungeness.
	Kingswood, Maidstone, possibly a different bird, 17th June.
	St. Mary's Bay, Dymchurch, possibly one of the original birds on 6th August.
	Dover, two birds, 10th August, and between 30th September and 17th October, they were seen at Dungeness, Scotney, and Chartham.
	Belmont Park, Sheldwich, had a single on 23rd October.
	Dungeness Reserve hosted the wandering two on 10th December.
2008	Samphire Hoe, up to four birds present up until 25th April.
	Boughton Park, single bird, 1st February.
	Bedgebury Pinetum, single bird, 8th February.
	Godmersham, single bird, 14th February.
	Capel-le-Ferne, single bird, 31st March.
	Lydden Down , single bird, 25th April.
	Kingswood, Maidstone, single bird, March.
	Bough Beech, single bird, April.
	Kearnsey, four birds over, 22nd July.
	Dungeness BO, four birds over, 23rd July.
	St. Margaret's, two birds, 22nd August.
	Newington, two birds, 14th September.
	Samphire Hoe, two birds, 19th September.
	St. Margaret's, three birds, 27th September.
	Samphire Hoe, four birds, 28th September.
	Samphire Hoe, two birds, 6th October until late December.
	Dover, two birds, 10th October.
	Foreness, three birds, 4th November.
	Little Cheyne Court, single bird, 23rd November.
	Bedgebury Pinetum, single bird, 23rd November.
	Bockhill, two birds, 6th December.
	Sandwich Bay, two birds, 11th December.
	New Romney, single bird, 19th December.
	Bedgebury Pinetum, two birds, 20th December.
	Bockhill, two birds, 23rd December.
2009	Pegwell Bay to Dungeness, reports from various localities of one-two birds during January to April. Impossible to say how many birds in total present.
	Pembury, two birds present during January.
	Dungeness, two birds, 15th March.
	Capel-le-Ferne, two birds, 15th March.
	Dungeness, two birds, 15th March.
	Sandwich Bay, single bird, 15th March.
	Boughton Park, single bird, 15th March.
	East area, four young fledged from a cliff site.
	North area, two young fledged from a quarry site.
	Bockhill, four birds, 10th October.
	Abbotscliffe, two birds, 10th October.
	Paddock Wood, two birds, during September.
	Cliffe Pools, two birds, during September.
	Bough Beech, single bird, during October.
	Cooling, single bird, during October.